Did you find Left 4 Dead's music as gameplay hints to be outside the old box? Titan Quest had a somewhat similar system, with layers of music randomly playing over each other. Certain boss fights or level transitions would trigger someone more scripted scores.



Also, it may be mimicing movie scores, but God of War 3's orchestration takes it so over the top, that it feels like something new to me.

Have you ever tried Heinz's green ketchup? It tastes exactly the the red stuff but it's nowhere near as fun. It can throw off the entire platter… not only are the fries not as desirable, the burger and milkshake don't seem to go down as well either. Changing one element for the sake of something different without considering the others may be the issue. Perhaps seeing something new within game design will lead to hearing something new too.

I like it how you're complaining about sound. It's always shit. It shouldn't be. It's the most important aesthetic.

Game audio is not as good as it could be mainly due to the fact that instead of the sound designers and composers being an actual part of the development team, they are outsourced, often never seeing the actual title they are working on, and often not even being gamers themselves.

Thanks for the feedback here are some responses.



@Jimmy, some say that all I ever do bang on about is how bad game sound is, and as Tom points out a lot of it is to do with how audio is conceptualized and developed. It also depends on who's creative vision is acted on. I work with an extremely talent audio visionary, yet its difficult to get his ideas into our production because there are so many other people that have a creative say.



So what happens in a lot of cases is that these other people want to go for the "safe & familiar" - not because it is better, but because its what they know.



And in some cases that's absolutely fine, we don't always have to be ground breaking, when competent is acceptable.



But I do crave to hear more experimental score and sound design in games, because when its done there is a new level reached for audio professionals in games.



&Roland, you make some valid points the only one I disagree with is DEAD SPACE, I didn't hear anything in that game that hadn't already been done elsewhere in movie or other games, it is greater than the sum of its part though, the marriage or sound, art, and design really created the right atmosphere which the dead space audio certainly got right. I just don't think it was that new.

"But I do crave to hear more experimental score and sound design in games, because when its done there is a new level reached for audio professionals in games."



there is something a little off with your outlook… during game development, we are all in the trenches together working towards a common goal… the game. each soldier pulling his weight, not for glory sake, but for the good of the game.



as for DEAD SPACE… you said it yourself "it is greater than the sum of its part though, the marriage or sound, art, and design really created the right atmosphere which the dead space audio certainly got right."



perhaps not a "new level reached for audio professionals in games", but definitely the right one.

King Flux, in his earlier comment, touched on what I intended to say: that the sameness you're hearing in game sound is a result of the sameness you're seeing in the games themselves. As an audio person, and lead on a project, my goal is to use audio to support the creative vision for the game. I'm not aware of an audio person in a position of leadership in the game or film industries that doesn't have this as their job description.



When the vision is very narrow and confined to realism or one of the well-trod genres, it becomes hard to experiment. Dead Space is a great example of a game that would allow some experimentation, and I imagine I would have had a wild time working on it. But many games are rooted firmly in convention, essentially knocking each other off, and funded by publishers who are terrified of their own shadows, let alone something as risky as innovation.



So yeah, you're going to hear a lot of games that sound the same. That's how it goes, I'm sorry to say. I don't like it, but I try to do the best I can within the lines I have available to me. And I do find ways to color outside the lines even in conventional projects. We all have to find our ways to do that, to subtly push the envelope in different respects, to slowly pull control away from other people who feel they should have a say but really shouldn't. But it ultimately comes down to nurturing trust in yourself and your team. You prove yourself over time, and as the other leads/directors on a project grow to trust you, they'll be willing to follow you down more unconventional alleys. And that's when you hit gold.

@ Mark Kilborn to futher add to your last sentence " And thats when you hit gold - and thus Metriod Prime's sound was born " :D



I had never been amazed so much by sound - Honest to God I never really payed attention to sound when playing a video game to me for along time many video games sounded the same as other things in real life maybe because I'm a musician and I have a knack for it so it just seem well the same old same old.



But then Metroid Prime was born --- and it completely immersed me into this world it felt real, I sounded real, and I fell inlove with it --- then it kinda just snapped I guess Metroid for me was a wake up call and I decided that I wanted to do that as well --- and its been going great and what Mark says is very true.. some times you just don't get that space you want so you push small things into it and you feel like its your own even though its a team project.



Anyways thanks for the read it was nice.



All I have to say is I miss old school games - and what they brought to the table innovation was at its best then, now everything to me just seems the same old same old... I guess I have to wait for another " Metroid Prime" that hears the savage cries of gamers for something different to blow them away like I once was.



I just hope someone out there in the industry is willing to take that risk and push it beyon the limit and create another master piece.

my sentiments exactly Mark… the envelopes one has the opportunity to push daily may not be obvious, but that doesn't mean they are any less enhancing or fulfilling.