Sound Matters

Sound effects in retro video games are not something I have ever thought as 'adding meaning.' They seem natural, organic, like they must be there. I have never really considered playing Pac Man, for instance, without that incessant womp womp. This article, however, points out how intentional and important to meaning sound effects are.

In the example of Pac Man, the womp womp helps players (or at least me) get in a 'zone.' It is a very unique sound that creates a rhythm and helps players get in to a focused mindset. The 'dying' sound is kind of an incentive to not die. The change when you eat the thing that makes the ghosts blue is exciting. This even adds a challenge to the game -- you want to eat all those big dots as soon as you can, but you know it's a bad strategy.

So, this thing that seems natural is actually central to the game. Thinking about the Ways of Hearing podcast, if I were to play Pac Man with headphones in, even if it was in a crowded arcade, I would feel more isolated -- more 'in the zone.'

In what ways could sound effects (not music) be used to enhance written/typed text? Would they need to be timed in a certain way? What could trigger them?