Casual, Social, and Mobile games, and the Audio that makes them Successful

1. Casual, Social, and Mobile games, and the Audio that makes them Successful Presented by: Nick Thomas, Nick@somatone.com Co-Founder and CEO of SomaTone Interactive Inc.

2. SomaTone Interactive Inc. • Nick Thomas, Founder & CEO • Founded SomaTone in 2003 • Began in the Advertising, Film, Core game world • Transitioned into Casual in 2005 with MCF, Diner Dash, other hit titles with BFG, Wild Tangent, Playfirst etc. • Produce about 150 games per year in PC downloadable, Mobile, Social, and Console format • Manage a team of 15 composers, SFX Designers, VO producers, and Integrations experts • Produced over 1000 games over the last 9 years • In 2012 launched an art division providing premium 2D and 3D art production services.

3. Let’s take a quick Poll… • How many of you are game Producers or Designers? • How many of you are Programmers? • How many of you are audio professionals looking to break into gaming?

4. This presentation is for • 1. Casual game designers and producers who are interested in learning management techniques to improve the sound of their games. • 2. Aspiring audio professionals, musicians & sound designers looking to break into casual games.

5. So, What ARE casual games anyway? A casual game is a video game or online game targeted at a mass audience of gamers. Casual games can have any type of gameplay, and fit in any genre. They are typically distinguished by their simple rules and lack of commitment required in contrast to more complex hardcore games. [1] They require no long-term time commitment or special skills to play, and there are comparatively low production and distribution costs for the producer. [2] Casual games typically are played on a personal computer online in web browsers, although they now are starting to become popular on game consoles, too. Casual gaming demographics also vary greatly from those of traditional computer games, as the typical casual gamer is older [3] and more predominantly female,[ 4] with over 74% of those purchasing casual games being women. (wikipedia)

6. For the sake of this conversation we are going to assume casual games are NOT hardcore games on a mobile platform… These (in my opinion) are not Casual Games. • Ie. Infinity Blade

7. Casual Games Are; Traditionally, casual games are not about the platform, but rather the type of game. • Low skill level required for player = Casual Game • Medium Skill Level required for player = Mid-Core • High skill level required for player = Hard Core • Demographics Female weighted, family friendly • Mechanics 1-click/simple control mechanics HOGs, Match-3, Puzzles, Physics/Gesture Based • Commitment Easy in - Easy out, low skill level required to enjoy

8. False assumptions game producers should try to Avoid • A short timeline for the Audio Production is a requirement due to the nature of mobile development

9. False assumptions game producers should try to Avoid • Small project scope is the best approach due to technical limitations and financial concerns. - Bad audio is or lack of audio will demonstrate very poor production values to your players, and encourages muted play, eliminating one of your key tools for creating a fun and sticky game.

10. False assumptions game producers should try to Avoid • I don’t need a creative brief which details the audio. Think of audio as auditory art, and don’t leave this side of development to chance. Spend time to define the sonic experience and the emotional values you’re trying to communicate to the player.

11. False assumptions game producers should try to Avoid • That casual games are best managed as a Budget Driven process vs. a Quality Driven process. -For a very small increase in your audio budget, the improvement in the game experience can be monumental.

12. False assumptions game producers should try to Avoid • That audio doesn’t matter!!! - Regardless of what statistics you have read, audio is a critical part of engagement and product branding. Successful games show quality and creativity on all levels. Don’t make the mistake that audio doesn’t influence game performance. Audio is an opportunity!

13. Audio Budgets • So what should I plan to invest for a high quality casual game soundtrack?

14. Audio Budgets • The average audio budget should be about 5%-7% of your development budget (unless your making a music based game like Tapulous)

15. Audio Budgets • iPhone, Mobile, Social Networking Game Development Budget = $100,000+ Audio Budget = $5,000.00+ • Social Games Development Budget = $250-$500k Audio Budget = $10,000.00+ • Basic Casual Downloadable PC game Development Budget = $100,000.00+ Audio Budget = $7,500.00+ • Casual Console Title (XBLA, Wii Ware, PNS) Development Budget = $250,000-$500k Audio Budget = $25,000.00+ • Handheld Sony PSP, Nintendo DS Development Budget = $350,000 Audio Budget = $25,000.00 • Wii & Top Shelf Casual Title (Mystery Case Files) Development Budget = $500,000+ Audio Budget = $40,000.00

16. Creative Management Recommendations 1. Casual Games offer a greater opportunity for a diverse range of musical styles then found in core gaming or film, so think outside the box… 2. Look for a high degree of “Audio Branding” in your Music and SFX Design to make your game sticky! Themes, Signature SFX, Unique VO 3. Look to create something new rather then clone styles of preceding games. 4. Standard “library” sound effects and music loops are not acceptable. Look for core-game quality inside casual game rates.

17. For the Game Producers:Roles and Responsibilities • Have a creative vision you can clearly communicate 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17

18. For the Game Producers:Roles and Responsibilities • Have a creative vision you can clearly communicate • Allow your audio designer to make suggestions to the scope, creative, tech, implementation 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18

19. For the Game Producers:Roles and Responsibilities • Have a creative vision you can clearly communicate • Allow your audio designer to make suggestions to the scope, creative, tech, implementation • Proper tech/integration is 50% of great audio - Great casual game audio is not plug and play 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19

20. For the Game Producers:Roles and Responsibilities • Have a creative vision you can clearly communicate • Allow your audio designer to make suggestions to the scope, creative, tech, implementation • Proper tech/integration is 50% of great audio - Great casual game audio is not plug and play • Leave room in the schedule for QC by the audio team 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20

21. For the Game Producers:Roles and Responsibilities • Have a creative vision you can clearly communicate • Allow your audio designer to make suggestions to the scope, creative, tech, implementation • Proper tech/integration is 50% of great audio - Great casual game audio is not plug and play • Leave room in the schedule for QC by the audio team • The devil is in the detail, and the mix is key! 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 21

22. Audio Concepts Sheet • This should be used while creating the GDD or before an audio team is brought into the conversations. • Music: • Where do we want cues in the game: • Menu/UI system? • Map or Comic Sequence? • One for Each Level? • Is there some unique way we can use the music to creative more interactivity between the character, story and player? • Temping. Our best kept secret and an indispensible part of our toolkit • What is the style or mood of the music (as a bigger picture and, if possible, per cue)?: • What are other products, games, films, soundtracks or records (artists) that would be good reference for the music? • What are the technical limitations to the music? What is the best way to maximize music on a limited download or streaming footprint?  • • How long should each cue be? Consider the average length of play in any one section of the game. We recommend timing the average game play for each section of the game that will have music, then dividing that number by 1/5. Ideally, a player would not hear the same passage of music more then 5 times before a new cue in introduced. For example, if a single level takes an average of 5 minutes to completed, then a 60 - second cue would be recommended.

23. • What style of over all production are you looking for with the music? This is not analogous to quality, as the quality of the music can be very high, but miss the style of the production entirely. Are you looking for a heavy cinematic, core-gaming style production or a fun and funky production that does not take itself so seriously? The style of the music should fit personality and visual approach to the game. It does not make sense to request very high quality cinematic music for a fun quirky game. • What budget or foot print size are you comfortable with for Audio as a whole & for music, sfx and VO separately? • What is an appropriate budget or us for the audio, and specifically, music, sfx and VO separately?

24. For the SFX Design • Please use the following to describe the general sound design approach. • • Organic - wood, earth, airy, fire • • Techy – digital, electronic, modern • • Gamey – Pinball, Arcade, • • Light Magical- Fairy dust, glimmering, sparkling • • Dark Magical – Spells, intense, powerful special effect audio • • Real world / Foley sounds – What era, Modern, vintage, old world? • • Comical – Cartoony, Slapstick, goofy, tongue in cheek/over the top • • Scfi/Fi - Space Age futuristic, or retro 70’s, Jetson’s. • • Aggressive - Powerful, Impactful, Masculine • • Subtle - Pretty, Delicate, Light • • Spooky - scary, haunting, eerie • • Airy, subtle, minimal • • Bizarre, crazy, fantastical • • Musical – sounds created with instruments, musical sting. What kinds of instruments? • - Percussion, Orchestral, Electronic, Ethnic, • Your specific descriptive words here are very helpful for the sound designers to understand the mood and personality of the game. Different sections or levels of the game may vary, so provide details of the creative approach for each section if necessary. • Do you envision the SFX or the music as driving the game? Which is featured more and which is more supporting?

25. Q&A Nick Thomas SomaTone Interactive Inc. nick@somatone.com 510-420-0190 SKYPE ID: somatone