HOW LIGHT AND SOUND WITHIN GAMES AFFECTS THE PLAYERS STATE OF MIND
The following articles were written by myself for my BSc (Hons) Degree within Games Technology. This research project looks into how light and sound within games affects the players state of mind.
Astract
There is no definitive answer for game developers as to how light and sound effects the players state of mind within games. In contrast there is a vast amount of practical information on how light and sound within games affects the playability and the affects within real world applications. This paper will address this hiatus by applying methods found to try and alter the player’s state of mind as well as discuss if and why these alterations had such effects.
The results provided by 10 participants have informed us that specific alterations to light and sound within games have an impact on the players state of mind as well as their own reasoning’s as to why.
Introduction
With all the technological advancements in games industry, aside from AAA games studios having their own analytical algorithms implemented into their games which are inaccessible to the outside world, there are still no definitive answers or results providing game developers with the information required on how light and sound within games affects the player’s state of mind. The only option for game developers are trial and error which could result in the success or failure of their game.
This created the idea to develop an experiment that will obtain the answers for the question ‘How light and sound within games affects the player’s state of mind’. The answers found within this experiment will better assist game developers in the development of games, by providing the knowledge on what effects lighting and sound has on the player and why.
The experiment has been created to obtain information on how participants react differently to lighting and sound changes within a game. These reactions will consist of how players experience the game, the way that they react to certain instances of alterations in the game’s lighting and sound and how this affects their state of mind.
View the Complete PDF Containing Rearch Results & More.
VOICE ACTING SCRIPT
Additionally, I created a voice acting script in which I had a voice actor perform. The script was a the narrator of the project which would help guide the player through the level.
Overview
The player is to explore an old manor and gain access to the top floor to obtain a key that will enable them to escape the manor. The manor has no inhabitants except the voice of the ELIJAH / MR COLLINS. The voice will resemble that of GlaDOS from portal however there will be no visible presence of ELIJAH / MR COLLINS.
Elijah unknowingly suffers Multiple Personality Disorder and as the player progresses an alternative personality emerges from ELIJAH in the form of MR Collins.
ELIJAH was the owner of the Manor and Mr Collins is his alter psychotic personality.