The use of sound as a narrative device in video games

Sound in film and video games isn’t something I’ve touched upon before as a narrative device. In all honesty, it’s something of a blind spot in my knowledge of both mediums – sure, I know the methods of recording, mixing and editing sound – but it mostly plays second fiddle to the visual side of things.

Sound does play a crucial role in narrative storytelling though, and it’s important not to forget that it too has evolved and changed over time, especially with the advent of digital recording methods.

Even at a glance the change from analogue to digital is apparent

I stumbled across an interesting article discussing sound within video games compared to film. Whilst it looks at the jump from analogue to digital as well as a general look at the history of sound, what’s more interesting is the elements that focus on how sound has evolved in both mediums creatively and thematically.

It’s well worth a read (if you can forgive the non-native author’s use of broken-English), you can find the article here.

Sound will always be a pivotal part of films and video games, but what's most interesting here is the assertion that sound plays a more active role in the evolution of these mediums and in the development of digital technology.