Stellar sound design can make a game feel sublime, but it's not always easy to pin down a soundscape that complements your game's design and appearance.
During the GDC Europe 2015 Independent Games Summit, sound designer Joonas Turner (Nuclear Throne, Badland, Broforce) hopped up on stage to deliver a quick primer on what it takes to make your game sound fantastic. He pointed out that no individual backing track or sound effect will elevate your work -- you need to blend and combine sounds to create a unique aural "feel" for your game.
Turner went on to share some practical tips for designing the sound of your next game, and explained how chaining sound effects with visual effects (like crazy screen shake) could take your next project to new heights.
It was a fun high-energy talk that's worth your time to watch, and you can now do so for free via the GDC Vault.
In addition to this presentation, the GDC Vault and its new YouTube channel offers numerous other free videos, audio recordings, and slides from many of the recent Game Developers Conference events, and the service offers even more members-only content for GDC Vault subscribers.
Those who purchased All Access passes to recent events like GDC, GDC Europe, and GDC Next already have full access to GDC Vault, and interested parties can apply for the individual subscription via a GDC Vault subscription page. Group subscriptions are also available: game-related schools and development studios who sign up for GDC Vault Studio Subscriptions can receive access for their entire office or company by contacting staff via the GDC Vault group subscription page. Finally, current subscribers with access issues can contact GDC Vault technical support.
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