Appendix B: Tips and Tricks for Creating Game Audio - Beginning Game Audio Programming [Electronic resources] نسخه متنی

Appendix B: Tips and Tricks for Creating Game Audio

If you're playing both the role of programmer and sound designer on your game, this appendix is for you. I've collected a grab-bag of useful tricks for creating high-quality sound effects and music for your game, and I am presenting them here in the hopes that they'll get you going or give you an idea you may not have had before.

MUSIC

Game music is often the most overlooked aspect of game development. Game audio, in general, takes a back seat to a game's visuals, and within game audio, music often takes a back seat to sound effects and speech. Don't let this happen on your game! Music is one of the greatest tools you have for conveying emotion in your game. A game with below-average graphics but sweet music often comes out ahead of a game with stunning visuals but lackluster music (or no music altogether).

In this section, you'll learn a few tricks to get high-quality music into your game.

Being Musical without Being a Musician

You don't have to be a professional musician to create in-game music that sounds great. In the graphics world, even if you're not artistically inclined, there are a wide range of software programs that can enable you to create good and sometimes even amazing graphics. Programs like Bryce, Photoshop, Kai's Power Tools, Vue d' Esprit, can sometimes rescue your game from the "programmer art" pit (notice that I keep saying "sometimes"). Similarly, there are a wide variety of programs that can help you create high-quality music quickly and easily. I've included links and demo versions of some of these programs on your CD.

Getting Hit Songs in Your Game

Nowadays, the hip thing to do is include hit songs in your game. Before you crack open your MP3 collection and start building your game's soundtrack, though, you need to realize that doing this legally costs money, and often a lot of money (as in, money that's measured in the thousands, and sometimes ten-thousands).

Of course, the technical requirements for getting hit songs into your game are easy. Just find an MP3, and you're good to go. However, if you redistribute that MP3 without the permission of the people that created the song, you're breaking copyright law and could face fines of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Even if you don't plan on making money for your game, it's illegal for you to redistribute somebody else's song without their permission.

The legal way to get hit songs into your game is to contact the owner of that song and talk to them about what you plan on doing. Be prepared with specific facts about what you want—for example, do you want the whole song or just a snippet?

Recruiting Local Talent

Maybe you know a friend who's in a band or trying to form one, or maybe there's a local band whose sound you think would be a perfect fit for your game. If that's the case, consider striking up a deal with them! It'll free you from having to actually write and record the music, and it'll give them some much-needed exposure and something on which to focus their creative energy. Having someone other than yourself counting on the release of your game also helps when you've been working on a bug for days on end, and you feel like just pitching the whole project and starting something new.

There's no hard and fast rule for what the band should get in return for their contribution for the project. It could range from a six-pack of their favorite hopps-derived beverage, to thousands of dollars, a prominent "Music By" credit at the start of the game, and a cut of the game's profits. You'll have to navigate the negotiation on your own; just be realistic about your credentials, and realistic about the band's. For example, if you've never released a game before, promising the band a cut of the game's royalties isn't really worth much. For some bands, that might be enough; for others, they might want to see some cash up front as well.

Once you've recruited your band, your next step is to describe to them in detail what you're looking for. For every song you want, explain to them the emotional state you want to create, the environment, the length, whether the song will need loop points so your code can play it infinitely, and so on. Keep in mind, that in general, most game music doesn't have lyrics. It's more akin to music in film and television, which usually just sets a mood. However, there are some situations where music with words works well—follow your gut, and pay attention to how it's done in movies.

All in all, working with a friend who's in a band can be a rewarding experience for both of you. You'll draw from each other creatively (he or she may have some great ideas for your game!), and you'll both find that having someone else on the project makes it harder to abandon.