Citation info: Ekman, I. (2008) "Psychologically Motivated Techniques for Emotional Sound in Computer Games", Proc. AudioMostly 2008, October, Piteå, Sweden, 20-26.
 
Abstract. One main function of sound in games is to create and enhance emotional impact. The expressive model for game sound has its tradition in sound design for linear audiovisual media: animation and cinema. Current theories on emotional responses to fiction are mainly concerned with linear medial, and only partly applicable to interactive systems like games. The interactivity inherent to games introduces new requirements for sound design, and suggests a break in perception compared with linear media. This work reviews work on emotional responses to fiction and applies them to the area of game sound. The synthesis is interdisciplinary, combining information and insights from a number of fields, including psychology of emotion, film sound theory, experimental research on music perception and philosophy. The paper identifies two competing frameworks for explaining fictional emotions, with specific requirements, and signature techniques for sound design. The role of sound is examined in both cases. The result is a psychologically motivated theory of sound perception capable of explaining the emotional impact of sound in film, as well as identifying the similarities and difference in emotional sound design for these two media.
 
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Yay to the guys & gals in Piteå! The proceedings from this year’s Audio Mostly are now available online, alongside publications from earlier years. This was the first peer-reviewed event of the conference series that started out in Piteå in 2006, then visited Ilmenau in southern Germany 2007 to return to cosy Sweden again this year. Be sure to check out the great papers! For a brief recap of the presentations, you may take a glimpse at my earlier posts about the event, separate for day 1 and day 2. I’ve also put up a blog-readable version of my conference paper here.