Games News

PAX East 2017: Behind Every Great Video Game is Kickass Audio

Developers at PAX East 2017 talk to us about how great audio makes for the ultimate video game experience.

We took to the show floor at PAX East 2017 to ask developers about the importance of audio in their games. Although their reasons varied, the overall tone was pretty much the same. Great audio is king, and it’s one of the first things they think about when they begin to conceptualize their games.

Alex Nichiporchik, CEO of tinyBuild and producer of notable indie titles such as Hello Neighbor and Party Hard, revealed that they began working on the soundtrack for the upcoming game, Party Hard 2, long before they started its development.

“What we found out in Party Hard, the very first one that we did, is that the music made that game. That’s why YouTubers loved it, and that’s why as soon as you start up the game, you want to dance.”

Excellent sound production is a driving force for video games, and this fact has attributed to the demand of high-quality gaming headsets. Feeling the bass in something like Berzerk Studio’s Just Shapes and Beats is what transforms a casual party game into an immersive experience you and your friends will never forget.

Music isn’t the only type of audio that can be found in games. Sound effects are also an important part of the equation. In Crossing Souls, an upcoming Devolver Digital game largely influenced by 80s movies like The Goonies and Back to the Future, the sounds of laser guns and explosions are just a few of the effects that bring the game to life.

Meanwhile, and for many eSports competitors, something as subtle as the faint patter of an enemy’s footsteps or the rustle of a bush can be a deciding factor in whether they win or lose.

That said, check out the video below, where developers of various backgrounds talk about how audio has impacted their games and why they feel it’s so important.