The Acoustic Ecology of the First-person Shooter

There has been little written on the player experience of computer game sound and so the research contained within this work is an important contribution to an area where the visual (the game as spectacle) is typically given primacy. It is an exploration of the relationship between the game player and the sounds of the First-Person Shooter computer game. Utilizing the run 'n' gun sub-genre as an example, the book suggests that this relationship may be analyzed as an autopoietic acoustic ecology and it emphasizes the role of sound in enabling player immersion in the game environment. Covering a wide range of ideas, from autopoiesis to acoustic ecologies and soundscapes, from film sound theory to sonification and auditory icon design, this lucid analysis will be especially useful to game sound designers and games scholars or indeed anyone interested in the fascination that digital media arts exert.