Black Box VR merges advanced audio design with virtual reality, creating a dynamic soundscape where crowd reactions enhance immersion. This focus on precise, responsive audio showcases the pivotal role of sound in virtual environments, offering a deeply engaging experience that reacts to every player action.
Read MoreIn the evolving landscape of virtual reality fitness, the fusion of sound with player interaction is critical for an immersive experience. Central to this development is Black Box VR, which has pioneered the integration of player-selected music into the rhythmic flow of VR workouts. This initiative represents a significant advancement in the realm of game audio engineering, blending user preferences with the interactive dynamics of virtual fitness environments. This article delves into the intricate process of weaving personal music choices into the fabric of game audio, a challenge that required both innovative thinking and a deep understanding of audio engineering principles.
Our journey begins with VoiceMeeter Banana, an advanced virtual audio mixer that stands at the forefront of our solution, enabling the intricate management of game sound effects, in-game music, and user-selected tracks. This set the stage for a more complex yet fascinating challenge: integrating the FMOD Audio Middleware Engine to maintain a seamless audio experience without the burden of running multiple audio engines.
Join us as we unravel the layers of this audio integration puzzle, showcasing how the blend of traditional techniques and modern technology can redefine the boundaries of game sound in the world of VR fitness.
Read MoreThis tool was created to provide a solution for users who need to generate an XML list of External Audio Files for Wwise to read. The tool is written in Python and utilizes Tkinter Modules for the GUI. It is designed to be easy to use and includes features such as save/load project states, message prompts, message console, and an open feature to check the outputted generated XML file. However, it is important to note that the tool currently works with WAV files only and does not include conversion settings.
With features like project state save and load, message prompts to prevent mistakes, and a message console to keep you informed of the process, this application streamlines the task of generating the XML file. Additionally, a useful open feature lets you check the outputted generated .xml file to ensure its correctness.
The instructions for using the application are simple: select an input directory that houses your external audio files, select an output location for your XML file, type in a name for the XML file, press generate, and import the XML file into your Wwise project's external sources list.
Unlock the true potential of your game's audio with the expertise of a dedicated sound designer and technical sound designer. From unique, immersive sounds to dynamic and ever-changing audio, these professionals can elevate the player's experience to new heights. Discover the benefits of hiring these specialists and how they can save on development time and costs in our latest post on sound design.
Read MoreBringing your game's characters to life with a dynamic dialogue system is like casting a spell on your players - it immerses them in your story, making them forget they're even playing a game!
Read MoreTopdown approach for music planning in game audio development. This post looks into music licensing and the obstacles and limitations of licensing. This post will also investigate the hiring of a music composer for a video game, and the obstacles and challenges the composer and development team will have to answer before the project can begin.
Read MoreAs game audio development involves various aspects of sound design, music, dialogue and implementation using audio middleware, effective communication, realistic deadlines, and proper tools and techniques are crucial for successful project management. In this excerpt, we discuss the importance of staying informed about the progress and goals of the development team, setting realistic timescales and deadlines, and the use of audio middleware like Wwise or FMOD. We also provide a case study of implementing an adaptive music system in a fantasy RPG game using Wwise as an example to illustrate the process of planning and organizing tasks.
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Short post discussing the release of the Black Box VR Video Game Soundtrack with special mentions to featured artists and collaborators.
Read MoreIf you’re about to take on a game development project as composer, sound designer, audio programmer, dialogue script writer / editor or content management, then you may find something of use to aid you in your quest! If you're generally interested in game audio development, then this might be a good read as to what's involved from a top down approach with a sprinkle of the nitty gritty.
Read MoreA top-down look at the Black Box VR adaptive music system.
Read MoreFree expression maps for Nucleus by Audio Imperia. These expressions will work with Cubase and Nuendo.
Read MoreA Unity character Foley system covering footstep sounds, surface changing on both terrain and game objects. The system also includes clothing sound design, accessory sound design and armour sound design. Free project download and video walkthrough available in this post.
Read MoreScience fiction spawns technological ideas into reality, while the growth of A.I aims to set humanity free to innovate, it too can serve as a creative tool to educate and produce jobs.
Read MoreReviewing the results of a twitter poll in which users were asked about AI and music writing.
Read MoreAi and creativity, what is the cost to humanity?
Read MoreHands on short review of orb composer with example tracks.
Read MoreThis post investigates the film A Quiet Place, which follows the Abbott family; husband Lee, wife Evelyn, daughter Regan, sons Marcus and Beau through a post-apocalyptic America. The world created is extremely quiet due to the invasion of a blind armoured creature, that hunts by sound using hypersonic hearing. The Abbott family, have a distinct advantage, with their eldest child Evelyn suffering from a hearing impairment, meant the family know how to communicate through sign language. An advantage indeed when the hunters in this tale hunt by sound. The quiet nature of this world and lack of dialogue emphasises the sound design to push the narrative. Sound editors Ethan Van der Ry, Erik Aadahl and Brandon Jones, have created three forms of silence, each with a unique tension, one of which is being an active participant watching the film, this paper will investigate the three forms of silence and how it impacts both on-screen characters and the audience alike.
Read MoreBy using C# and Visual Studio, I decided to have some fun by coding a console version of the classic Tic Tac Toe game. Also known as Naughts and Crosses, Exey Oseys or Xs and Os. It's a fun game to code, below is an overview of the project file. Feel free to edit or improve the code for your own project!
Read MoreThis post will explore creative sound design techniques that can be applied to film and games, this will include Tape, Granular and Fast Fourier Transform techniques. To demonstrate this, the animated short film The Shark In The Park will be featured. The film will be stripped from its original audio and imported into Cubase, which will be the DAW of choice for this walkthrough. The animation Shark In The Park was selected as it contains many visuals that can benefit from creative sound design, especially the granular visuals, which could also benefit from using granular synthesis to enhance and embrace the scene with context.
Read MoreVideo games need to overcome challenges in audio that are not found in other forms of media. Interactive audio researcher Karen Collins [1] weighs in on this phenomenon, explaining that media formats like film and TV use a passive form of immersion, the participant cannot interact with the experience, this is commonly referred to as linear media. Nonlinear media generally refers to video games and requires an active participant to take part in the experience. A participant can do anything that’s within the game rules at any moment in time, this level of interactivity raises problems or concerns within game audio, as it too, needs to react and respond in sync with the active player.
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