The sound design of games at sites like swiper online casino, home to a catalogue of over 5,000 titles, is often overlooked, as players usually focus on how a title looks and plays rather than what it sounds like. However, the audio of a game and the people who designed it all play a part in shaping the title’s overall identity. Whether it is a soundtrack playing in the background, reel sounds, button effects, win notifications, or a sound that plays when different features are triggered, they’re all part of the playing experience.
Also overlooked are the people behind the soundtrack, such as the composers, sound designers, audio directors and other specialists who all contribute to the different audio features on games like slots, table games, live dealer titles and all other genres. Combined, they help to create a major part of the playing experience for those who play at online casinos.
What Goes Into Casino Game Sound?
There is a whole lot more to creating audio for a casino game than simply choosing a music track to play while the reels are spinning. In fact, developers often have to consider a variety of different layers:
- Background music: This is the music that plays in the background to establish the musical identity and atmosphere of the game
- Sound effects: These play in certain circumstances, such as when the reels spin, symbols land or when buttons are clicked.
- Win sounds: Some slots play certain sounds whenever wins are recorded on the reels
- Feature audio: Slots may also play a sound when certain features have been triggered or activated
- Transitions: Sounds that can play when users transition to a new screen
The above is similar to the approach taken by developers of video games. According to the Game Developers Conference, sound design involves everything from creating audio assets to implementing them into the game. The GDC also suggests that development teams think about their audio design at an early stage of game development, rather than leaving it till the end.
The Composer Is Only Part of the Process
It’s not uncommon for people to believe that a composer is the person responsible for the entire music creation process. However, in the slot development space at least, game audio requires a lot more than just traditional music composition.
While they’re generally responsible for writing the music for a casino game’s background music or any tunes that play when features are triggered, they often work alongside a sound designer who might be responsible for making the sounds that play when buttons are clicked or winning combinations hit on the reels.
Essentially, the composer and sound designer roles overlap, with the GDC saying that in many cases, the composer also has to have a good understanding of sound design.
For casino game development in particular, the people behind a title’s audio will have to think about how a musical track interacts with any other sounds that are made while the slot is played. They will have to consider how loud each piece of audio is and how each fits around the game’s visuals.
What Sound Designers Have to Consider
There are also quite a few things sound designers have to consider whenever creating the audio for a new game, whether it’s for an online casino or a popular video game such as Plants vs Zombies.
- Music has to match the game: One important consideration is that the music is a good match for a game. For instance, if an online slot is themed on space travel, an Irish folk composition is not going to work.
- Platform and Hardware Constraints: Audio must also be optimised for different playback devices. For example, designers may mix differently for mobile phone speakers or computer headsets.
- Creating audio that isn’t repetitive: While music has to capture the imagination of those hearing it, it shouldn’t be repetitive. If a player gets annoyed with the audio, they could find another game instead.
- Cultural sensitivity has to be considered: Any sound effects or soundtracks must be appropriate for global audiences. That’s because certain instruments or religious chants may carry unintended meanings in different markets
In short, there is a lot more to think about than just making a simple tune that accompanies the action on the reels.
The People Behind the Sounds
The takeaway is that a casino game’s audio plays a bigger part in the creation process than you might think. It also takes a lot more work to create the different sounds and music than what some might have assumed.
There are usually multiple people involved, ranging from sound designers who produce individual effects, to audio directors who establish the overall direction, to developers who integrate everything into the game.
Working as a team, all the above contribute to how a game sounds across multiple areas, whether it’s the soundtrack that plays while users interact with the game, the different noises made when the reels stop spinning and winning combinations connect and the celebratory audio that plays when a player has won a payout.
