Audio-Based Games Part 1

The first audio-based games could be said to have started with Touch Me (1974) and Simon (1978). Both these games required the player to memorise the pattern of pitched synthesised notes and repeat the pattern (See video's below).

With the development of consoles paving way for 'video' games, only a small selection of game developers worked to created audio-based games. Japanese games development company WARP released several audio-based games in the mid 90's. These included Real Sound: Kaze no Regret (1997) and Enemy Zero (1997). Kenji Eno realised the potential for audio-based games through receiving letters from blind fans, which prompted him to visit a selection of these fans in person.

Nintendo made an attempt to break into the audio-based games market with the release of Soundvoyager, which exploited the stereo field to provide player feedback and position gameplay objects in the audio space of the player.

In more recent times, the development of audio-based/only games has relied heavily on indie game developers and the growing audio games online community. Forums such as game-accessibility and audiogaming provide developers and players to exchange thoughts and ideas with regards to furthering the creative ideas for audio games. Indie games developers have produced recent audio games which all attempt to deliver a different gaming experience for the player.

Papa Sangre (2010) is an iOs horror game that is played through the analysis of sound placement within the stereo filed and changing the visual dial on the phone screen. With a collection of subtle environmental sounds mixed with more dramatic audio such as growling beasts, the gameplay is highly immersive. The use of headphones contributes to the immersive nature of the game as the blocking of all other sounds enables the player to focus solely on the gameplay.

With a collection of audio based games appearing in mobile phone game markets, little can be said for pc or console games. There are almost no audio based games that take advantage of gestural interfaces such as the MS Kinect, PS Move and Nintendo Wii.

Gestures add an element of physicality to computer games, which can contribute to feeling immersed in gameplay through the feeling of being physically connected to the in-game character or game/audio mechanics. With audio-based games choosing to distance themselves from the video elements of common computer games, gestures could offer the opportunity to expand on the foundations of audio-based games developers. The physical nature of gestures within audio games could add a new element, which will enhance the gameplay for players of audio games, who have currently been bound to only audio and button/screen gameplay control.

More to follow...