sound-effects
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Camelot Unchained prepares to cross $3M in fundraising
As of the writing of this post, Camelot Unchained is on the verge of hitting $3M in fundraising donations at $2,952,875. City State Entertainment said that when that already-impressive sum climbs to $3,025,000, the team will sign on a sound engineer to kick the game's audio up a notch. "Part of this goal will cover licensing the Audiokinetic Wwise engine and technical support for it, as well as some great plug-ins, while the rest will go toward the salary and expenses of the sound engineer," CSE posted. To help prompt more of those donation dollars, Camelot Unchained began selling unveiled lifetime subscriptions today at the builder's level.
Bring the noise of the crowd home with Football Sound Effects
Here is a new sports app for your iOS devices. But unlike most sports app you won't find scores, or statistics, or game reports, or sports news, or really anything else you might expect to get in a sports app. Football Sound Effects offers just what the title says, the sounds of the game, that you control. The free universal app requires iOS 7.0 or later. The app has two in-app purchase options, one to remove ads and the other to allow users to record and save their own sounds. Each are US$0.99. One of the fun parts about watching a football game in person at a full stadium is the noise and cheers that reverberate through the crowd. Now you can get some of that same excitement even if you are watching the game at home alone or with friends or even in your favorite watering hole with other fans. Just tap the sound you want and it plays over your device's speakers. Football Sound Effects offers twenty-seven different sounds. Most of the audio cuts are pretty natural although a couple border on being cartoonish. But overall I think you will find enough you like to add some flavor to your TV viewings. The sounds are broken into three categories, cheers and yells, in game sounds, and penalty calls. In the cheers and yells segment, users will find six or seven sounds that i think are useful. First you get the cry used when the other team has the ball: Dee-fense with rhythmic clapping. Another popular cheer is one that includes two sounds of the crowd stamping their feet followed by a loud clap. You will also find two separate "Boos", another sound intended to be used when a kickoff takes place, Let's Go Team, and a couple more than kind of just fill out the segment. The second section includes sounds from in game activities. Users get the natural sound of two different tackles, a hard hit, the referee's whistle blowing, an air horn blowing, an announcer proclaiming a kick was good, a rather lame effort of "he could go all the way", and an even less convincing touchdown call. The final segment deals with referee announcement of penalties such as offsides, personal foul, delay of game, and six others. Overall Football Sound Effects provides sounds that could be fun to use to try and bring the atmosphere of the game to where you are watching on TV. Some are really close to what you would hear at the game while others come up a bit short. I suggest you download it and try it. If you are alone you can bring a crowd to you right on your phone.
H1Z1's audio is a key part of its immersion
When done right, you hardly ever consciously acknowledge a game's sound, but when it's missing or done poorly, it can jar a player out of desired immersion. In a dev diary posted today, H1Z1 Technical Architect Greg Spence talks about the sound of the game and demonstrates a few tests. "So much goes into making these sounds seem realistic beyond just choosing an audio file to play," Spence explains. "Taking into account your surroundings, whether you are inside or outside, what type of ground you are on, time of day, and even weather can play a big part in the final thing you hear." Spence discusses sound effects, environment sounds, and, of course, music. You can check out the audio test videos after the break!
This is what makes the snapping bone sound in Mortal Kombat X
That juicy explosion of a crushed skull in Mortal Kombat X is actually the sound of a watermelon splattering on a layer of plastic in NetherRealm's foley studio. The remaining bone snaps, cranium hits and squishy organ sounds are mostly made with various fruits and vegetables, Warner Bros Marketing Games Manager Brian Goodman told Joystiq at Gamescom. Mortal Kombat X is an exceedingly gruesome game, done in a way that makes it clear that NetherRealm knows how ridiculous it's being at all times. The art team stressed to accurately portray the sub-dermal anatomy of each character, Goodman said – and then Scorpion rips a hole though Sub-Zero's torso until his heart dangles in the middle of his gaping chest cavity. Ridiculous. The next time you pick up a melon at the store, try picturing it as Raiden's melon. Yum. [Image: Warner Bros]
Choose My Adventure: Neverwinter wonderland
When I think about what separates a good Neverwinter Foundry mission from a great Foundry mission, I have to say that it's the ambiance. Ambiance ranges from sounds to lighting to special effects. I could create the best mission ever, write the best story, but if I don't create the best ambiance for the quest, my design could fall flat. What are some of the best ways to create ambiance? Which ones should I put into this Choose My Adventure? In my limited time in the Neverwinter Foundry, I have barely been able to scratch the surface of everything that the design tool has to offer. Of course, decorations such as a dining table in a dining room add to the atmosphere of the setting, but so does the sun shining through the window or the NPCs clapping in the next room. Today, I need your assistance in choosing the different types of ambiance for different parts of our adventure.
Wargaming video dives into World of Warplanes sound design
If you've played Wargaming.net's World of Warplanes, chances are good you've spent a good bit of time listening to your aircraft's engine. As it turns out, those engine sounds you're hearing aren't downloaded from a sound effects library or made up in the studio; a great deal of them are recorded in real life from the very planes featured in the game. Wargaming has put together a nice little video showing its sound team working to capture authentic sound effects from dozens of old-school aircraft. The process involves tarmacs, lots of equipment, and just a bit of shirtless dial-tweaking. Check it out after the break. [Source: Wargaming.net press release]
WTB generic glyphs
Glyphs have undergone some interesting evolutions since they were introduced in Wrath of the Lich King. From major and minor, to major, minor, and prime, and now back to minor and major, glyphs are, in my opinion, a good way to add both some functionality to your toons as well as give them some flavor. Minor glyphs can do a lot to make your character feel like its yours. And while minor glyphs are rarely necessary for performance, they can sometimes help in certain situations, at least a little bit. One thing that's always been true of glyphs, no matter what their incarnation, is the fact that they're class-specific. I think it would be interesting to see that change, if not for major glyphs, then at least for minor ones. There are certain aspects of the game I would love to have the option to modify, just a little, for quality-of-life reasons. There are also abilities that were once available that no longer are, which could be reintroduced via classless glyphs, useable by all. Here are some generic glyphs I would love to see.
Breakfast Topic: Mobile users, what are your favorite WoW ringtones and sounds?
I can't tell you how tickled I am to get text messages these days, ever since I made the familiar murloc gurgle my text message notification sound. Text messages evoke the same feelings in me that murlocs do -- man, I get annoyed when I have to stop and deal with one, but they're actually irresistible little creatures, aren't they? Also popular at our house is my regular morning alarm. You read that right: My family actually wants to hear my alarm go off. I use that drippingly gorgeous theme from Elwynn Forest, and it eases us into consciousness with the gentle caress of dawn. Sometimes my husband whispers in the dark, "Just let it play." My other favorite notification sounds include The Lament of the Highborne as my alarm notification for after-school pickups (I need something gentle to nudge me from my writing and editing fugue at that point in the day) and the friendly, energetic classic Alliance tavern theme as my normal ringtone. (What, you thought I could handle the pandaren inn version?!) What WoW ringtones and sounds do you enjoy on your own mobile devices?
Chaos Theory: Sounding off on the influence of ambiance in The Secret World
From chirping birds and swooshing swords to background music for different areas, MMOs are rife with in-game sounds. Yet plenty of folks actually opt out of the original game sounds and music, shutting them off in favor of personal soundtracks. I myself usually turn game sounds down to around 3% because I often find the sounds too overpowering. Doing so never seemed to affect games much -- until now. Sounds make The Secret World. By now, you've all heard me rave about the ambiance in TSW, either in my Why I Play, here in Chaos Theory, or during my livestreams on Massively TV. I've repeatedly said that the spooky atmosphere that pulls you right into the game is one of its greatest features. Yet it actually goes deeper than that: The ambiance is more than just added frosting that can be scraped off without affecting the main treat; it is completely integral to the game. Thanks to an unplanned "opportunity" this past week, I can tell you without a doubt that if you remove or turn the sounds in TSW down too low, you are doing yourself a huge disservice. In fact, you are actually missing out on the game.
WildStar explores the nuance of sound
Sounds aren't often something you think about within a game. A one-second audio clip that plays when an ability activates isn't a major draw of your attention. But it's also more relevant than you might think in the long run -- that sound is what draws your attention, lets you know what's going on, and creates the illusion of the world around you. It's also a very complicated process to build sound effects for a game, as demonstrated by WildStar's Senior Sound Designer Greg Meader in this week's WildStar Wednesday. Meader uses a specific ability to walk through the process of making a sound to fit the on-screen action, in this case an ability deployed by the Skug Queen. The process starts by identifying individual sounds that fit the overall theme, then layering them together and adding additional effects as needed until the whole package sounds right. For all that it's easy to miss in the midst of the action, it's clear that the designers are paying a lot of attention to what you hear during battle and elsewhere.
Fabricated: Scientists develop method to synthesize the sound of clothing for animations (video)
Developments in CGI and animatronics might be getting alarmingly realistic, but the audio that goes with it often still relies on manual recordings. A pair of associate professors and a graduate student from Cornell University, however, have developed a method for synthesizing the sound of moving fabrics -- such as rustling clothes -- for use in animations, and thus, potentially film. The process, presented at SIGGRAPH, but reported to the public today, involves looking into two components of the natural sound of fabric, cloth moving on cloth, and crumpling. After creating a model for the energy and pattern of these two aspects, an approximation of the sound can be created, which acts as a kind of "road map" for the final audio. The end result is created by breaking the map down into much smaller fragments, which are then matched against a database of similar sections of real field-recorded audio. They even included binaural recordings to give a first-person perspective for headphone wearers. The process is still overseen by a human sound engineer, who selects the appropriate type of fabric and oversees the way that sounds are matched, meaning it's not quite ready for prime time. Understandable really, as this is still a proof of concept, with real-time operations and other improvements penciled in for future iterations. What does a virtual sheet being pulled over an imaginary sofa sound like? Head past the break to hear it in action, along with a presentation of the process.
Arduino-powered glove brings real sound effects to your make believe gun show (video)
The days of air-punching invisible Daleks and making your own sound effects are over: a team from Carnegie Mellon's Human-Computer Interaction course have built a glove that does it all for you. The Augmented Hyper-Reality Glove can identify upper-cuts and karate chops using flex and tilt sensors and play the accompanying sound effect using an Arduino-powered Adafruit wave shield. We can see some potential downsides -- flirtatious finger-gun fusillades accompanied by the sound of cannon fire might just ruin your date. If you're undaunted by such social faux pas, see the toy your inner-child always wanted in action after the break.
More on the sound design for Guild Wars 2
Yesterday, the Guild Wars 2 sound team got to have a day in the limelight with a video detailing the process of making the sounds that go into the game. Today, the team is back in the spotlight, showcasing an equally-important but slightly different aspect of the audio game. This time, the video isn't showing off getting the sounds just right, it's showcasing getting the sounds to work correctly in the game world, rather than just playing a footstep effect every few moments. As demonstrated in the video, the team uses a complex dynamic layering system in which several different sounds can have varying levels of volume, frequency, and focus -- as demonstrated by a windmill, which has ten different sounds playing at intervals to create the illusion of wood and cloth slowly turning. Guild Wars 2 players might not find any tips about the gameplay just past the cut, but they will find a video that further explains how you make just the right kinds of noise in the game.
The Daily Grind: What game sounds do you like the best?
Sounds may always get the back seat to graphics and animation in MMOs, but in my opinion they're just as -- if not more -- important than what you see. If you'll allow for a bit of cultured snobbery, a game with lackluster sound effects are just so... so... pedestrian. Common gutter trash, even. I'm always keeping an ear out for great sounds in the games I play, such as the meaty thwack of a sword slamming against a mutated iguana or the sonic boom of a misfired mage spell. One of the things I love about RIFT is how the sounds are muted when you're underwater or near death; it's a small touch, to be sure, but it helps to pull me into the world even more. Are you somewhat of an audiophile? Then today tell us what MMO sounds you love the best. Are they spells, attacks, NPC noises, ambient sounds, or something different completely? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Breakfast Topic: Do you rely on game sounds to help you play WoW?
This Breakfast Topic has been brought to you by Seed, the AOL guest writer program that brings your words to WoW Insider's pages. There are many reasons why WoW is a great game, but to me, one of the things that sets it apart from other MMOs is the sound design. The music is top quality, the voices are entertaining and memorable, and the sound effects are relevant and informative. As a matter of fact, sound effects are critical to the way I play. Even if I turn down the game music or environment sounds, I leave my sound effects turned way up. Why? Simple. Without them, I would be a less effective player. I rely on the casting sound to tell me when my heals will land and when I can cast the next one, and I listen for the thud of a tank's block or the clink of a parry to let me know when damage has been mitigated. My druid's inarticulate grunts tell me to back away from adds or to move out of the fire, and even when I'm watching the health bars instead of the characters, the game sounds tell me what spells my party members are casting. I don't always recognize all these things literally, but the presence of Blizzard's sound effects gives me an idea of how the fight is going by sound alone. In the midst of a tense encounter, I can't always keep track of all the visual cues, but sound effects help me follow what's going on. Do you use sound effects to keep track of what's going on in combat? Which sounds are the most identifiable to you? Without the sound effects, would you be as effective a player?>
Super Mario Bros. gets modern sound effects, nostalgia ensues (video)
We can only wonder what'll happen when you reach a certain score -- you know, somewhere above 8000...
TUAW's Daily App: Star Dunk
Star Dunk is a strange little mix of online basketball (you can see the basic idea here) and an interesting cosmic aesthetic. To shoot the basketball, you just touch the screen and drag until your guideline is lined up, and then you fire away and try to drop in as many shots as possible. You get bonus points for extra nice shots, and if you hit all four targets on the "backboard," you can grab power-ups as well. High scores earn you Plus+ achievements and in-game rewards, like different balls (with various useful attributes) to use. The game is a ton of fun! It's got that perfect "just one more try" feeling to it that keeps you going back for another round. And the graphics are terrific for the game's simplicity; there are lots of sparkles, and even some fun zoom angles, interspersed with ambient background music and glossy sound effects. Star Dunk is a great little title, and it's only 99 cents. So, if that online basketball gameplay appeals to you, it's a no brainer.
Interview: Audio Director Kristofor Mellroth on the sounds of Crackdown 2
It's fair to say Crackdown was a surprise -- even if you didn't buy it for the Halo 3 beta key, odds are that you downloaded the demo and found a pretty impressive pre-GTA IV open-world shooter. That seems like a blessing and a curse for Audio Director Kristofor Mellroth and the rest of the dev team at Ruffian Games working on the sequel: on the one hand, we have fond memories of the original game, but on the other, there are more great open-world games out there now. Will we go back to Pacific City now that we've got a choice? Mellroth is doing everything on his end to make sure that we do. From the music of the game (which features remixes from the likes of Bob Dylan and Creedence Clearwater Revival, as well as electronic beats by artists like Tokyo Black Star and Adam Freeland) to gunshots, explosions, and the ever-present tones of Michael McConnohie, he's put a lot of thought into what Crackdown 2 should sound like and why. Read on for an exclusive interview with the game's audio director.
World of WarCrafts: Sounds like a whole new Stratholme
World of WarCrafts spotlights art and creativity by WoW players, including fan art, cooking, comics, cosplay, music and fan fiction. Show us how you express yourself by contacting our tips line (attention: World of WarCrafts) -- not-for-profit work only, please.In this week's World of WarCrafts, the "dark and haunting tale" of Stratholme comes alive with a custom audio build from Ashram of Darksorrow-EU. Ashram paid a visit to the burning city, capturing it on video and then setting it to all-new audio - from spell effects to NPC voicing to birds cawing in the background, all set against an atmospheric soundtrack that injects an eerie edge of desperation to an instance that's become old hat.Ashram brings a good bit of recording and audio experience to the project, having spent several years singing in a band and recording most of their material. "This is the first time I've ever attempted something like this with a full rebuild of a game's audio," he admitted. "This project was much more complex than anything I'd ever attempted before." We visited with Ashram (thanks for the tip, Foulbourne!) to learn how he brought dread and despair back to old Stratholme.
Japan considers adding noise pollution to hybrids
Any big city bicyclist knows that being small and silent on the street is a deadly combination. Drivers of 2-ton cages are simply immune to anything but the sights and sounds of combustion engines riding four on the floor. This issue affects silent-running hybrids and compact electrics too, something Japan's government is taking seriously in a new government review that could result in a mandate for the inclusion of "a sound making function" in their future eco-rides. Safety aside, we presume Japanese manufacturers would choose a sound that's as tasteful and unassuming as their locally brewed hybrids. Imagine if GM was to make a similar decision... oh, right.
