Keep your ear to the ground: MGS4 audio
by Adams Briscoe 
{ Apr 25th 2006 at 11:45AM }
GameSpot has been running a feature about how audio
plays just as big of a role in the next-generation delivery of gaming as something as silly like graphics. There are a
lot of buzzwords tossed around, but the point comes through clear as a bell: gamers have a lot to look forward to when
it comes to what you hear.The PS3 has the audio processing power to push 512 simultaneous voices or sounds at the same time. Sotaro Tojima (he's the sound guy for MGS4) wants to make you think you're in a movie studio when you hear his goods. That means a slew of environmental and situational audio backed by surround sound. Hope you're ready to invest in more hi-def equipment because it's going to take more than just an HDTV to get the full experience.
Expect to spend around $200 for a quality setup in the sound area.
[Thanks boots]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
G @ Apr 25th 2006 12:12PM
$200 for surround sound? yeah my center speaker alone cost more than that.They must be reffering to the cheapest crap on the market.
SuicideNinja @ Apr 25th 2006 5:08PM
Actually, you can get a pretty decent surround sound system now for $200. If you think you need 1000w or more, then it costs more.
Surround sound made a difference on the last generation, too.
Oh my god @ Apr 25th 2006 10:29PM
Who the fuck cares about sound.
Sony is really starting to bore me.... I remember Ken saying will have to work hard for the PS3. What the fuck. Sony is really getting cocky
I guess history does repeat itself.
Oh my god @ Apr 25th 2006 10:35PM
blah blah
Ins @ Apr 26th 2006 3:31AM
The Metal Gear Solid team flew around the world to capture specific sounds for environments in the game.
sockatume @ Apr 26th 2006 7:58AM
"Oh my god" : thanks for that fascinating and on-topic insight.
As for surround sound: even a cheap rig is better than just a stereo or (shudder) mono TV. If you're kitting out a small room (such as a dorm or bedroom, or perhaps a study) you can get a good system for about £250 (which translates to something like $300).
It's a good investment. Saved me plenty of times in Resident Evil 4 (increasingly close chainsaw sounds in surround pretty much made RE4 for me). Makes you more capable in online games too.
sockatume @ Apr 26th 2006 8:00AM
A more significant point here: MGS4's TGS demo had a brand new composer. Whether Harry Gregson-Williams and Norihiko Hibino will return is anybody's guess, but the new music style at TGS was very welcome.
Eric @ May 5th 2006 2:05PM
I don't underestimate the power of sound, not after the first time I played Doom 3.
The graphics (at the time) were the bees knees and the best I'd ever seen...but the visuals alone didn't really creep me out while playing it. The SOUND however completely creeped me out while playing. The ambiance, the radio chatter, the sounds of marines screaming and firing at enemies in distant rooms above or next to you, the sounds of enemies....
With my $500 surround system cranked high, Doom 3 is by far the creepiest game I've ever played.