Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1546054
60 M PS E . O R G interactivity, you had to go to an engineer and hope. Now we can develop audio systems ourselves and integrate more complex systems. We still need audio engineers for deeper system work, of course. They are still our heroes. In any case, that shift opened up the entire field for deeper, richer creative expression. EM: You've worked both internally on game teams and externally at support studios. What are the key differences? BA: Internal work means going deep on one title for two or three years. You're not just collaborating within audio— you're working closely with game designers, engineers, and other disciplines. It's immersive and comprehensive, and you see the full cycle from beginning to end. Vendor work is different. You're typically working with other audio professionals, often for a shorter window, on a defined scope. You might touch five projects in a year. There's more variety, but less depth—you're usually not there from beginning to end. EM: What's your perspective on co-development—working externally but embedded as a near-full member of the team? BA: I personally like the embedded model. With pure co-dev, you either have the external team lead and you're just supervising, or it can drift toward a handoff dynamic. Embedding external people into the internal team creates more cohesion. That said, there are certainly projects where a full co-dev structure is needed and required—it depends on the scope, the project and the relationship. EM: How have the responsibilities of a game audio professional changed since you started? BA: The big shift is from generalist to specialist, driven by more sophisticated technology. But the underlying mandate—keep learning—has never changed. Team sizes have grown significantly. AAA games today require a much larger audio team than anything we fielded Becky Allen and Michelle Mayer recording sound effects. Kyle Fraser and Becky Allen recording sounds. Becky Allen playing the flute with Prince Diabate. Becky delivers a lecture about building a career in game audio.