GDC 2024 Dial Up the Diegetics: Science and Technology

Understanding Diegetics in Game Audio

Diegetic sounds are audio elements that originate within a game's world and are perceivable by its characters. Unlike non-diegetic music or effects, which exist solely for the player's experience, diegetic sounds help ground the player in the game's reality. Incorporating these sounds into the musical score blurs the line between soundtrack and sound effects, creating a cohesive auditory environment that enhances immersion.

Winifred Phillips’ lecture emphasizes how game composers can adopt sound design techniques—commonly used for creating environmental and effect sounds—to enrich their musical compositions. This approach not only enhances the authenticity of the game world but also adds layers of narrative meaning and emotional resonance, allowing music to become an active participant in storytelling rather than just background accompaniment.

Science and Technology Sounds: Adding Futuristic Sheen

Science fiction and high-tech game settings provide fertile ground for integrating electronic and scientific audio elements into music. Using authentic or stylized scientific sounds—such as telemetry data, robotic noises, or electronic beeps—composers can evoke a sense of advanced technology and futuristic environments, lending their scores a distinctive sonic signature that complements visual and narrative themes.

In the VR game Shattered State, developed by Supermassive Games, Phillips crafted a musical score that underscores the high-stakes atmosphere of a national crisis managed by an elite government agency. To emphasize the technological aspect of intelligence gathering, she incorporated satellite telemetry and data entry sounds into the opening cinematic score. These subtle scientific audio cues reinforce the game's narrative focus on surveillance and data analysis without overwhelming the music, demonstrating how understated diegetic elements can effectively augment mood and context.

Conversely, the Apple Arcade game Spyder, developed by Sumo Digital, embraces a more flamboyant 1960s spy aesthetic. Phillips infused the score with retro-futuristic sci-fi sounds characteristic of that era, including quirky electronic effects reminiscent of classic spy shows. This diegetic sound design approach is evident in the game’s menu sequences and low-key exploration moments, where subtle sci-fi sonic textures add charm and atmosphere. The playful integration of these sounds not only supports the game’s stylistic identity but also enriches player engagement by evoking nostalgia and whimsy.

Extreme Integration: The Fail Factory’s Robotic Soundscape

At the other end of the spectrum lies Fail Factory, a VR game by Armature Studio that places players in the chaotic role of interns managing a malfunctioning robot assembly line. Here, Phillips took an aggressive approach by saturating the musical score with robotic factory sounds, creating an audio landscape that conveys the frantic and comedic tone of the gameplay.

The use of strident electronic noises and mechanical sound effects within the jazz-influenced music amplifies the sense of electronics running amok. This extreme integration of diegetic sound design within the score exemplifies how composers can leverage technology-inspired audio to heighten player engagement and reinforce game themes. By embedding these sounds directly into the music, the boundary between sound effects and score dissolves, making the audio experience more immersive and thematically cohesive.

Industrial and Mechanical Diegetics: From Clocks to Clangs

Beyond scientific and electronic sounds, industrial and mechanical noises offer a rich palette for game composers. These sounds range from subtle clicks and ticks to thunderous clangs, each capable of adding texture and tension to gameplay. Such sounds can evoke environments ranging from quiet workshops to bustling factories, thereby broadening the emotional and atmospheric range of game music.

Phillips highlights the ticking clock as a fundamental mechanical sound used effectively in The Da Vinci Code video game by The Collective and 2K Games. The ticking motif underscores the narrative’s race-against-time puzzle-solving, injecting suspense and urgency into the player experience. This example illustrates how even simple mechanical sounds can be powerful musical tools when thoughtfully integrated, serving both narrative and gameplay functions by reinforcing time pressure and player motivation.

As game narratives and mechanics evolve, larger-scale technological sounds such as vehicle engines, heavy machinery, and industrial processes are becoming increasingly relevant. These sounds offer composers additional textures and thematic material to explore, promising to deepen immersion and expand the sonic vocabulary of game music. In the next installment of this series, Phillips plans to examine these larger-scale technological diegetics in greater detail, revealing further creative possibilities.

What this means

The integration of scientific, technological, and mechanical diegetic sounds into game music represents a dynamic frontier in audio design. As demonstrated through diverse examples from GDC 2024, composers who skillfully blend these elements can create richer, more immersive game worlds that resonate emotionally and narratively with players. Whether through subtle telemetry beeps, retro sci-fi effects, or the relentless clang of robotic machinery, these sounds deepen the connection between player and game environment. For composers and sound designers alike, embracing diegetic sound integration offers exciting possibilities to innovate and elevate the art of game music, ultimately enhancing the interactive storytelling experience.