Soundscape in computer games: proposal for a methodology of analysis

• Grant number: 10/14101-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: March 01, 2011
• End date: August 31, 2012
• Field of knowledge: Linguistics, Literature and Arts - Arts - Music
• Principal Investigator: José Eduardo Ribeiro de Paiva
• Grantee: Natália Monti Capello
• Host Institution: Instituto de Artes (IA). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

This research organizes a set of ideas and concepts that provide a theoretical view on the soundscape of electronic games. The approach is based on the idea of sound decoupage, which here includes the following main procedures: identification and development of the concept of five sound objects - voices, interface sounds, music, ambient sounds and sound effects - as a description of their characteristics and main roles; and sound mapping, which presupposes the enumeration of all sounds present in a game and also the specification of informations such as transitions, loops, locations where they appear. Two computer games recognized by game critics - Braid (Number None, 2009) and Mass Effect (Bioware, 2008) - are picked and both are analyzed according to the use of the components of their soundtracks. The methodological steps used here extend from the choice of games, experimentation of them and the submission of the decoupage of one of the games to an interview with some professionals of the field, to the discussions on the theoretical framework, which has been improved during this research. In a complementary way, we used theoretical outlines on the dynamicity of audio and on the classification of sounds according to the diegese. After comparing the analyses, it's verified both the presence of features specific to a game genre and broader others. The notes taken from the games analysis were synthesized and generalized in order to compose a methodology of analysis, which serves as a starting point to the comprehension of the soundscape of other games. (AU)

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

CAPELLO, Natália Monti. Soundscape in complete computer games: proposal for a methodology of analysis. 2012. Master's Dissertation - Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Instituto de Artes Campinas, SP.