Unit 73 Assignment 2 - Sound for Computer Games / Josh

Unit 73 Assignment 2

Sound for Computer Games 

Zac Argo

Plan:

My plan is to create a western themed Blackjack game. I've taken inspiration from spaghetti westerns, particularly Black Jack. 

The sounds I'm going to create are:

• Cards shuffling
• Glasses being put down (drinking)
• Handing out of the cards sound
• Yeehaw sound (when you've won)
• Whip crack sound (when you lose)

• One sound track

I will be creating the sounds myself, recording them with a Dictaphone. I will then edit the sounds using Audacity, following that I will add them to my game (in GameMaker) at appropriate points correlating to what I described in my earlier bullet points.

I will create my soundtrack in GrooveShark. Using the array of tools and instruments it provides I believe I will be able to create an acceptable sound track for my Western Blackjack game. After I've created my sounds in GrooveShark I will edit it in Audacity, to edit any mistakes and loop so it's long enough for my game.

Creating:

Aforementioned I am creating my sounds using GrooveShark and editing my sounds using Audacity.
Here is a screen shot of me editing my track using Audacity.

I have uploaded all the sounds I've created here:
Zac Argo sounds for Josh Rai Unit 73


I made the sounds around the library and at home, mainly at home. The sounds I created at College were recorded by a Dictaphone, the ones at home were recorded using a microphone.

Proceeding this I uploaded the files to my computer and edited them accordingly (if they needed to be).

Both devices that I recorded with allow you to record in both mono and stereo. I recorded all my sounds in stereo, however one of the sounds (card dealing) I wish I could have made it go from left to right [sound in your ears].


I persevered to make my sounds as original as I could, however, in my opinion, the western sounds are quite restricted as it was a period that only revolved around certain topics (eg. gun showdowns, horses, carts etc.) therefore it was hard to make a sound that wasn't extremely dissimilar than the next western piece.

As well as looping I edited my track to highlight a certain sound. I made my track go quiet and added in a "YeeHaa!". I did this so the "YeeHaa!" was a prominent and memorable in an otherwise forgettable piece.

Evidence:

Evaluation:

I think my sounds are okay but due to the sprites that are in my game there is no context. Essentially it's western sounds on a blank canvas. I could have developed my sprites a lot more (eg. wooden table, sprites with cowboy hats, shot glasses on the table), I believe my sounds and sprites would have helped each other out if I put more effort into my sprites. That being said I believe my sounds could have been a lot better, more specifically my soundtrack (not the sounds [card shuffling etc.]) if I had put more effort into developing my soundtrack.

As far as hardware and software are concerned I'm certain I used the best quality equipment and software that was available to me. If I practiced more with said equipment/software I am adamant that the quality of my production skills will improve.

To conclude the sounds work as intended although the sounds aren't the epitome of effort-driven work. I believe with more practice and effort my sounds/game could have been a lot better than it is.