How Does the Sound Design of Indie Games Get So Good?

Indie game studios has limited resources. There was no source of income from the game they developed in the first place. They have to continue producing games without it. These studios also have a small number of team members.

Such obstacles fewer people taking on more roles It also means that the game continues to be developed. In addition, the small number of people in the team also facilitates rapid brainstorming and action-taking.

Independent game studios do not make games to make money, which allows for freer development of the game and more opportunities for creativity. Do you think this freedom to sound design How does it affect?

Founder of MadRooster Feridun Emre Dursun He answered some questions about this subject for Webtekno. Here are our questions and answers:

Indie game studios often have limited resources. So how do they manage to create such impressive sound design?

in indie games If large budgets are not discussed, the process generally proceeds in a format where everyone focuses on their own field and owns the business. These dynamics also find themselves over time.

independent developerfor the game he designed in his mind and perhaps produced a prototype of. a world of good sound He can be the party that makes people believe in the project by contacting the people he thinks he can design it for. A lot composer and sound designer playground for, they because he likes to play games It becomes an interesting area for

Therefore, without having great financial expectations, can be quickly turned into a product And They feel more flexible in terms of creativity They may be willing to work in a field. Of course, this is reflected in the sound world of the game.

How do indie developers’ approach to sound design differ compared to major studios?

Indie developers if completely to sound and music If they are not working with a focused person, usually someone within the team who understands voice at least a little can take over this job. While doing this stock sound and music libraries They are trying to save the process by applying manually. There is one thing that I learned from my teachers and that has a place in my life: A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.

If the graphics of the game are at a very good level sound world is disturbing If this is for the player to close the game can cause. In fact, most of the time we are not even aware of this situation because has no measurable value. As other rings get stronger sound and music A process in which their own teams are formed is possible.

For example, in my first experience in the industry At an indie game company with 15 people Sound and music team of 4 people We were working as. Larger scale and even AAA When we look at companies that produce games, they generally have sound and music teams that can sometimes number up to 10 people. This depends on the situation to outsource the service It can take a lot of burden off the shoulders of the developer. depending on the size of the production and solutions differ depending on the approach of the team.

Indie games can often be more innovative and experimental than those from major studios. How does this affect sound design?

This situation to sound design It is also reflected. These teams a bureaucratic chain of processes Instead, they generally direct the process with quick brainstorms. Since instant changes occur frequently, it becomes important for the team to have an agile structure. experimentalism, This is a situation that benefits the sound designer and composer because this way, to produce something original An opportunity arises for you.

Hearing the footsteps of a character in a play about modern humans We hear it just like in everyday life and we are not surprised. If our character is a minotaur (half-man, half-bull from the mythological world), things get exciting there. darq, creaks If you examine games like eerie And squeaky You can see that there is a world of sound. In order to create this world, sound designers took many steps. records sounds of different objectsthese deformed by creating a brand new sound palette They create. This experimentalism It also pushes the sound designer to be more creative.

What do you think about the importance of sound design in the gaming industry? Why is this importance so evident, especially for indie games?

One sound person As a player, I think sound is always important in games. If I thought otherwise, I wouldn’t do this job. However, this importance may increase depending on the type of game. For example a in the horror game or FPS (first person shooter) The role of sound in the game is greater than in other genres.

indie games Due to the topics they cover, they are generally to deep scenarios Because the game has quality images And Supported by the sound world Thanks to a good uniform They can meet. of these games player base An audience that generally has a certain level of headset and cares about feeling the game with every sense. Therefore A game that is ahead with its sound world He starts the race one step ahead.

The sound we hit the rock with a pickaxe in Stardew Valley actually shows that you don’t necessarily need a rock and a pickaxe to produce that sound. Can you give any information about this? (3:22)

sound designers uses this approach mostly. In a 2D pixel game It is not uncommon to hear stone crushing as the sound of stone breaking. A more extreme example of this is real Designing the sound of an animation that has no equivalent in the world. Stick man’s footsteps, stars gathering in mobile games, a creature’s roar and many more to creative sound design obvious.

frostpunk in your game UI sounds If you examine it, you will see that it is a game suitable for the dark world of the game, using machine sounds and valves. sound palette you can hear This situation is entirely up to the sound designer. An original and creative choice. Creative sound designers in the real world will simulate the sound and they are always looking for solutions that will differentiate them.

Another successful sound in Stardew Valley is the sound made when collecting vegetables from the field. In the video, it is mentioned that it can be done by making a popping sound in the mouth and adding a random pitch variation. What do you think about this subject? (10:12)

Looking for the equivalent of the creative and real voice I mentioned sound approach exactly this. The sound designer will not disturb while picking vegetables and even gives the player a voice. ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response) sensation He uses pop sounds that can give To diversify this randomly change the pitch of the sound A frequently used method.

Are there any similar sounds in other games that you think are interesting? (38:14), (9:47)

Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice the main character in the game psychosis We hear the voices coming from the character’s head in order to better express his situation. While recording these, sound designers used a technique that mimics the sensation in the human head to create a realistic psychosis. dummy microphones they use. Game with headphones It has a very immersive effect when you experience it.

Bad North In the game called, cute little characters fight while fighting. sword sounds actually fork And spoon It consists of sounds. Or the sounds they make when they wiggle are so sweet that it’s funny in the real world. You can’t associate it with any sound.

Thanks to dear Feridun Emre Dursun for his answers.

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