Research - The IZEA Model

The IEZA Model

“The model is intended as a conceptual tool for conceptually designing and reflecting upon designing game audio and in this thesis its main function is to provide a coherent vocabulary for the definition and typology of game audio and to provide a conceptual model for understanding the functioning of game audio in relation to immersion”. (Huiberts. S, 2010, p. 12)

Game audio typologies

The classification and typology of audio in games are expressed in a number of ways by practitioners in the study of game audio, each structuring game audio content into meaningful partitions with regards to functionality. Sander Huiberts (2010, pp.15-20) describes some of the different frameworks that have been developed, which can be applied to help structure game audio content. Huiberts also points out some inconsistencies relating to each framework and makes it clear that that the subject of game audio needs a more coherent model. Some of the frameworks discussed by Huiberts are as follows:

·        Production based approach (basic framework consisting of sound types, for example vocal recordings, sound effect files and music files)

·        Game specific approach (sounds are organised into different groups depending on how they are implemented into the game, for example avatar sounds, object sounds, (nonplayer) character sounds, ornamental sounds and instructions.)

·        Approach based on origin of sound within the game environment (This includes the score, effect, interface, zone and speech which makes up the game environment)

·        Approach based on the meaning of sound to the player (categorised into four sections: diegetic sounds, symbolic sounds, masking sounds and non-diegetic sounds)

These approaches are helpful in defining certain aspects of game audio and would be of use at various stages of production but they do not take into consideration the many ways in which game audio can be can be communicated to the player.

Huiberts proposes the IEZA model (Huiberts. S, 2010, pp. 20-35) which looks at and categorizes game audio in way which reflects the communication of audio throughout interactive gameplay. The model is not applicable to non-interactive situations such as cut scenes for example. As it is the interactive part of gameplay that is important for immersion to occur it is beneficial to have a framework which deals with audio in this context.

The IZEA model first of all divides audio into two categories, ‘Diegetic’ and ‘Non-diegetic’, then further divides these up into four domains, ‘Zone’, ‘Effect’, ‘Affect’ and ‘Interface’. ‘Diegetic’ sounds are those which originate from within the game world, sounds like character footsteps, gunfire, and weather and so on. ‘Non-diegetic’ sounds are those which originate from outside the game world such as music or menu navigation sounds. Huiberts also points out that these domains are interdependent on each other which adds another dimension to the model, these are ‘Activity’ which connects ‘Interface’ and ‘Effect’, as well as Setting which connects ‘Zone’ and ‘Effect’. Huiberts identifies these as

“The Activity communicates events occurring in the game environment, while the Setting provides a background or context for the Activity.” (Huiberts. S, 2010, p. 24)

f:1

f:2

Illustration of IZEA Model f:1 and IZEA Model with general design properties; can be found on p25 (f:1) and p32 (f:2) in the following: (Huiberts. S, 2010)

Effect (Part of the diegetic division)

·        Sounds that are perceived as originating from within the game world for example sounds that would be heard by the character.

·        Sounds responsive to the players’ activity within the diegetic world, either by triggering directly or indirectly.

Zone (Part of the diegetic division)

·        Includes sound which is part of the diegetic environment, for example background ambience such as bird calls and wind in a forest setting.

·        Sound which do not interact with the player but add a sense of realism to the game world by providing a backdrop of enveloping sound.

·        “Communicating an ambient, background layer, which forms an auditory setting for the game world” (Huiberts. S, 2010, p. 27).

Interface (Part of the non-diegetic division)

·        Informing sounds which are outside of the game world such as health bar or score feedback, menu interactions

Affect (Part of the non-diegetic division)

·        Sounds which influence mood such as music at key game points to build tension

·        Sounds which are not part of the diegesis but are used to affect the players’ behaviour during gameplay.

Huiberts also highlights two primary roles for audio in games which are then linked into the IZEA model. These include sounds which are used to optimise gameplay and sounds which are used to dynamise gameplay (Huiberts. S, 2010, p. 29). Optimisation utilises audio to inform the player about gameplay (enhancing usability), whereas audio used to dynamise the gameplay would consist of sound to make parts of the game more exciting (enhancing the experience).

f:3

[f:3]These illustrations show how both Optimisation and Dynamisation are represented and prioritised within the IZEA model; can be found on p31 in the following: (Huiberts. S, 2010)

With the research topic of immersion in mind it is key to note that Huiberts makes a connection between optimisation and Dynamisation, and the potential positive impact these factors have on the immersive quality of a games.

Notes:

• Valid model for my research as is linked to immersion
• Good planning tool for conceptual design of game level used alongside the grounded theory of Brown & Cairns (2004)
• Designing specifically with immersion in mind (Can game audio be designed and implemented with the specific purpose of creating an immersive aural experience? Although the visual look of a game is recognised as a key aspect of game immersion, could this be overlooked if audio were to play a more prominent role?)

      References:

Brown, E. and Cairns, P. 2004. A Grounded Investigation of Game Immersion. Extended Abstracts of the 2004 Conference on Human Factors and Computing Systems, Vienna April 24-29 2004. New York: ACM. pp. 1297-1300. [online]. Available from: http://www-users.cs.york.ac.uk/~pcairns/papers/Immersion.pdf [Accessed 1st November 2014]

Huiberts, S. 2010. Captivating Sound, The Role of Audio for Immersion in Computer Games. [online]. Available from: http://download.captivatingsound.com/Sander_Huiberts_CaptivatingSound.pdf [Accessed 20 October 2014].