Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1524736
36 FA L L 2 0 2 4 I C A S Q U A R T E R L Y Game Audio: Capturing the Perfect Three Seconds b y C A S A s s o c i a t e W h i t n e y W o r t h e n "A friend of mine told me this when he realized how much work it takes to get great sounds," remembered Wu. "He said, 'That three-second sound I just heard took [a full] day of recording, editing, and implementing just to get. What may seem like a simple sound took a lot of work to achieve well.' This is what we have to repeat very often in games. 'You caught it like a historian. It's perfect: an audio historian.' I like that." From fantasy to futuristic, video game audio departments work to build an immersive world for players. While they emulate much of the film world in capturing audio, video game designers rely heavily on recreating accurate and authentic sounds outside of Foley stages. Wu shares, "Foley is rare. Just once in a while … when there's a special need for [specific sounds], I get the real thing that you can't replicate well using scrap metal. There's a very distinct sound between the actual weapon and just using scrap metal. So, most of the time, it's me with a vehicle, with weapons out in a field or a quiet location—[such as] a race track in the middle of nowhere on private property. Getting Foley effects in-studio doesn't happen that often; maybe once or twice a year, that's it." While audio libraries are available, they are less than ideal and often lack exact replica sounds for certain objects. Wu continues, Audio historian. It's the final words Watson Wu, known for his work on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, Need for Speed, and Assassin's Creed, used to describe his job as a sound designer and sound effects recording artist for video games as he and his team hunt for the perfect three-second clips.