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Abstract

This paper looked at several different psychoacoustic design tools for both non-diegetic and diegetic sound in video games, as well as their effective use on the player and whether the audio had a profound effect on the player’s interaction and thought processes. Sound design has played an important role in games and other media for many years with its ability to inform and direct player attention, however, the avenue for quantitative research into the exact effectiveness of audio in encouraging player action is difficult to find. The aim of this paper was to fill in this gap by using established psychoacoustic tools in a handcrafted artefact to probe participants for natural responses in 4 distinct short game levels, which was secretly recorded through the use of storing participant footstep information every 0.2 seconds. This information was then collected through the use of google drive and decoded in a custom made heat map software. The artefact also featured a debriefing and survey with both quantitative and qualitative parts. 10 participants took part in the study, and it was found that while participants were typically emotionally affected by the audio, its role in decision making varied per player.

Course: Computer Games Technology - BSc (Hons) - C1671

Date Deposited: 2022-02-11

URI/permalink: https://library.port.ac.uk/dissert/dis13767.html