Abstract

This article appears in the Oxford Handbook of New Audiovisual Aesthetics edited by John Richardson, Claudia Gorbman, and Carol Vernallis. This chapter is a reflective discourse on the aesthetics and production processes of sound in video games, not only from a technological perspective, but also from the viewpoint that video games are part of an ongoing cultural continuum that deeply involves cinema, music, and other media. The chapter takes the form of a meditative discussion on the practice, process, and craft of designing and directing interactive sound for a game, providing insight into some of the collaborative work that is involved in creating the overall effect of a finished soundtrack for a modern video game. The article makes specific reference to the role and thought processes of the audio director on the video game Scarface: The World is Yours.