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To create the audio for an iPhone game we are currently developing
we decided to try a new approach. This was, for all intents and purposes,
a form of crowdsourcing. For those who aren’t familiar with the
concept, (arguably one if its finest proponents) Wikipedia defines it
as “the act of taking a task traditionally performed by an employee or
contractor, and outsourcing it to an undefined, generally large group
of people or community in the form of an open call”.
To put this in
context, the site ‘Minimum Noise’ (minimumnoise.com) allows people to
describe a composition or single track they need and anyone is allowed
to submit an entry from which one is chosen in exchange for a fee.
We ran a
competition in cooperation with the site for $250 that asked for a
piece of background music for the first level. Though initially not
expecting a large response due to the relatively obscure request for
Aztec themed computer game background music, we were pleasantly
surprised by the number and quality.
The general standard was
respectable and some tracks were exceptional. Though the competition is
closed, here are the entries:
http://www.minimumnoise.com/Projects.aspx/54
From the
position of an indie developer with a limited budget (on the audio side
of the things in particular) Minimum Noise and the crowdsourcing
opportunity they present does one important thing- it raised questions
for us in terms of the range of sounds we could create. The results we
were presented with were similar to 34 prototypes that, to differing
degrees, shaped the final overall sound.
Thus the real value we gained
from the process, rather than the winning track, was the dynamic range
of approaches that would never have been possible with our small audio
development team. It was the equivalent of having many interested and
talented composers, under the guidance of a relatively open ended
brief, generate a diverse range of options for us.
Detractors of the
crowdsourcing process assert that assimilating these influences is
effectively ‘freeloading’ other peoples’ ideas. There is inevitably an
element of this every time you put your work on public display.
Granted, for this form of competition you are investing time and
working to a specific brief, though I would argue that some find the
process of having a focus rewarding even if there is no financial
compensation; the open-source world is a testament to this. In the
interest of rewarding those that uploaded a track, thereby influencing
the overall sound, we have decided to acknowledge everyone who
submitted an entry in the game credits.
It was interesting
to be involved firsthand after reading the arguments surrounding
crowdsourcing; the biggest of these, put in the circumstance of the
competition, was that of the 34 entries, 33 did not get paid for their
efforts. Considering this in purely black and white financial terms
does, in my opinion, not take into account the motivations behind those
who submitted entries and what they expected to get out of it.
For audio developers
without a great deal of experience in the industry there are many
challenges to finding a position that offers regular work. Equally
finding opportunities to focus your efforts in a productive way that
could result in getting some good exposure are not plentiful.
Having an
incentive to create something with a purpose and being part of a
community that offers feedback on what is submitted acts as a
constructive way to hone your talent. Moreover, when it comes to
judging the entries, it allows those who have little experience to be
placed on a level playing field to be evaluated purely on the quality
of the work they present.
For the more
seasoned professional who relies on audio development for their income,
perhaps the financial benefit is the biggest draw, though there’s also
the opportunity to apply existing skills to new areas with no pressure.
Regarding
limitations of the process, there were issues with communication.
Having not had much experience creating design briefs of this kind, it
seemed quite difficult to convey in words exactly what we meant by
‘computer game background music’. The limited description we provided
ended up having a fairly positive effect, leading to styles we hadn’t
previously considered. We now have the opportunity to contact some of
the other developers who submitted pieces that may be more suitable for
game trailers, cut scene music etc.
In the end we
received a track that ideally suited what the competition was intended
for- background music. The real reward for us was receiving a lot of
submissions we didn’t mean to ask for, though ended up liking a lot.