The Classroom

I thought about this game recently and remembered how fun it was. I rules are simple and the game was so successful the developer made two more sequels. This is the first game.

-Maja

Sound Design

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPWdnDdhdQM

The game Left 4 Dead 2 has excellent sound design. Multiple sounds can be heard at the same time like a horde rushing in, guns firing and fire burning. The sound contributes a lot to the game play as certain enemies can be heard, altering the player of what is stalking them. It also helps intensifies the action as certain events happen like a tank appearing or when you have to defend yourself. In the video it shows how all these sounds work well together.

Music Assignment - Vernon

Square Enix makes use its music to create a sense of unity among all its individual Final Fantasy series games. Here is a sample.

My choice for a good use of sound design in a game:Gradius 3

Software for Making Chiptunes

Here's a thread at OCRemix where they discuss several programs that emulate the sound chips for the NES, SNES, Master System, and Genesis:

http://ocremix.org/forums/showthread.php?t=13715


Here's a guide that will teach you how to convert a .MIDI song into a chiptune with Garage Band and a chiptunes plugin:

http://gigaom.com/apple/how-to-create-a-chiptune-in-garageband/


If anybody wants some free chiptunes, the 8 Bit Collective is a nice free database. Anybody can freely upload or download any of the chiptunes here, as long as they give credit to the composer:

http://8bc.org/

Sound/Alan Wake - Lily Hardy

Alan Wake Gameplay   Play at 3:50

I chose a clip from Alan wake.The game is about a man who begins to experience his own frightening novel. I think the makers did a great job using subtle sounds and music to convey the feel of a horror/thriller novel.

Maja's Pick for Sound

Bioshock 2 Intro Gameplay

The creators of Bioshock 2 implemented sound to create a cinematic experience. One signature sound, the Big Sister's scream, is used to anticipate the player for a rather difficult fight.

My choice for a good use of sound design in a game: Megaman 2

Here is the link for the video


Megaman 2 is one of my all-time favorite games, and a big part can be attributed for its good use of sound in terms of atmospheric music as well as the sound effects. The music in itself is composed very well to correspond accordingly to the level that is selected. It captivates the player into the game and you don't really notice that it is looping over and over. But overall the soundtrack is amazing in my opinion. As far as the sound effects goes, the simple sounds of jumping, shooting, taking damage, going through the door, etc. reflect the game's environment of being in a futuristic world where robots are the soldiers in a battle between good and evil. Although very outdated being a game from the 80s, the sound effects fit the game perfectly.

-Alvin Torres

Game Sounds- Shadow of the Colossus

Watch it here.

Good examples at- 0:38-0:50, 1:00, 4:00, 4:30, 7:55, 8:20-9:00

A submission for favorite synchronous sound...

The narrator/antagonist/guide GLADOS in Valve's game Portal:

Artur's pick for Best Sound Design: Dead Space for 360, PS3, PC

Below is the link to gameplay footage of Dead Space. Players who choose to play a video game in the survival/horror genre usually want one thing; To feel fear! This clip demonstrates how sound and music (or lack thereof in some cases) set a eerie atmosphere for the game which in turn makes the experience startlingly realistic. The main character's footsteps in the seemingly empty spaces, the sound of the door swinging open. See for yourself!

Dead Space Gameplay Footage (Recommended to watch in HD!)

LIMBO

Here is the trailer for LIMBO, a game that was developed by the Danish indie developer Playdead Studios and released on XBLA in July. The game has some of my favorite atmospheric sound design. It contains no traditional score, as it doesn't have discrete songs. Instead, the game has atmospheric sound effects to evoke emotions. At some points the sound can really scare you.

When your character walks into water, and the water level reaches your ears, the sound changes accordingly to sound like you're underwater. When struggling to stay on a boat, you might dip into the water repeatedly, making for some very effective use of sound, especially if you're wearing headphones while you play it.

Borderlands - An example of good sound in gaming

Why does Borderlands have great sound? The sound control as seen in the introduction when the driver is talking over the loud music ranges in stereo volume. Quality of sound is very detailed on emphasis because we are able to hear the obvious splatter when the monster got hit by the truck. The music sets the mood for game play, being very humorous and laid back in the introduction while serious when the players get dropped off and is left alone for the adventure.

The sound effects such as the guns shooting and enemies lurking heard from the direction corresponds to the stereo audio, giving the experience a surround sound effect. Although this clip doesn't show it clearly, other game play clips on youtube will demonstrate it.