The Lost Garden: Exploring Audio in Interactive Spaces

Smallwood, Scott

doi:doi:10.7939/R3TQ5RT1S

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The Lost Garden: Exploring Audio in Interactive Spaces

Author(s) / Creator(s)
- Smallwood, Scott
SSHRC Awarded IDG 2017: The expansion of video games as a medium has precipitated a healthy indie game movement, and created opportunities for media artists to explore interactive art creation. However, audio and music in games is still primarily constrained to sound effects, dialog and emotive accompaniment, thereby lagging behind advances in full-sphere 3D audio and procedurally generated sound. This research aims to answer several questions in relation to the potential of audio as a major video game mechanic: What if sound were the primary form of interaction? What kinds of musical and sonic experiences can be created in that environment? How might 3D audio enhance that experience? What about field recording and soundscape composition? How could games enhance our understanding of our changing soundscape? Through this proposed research, I intend to answer some of these questions by exploring the possibilities of 3D audio, generative audio, and audio puzzle game mechanics through the creation of an experimental video game. Currently code named The Lost Garden, the game will also explore issues of climate change and environmental issues through its story and its use of a variety of ambisonic field recordings. The goal is to complete a finished, playable game, as well as a paper describing the artistic process and general results of this research.
Date created

2017-01-25
Subjects / Keywords
Type of Item

Research Material
DOI

https://doi.org/10.7939/R3TQ5RT1S

Language
- English
Additional contributors