Sound Effects and Music Are Emotion

Years ago I used to play the game Descent. I happily wasted major amounts of time playing Descent 1 and 2, and I enjoyed every moment of it. However, when Descent 3 came out, I was bitterly disappointed. For a while I could not put my finger on why. The gameplay was very much the same. The graphics, which really didn't improve much with version 3, were nevertheless good. Nearly everything about version 3 of the game was as good or better than previous versions. At last, I figured out that there was a major difference in the sound. The music was not as good and the sound effects were downright wimpy. In Descent 1 and 2, the sounds of many of the weapons were thunderous. In Descent 3, most of the weapons sounded like popguns and cap pistols. For me, the lack of good sound effects and music so diminished the gameplay experience that I never finished Descent 3. I got about halfway through and lost interest. That is the power of sound effects and music in games.

Sound effects intensify the feeling of reality in games. In the real world, there are a myriad of sounds in even the quietest of spots. In the most soundproof rooms you can hear yourself breathe. If you move your foot across the floor, there's a sound. If it's quiet enough, you can even hear your own eyes blink.

Human beings expect to be immersed in a world of sound. If your game does not provide a world of sound, it doesn't feel real enough. As a result, players are not as immersed in your game as they otherwise could be.

Sounds cause emotion. Think how you would feel if you were in a dark alley and suddenly heard the heavy footfalls of two large men behind you. In a game, the sound of footsteps can cause the same emotional reaction in a player.

Music also causes emotion. In fact, good game designers know that music is emotion. Think about someone you dated who meant a lot to you. Did the two of you have a particular song that you thought of as "your" song? Does hearing that song still bring back memories of that special person? What do you feel when those memories come back? That's the power of music.

Next time you watch a movie or TV show in which the character gets into danger, listen to the music. Often, the change in the music is the first clue you have that danger is imminent. It causes an immediate shift in mood.

If your sound effects and music are well done, people won't even notice them. Although that sounds odd, it's true. The sounds and music that come from your game will just be taken as part of the experience. Players won't even notice them. However, if they're poorly done, players will really notice that.