Exclusive 38 Studios Audio Interview with Aubrey Hodges

[Cody Bye]

Over the last few years, the audio experience in massively multiplayer online games has become a much more integral part of the entire MMOG package. Rather than being a mere side dish, audio has become a more prominent entrée, especially as companies continue to push users toward a story-based gameplay that includes dialogue and immersive music. For 38 Studios, that desire has become incredibly important, and they've gone out of their way to hire an innovator in the industry in former EA Tiburon audio director Aubrey Hodges. Ten Ton Hammer recently had an opportunity to chat with Aubrey, and we've got the exclusive interview for you!

"Now, as far as doing things that haven’t been done before, the truth is that I wasn’t seeking to be groundbreaking when all those things were done," he continued. "But, at the time I saw a need and did whatever it took to make the features happen. In the case of Doom, for example, I decided to create an ambient soundtrack because I wanted the experience to be enjoyable even while playing the game for extended time periods. I didn’t believe that I could meet that goal with the technology at the time in the rock genre. So I improvised. It’s not something I can predict because I am not even sure what challenges I will find in front of me. What I can promise is that I will make every attempt to craft a believable and extraordinary audio design that will immerse the player in the world we are creating. If that means I have to push the boundaries of current methods or technology then so be it, as long as the end result is a fantastic-sounding game."

To read the rest of the exclusive 38 Studios interview, click here!