The Complete Guide to Game Audio:
For Composers, Musicians, Sound Designers, and Game Developers
(CD-ROM included)

by Aaron Marks
Paperback - 318 pages, CMP Books. Bk&Cd-Rom edition

You can buy this book at
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Amazon UK
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Forword

Chapter 1    An Introduction to Game Audio

• Insert Quarter Here
• The Bleeps and Bloops of Yesteryear
• Where Sound is Now
• Where Sound is Going
• Chances of Finding Work
• The Rewards
• Let's Go Get 'em

Chapter 2    Essential Skill Sets and Tools

• Important Skills
• Tools of the Trade
• Preparing Your Studio for Surround Sound

Chapter 3    Getting Organized and Ready for Business

• Understanding the Business of Game Composing
• Composing vs. Sound Design
• In-house Audio vs. Independent Contractor
• Audio Demo Reel
• Determining Your Costs
• Organization is Key

Chapter 4    Finding and Getting the Jobs

• Marketing
• Where to Look for Clients
• Finding Your Niche
• Networking Basics

Chapter 5    The Bidding Process

• How Much Do You Charge?
• Let's Play 20 Questions
• Asking the Right Questions
• Pre-Production Made Simple
• Contract Payment Options
• Speculative Demos
• The Bid Submission
• There is Still More

Chapter 6    Making the Deals

• Understanding Industry Contracts and Terminology
• Negotiable Contract Points
• Negotiating Negotiations
• Change Orders and Reworks
• Sample Agreements and Contracts
• Conclusion

Chapter 7    Setting the Stage

• Company Liaisons
• Meetings with the Game Development Team
• Pre-compositional Considerations
• 'Gotchas' and Other Things to Watch Out For
• Conclusion

Chapter 8    Creating Music for Games

• Game Music Varieties
• Exercises to Create Fitting Game Music
• Some Technical Considerations
• Musical Details to Reconsider
• Compositional Methods
• Recording Methods
• Editing Music
• Conversions

Chapter 9    Creating Sound Effects for Games

• The Creative Aspects of Sound Design
• Types of Sound Design
• Editing Methods
• Sound Design in the Production Cycle
• Specific Sound Design Questions to Answer
• Determining Necessary Sounds
• Creating Original Sound Effects that Fit
• Presenting the Final Work
• Conclusion

Chapter 10    Blending the Total Soundscape

• Maintaining Consistency in Production with Audio Elements
• Quality Control
• Conclusion

Chapter 11    Game Platforms and Their Audio Development Issues

• Sony PlayStation 2
• Nintendo GameCube
• Microsoft Xbox
• CD-ROM Games
• Web-based Games - Java and Flash
• GameBoy Advanced
• Coin-Op Games
• Conclusion

Chapter 12    For the Developer

• Understanding Sound
• Working with Contractors
• Getting to Work
• The Next Step
• Production Nightmares
• Conclusion

Chapter 13 Game Over? Not Hardly

Appendix A The Grammy's and Other Game Audio Awards

Index

What's on the CD-ROM?