Thoughtful audio design plays a critical role in creating video game worlds that feel real. When done right, audio works alongside visuals to add texture and depth, to support and elevate the gameplay experience, and to enhance player immersion. For a game like World of Warcraft (WoW), where that immersion is key, the role of audio cannot be overstated.
But good sound design doesn’t always draw attention to itself. Audio evokes a strong emotional response and significantly enhances immersion…but this is often achieved without the player even noticing.
Because of the unique nature of this supporting role, audio design is too often overlooked when discussing game development. We set out to change that by highlighting the extraordinary work that went into crafting the sound effects and ambient audio in WoW’s latest expansion, The War Within.
This behind-the-scenes documentary provided an opportunity for these dedicated audio artists to speak to their craft; to pull back the curtain on their creative process, and to shed light on the extraordinary creative and technical expertise that goes into designing audio for a game like WoW.
The release of The War Within provided the perfect opportunity to dig into this rich creative process. We wanted to focus on a relatively small segment of the massive new world, so we turned our lens toward two of the new explorable environments.
The underground realms of Azj Kahet and Hallowfall both feature an ominous atmosphere punctuated by occasional flashes of fantastical wonder. Crafting that sonic combination of haunting and beautiful was a unique challenge, one that perfectly captured the adaptability and diverse expertise of Blizzard’s talented audio artists.
Through interviews with the Sound Design team, including Michael Hill, Josh Miramontes, and Justin Prymowicz in their studios at Blizzard’s Southern California campus, we began exploring and documenting the creative process behind these haunting, often alien, sounds.
We wanted to be sure to capture the resourcefulness of these creative professionals as they crafted the evocative sonic soundscapes with bows, springs, synthesizers, electric guitars, and countless other inspired audio sources. Putting them and their process front and center was a priority; letting them freely discuss their planning, their process, and their hopes for the finished product.
During the editing process, in-game footage was carefully woven through these informative interviews alongside behind the scenes footage of the artists working. The result is a tightly paced and visually compelling documentary that celebrates the subjects and sheds light on a critical element of game design many viewers may not have previously considered.
With the Spooky Audio Design documentary, we achieved our goal of highlighting and celebrating the talented people and extraordinary work that goes into the unique sonic soundscapes of WoW.
The stellar performance of the video was further evidence of our success:
This all confirmed what we already knew - our audience is hungry for behind-the-scenes content focused on the talented people that give shape to World of Warcraft.
Players have been enjoying the work of these audio wizards for years, even if they didn’t always know it. We’re proud to have given those dedicated artists the opportunity to be in the spotlight and to be heard loud and clear.
