|
October 2001
The Complete Guide to Game
Audio: For Composers, Musicians, Sound Designers, and
Game Developers -- A New Book by Aaron Marks
"Music had always seemed to be a part of my life and
like everyone else, I had big dreams. I just didn’t have
a clue as to the “what” or “how” part of it though...I
didn’t naturally move to video games...But when scoring for video games
finally did run up and slap me across the face, I
realized my perceptions of this strange, new world were
woefully distorted. The gaming world has advanced far
beyond what I had imagined and the music had become
utterly fantastic! And to top it off, I discovered some
game composers were making $50,000+ per game for just a
month or so of work. Now I was interested!..."
 Forget
the bleeps, bloops and cryptic graphics of your
childhood video games. Sophisticated sound effects are
essential to setting the stage for contemporary games.
Everything from popular songs playing in the background
to car horns, doors closing and other environmental
sound effects engage some 145 million Americans that
play computer and video games according to the
Interactive Digital Software Association.
The game industry has grown in three short decades to
rival the movie business -- and it needs sound designers
to meet the needs of this latest generation of games.
"Today, game audio has evolved to an art
form of its own. Game music quality, the release of
stand-alone game music CDs and their potential for a
Grammy Award has, at last, brought game music
composition on par with the television and film
industries. Who would have ever thought this even
possible 30 years ago? Game music has made a quantum
leap forward and we not only have the talents of game
composers to thank, but the entire game industry for
their continued support and for the technological
advancements of audio hardware."
(From The Complete Guide to Game Audio)
The Complete Guide to Game Audio may be the only
book on the market that teaches musicians, composers,
sound designers and game developers the technical and
business skills needed to succeed in the computer and
video game industry. This comprehensive guide details
everything from purchasing the right equipment, using
the correct file formats and developing audio for
specific game platforms to making demo reels,
negotiating business contracts and marketing. The
companion CD-ROM features audio examples and demos of
useful sound editing, sound effects plug-ins and
sequencing programs.
"The future holds some incredible
offerings for game audio
— your imagination, the only limiting
factor. Picture yourself surrounded fully by sound,
where game play relies heavily on your sense of hearing.
Walking down a dark corridor in a first person shooter,
hearing your footsteps below you, environmental sounds
coming from air ducts and doorways, suddenly, you hear a
noise behind and to your left, you turn to be confronted
by a ghastly beast who wants you for lunch. You fire
your weapon, the sound reverberating, shell casings
tinkling on the floor, and the creature falls to the
ground with a thud. That is going to be some serious
entertainment! Sound will be as important as your
eyesight in this new virtual world. The name of the game
is total absorption, and you, as a composer or sound
designer, will help set the stage."
(From The Complete Guide to Game Audio)
Music has always been a part of author Aaron Marks'
life. He created On Your Mark Music Productions in 1995,
focusing on the local radio and television scene by
composing jingles and scoring public service
announcements. Seeking fame and fortune, he bumped into
the games industry. His credits include a PlayStation 2
game, five CD-ROM game projects, 56 online casino games,
a dozen touch-screen arcade games and numerous
multimedia projects.
The Complete Guide to Game
Audio is available from Amazon.com by
clicking here
|
