In the upcoming MMO shooter Tom Clancy’s The Division, the sound will adapt to the players’ situational needs so that they can even recognize the melody associated with the enemy faction they are about to face.
For the upcoming MMO shooter The Division (XboxOne, PC, Playstation 4, Release in 2015), a podcast has been released that discusses the topic of “Sound and Music in The Division.” Two experts for soundtrack and sound design were present.
During the podcast, it was especially noted that the sound of The Division should adapt to the player’s experience. From a variety of factors, The Division will select the appropriate soundtrack for the situation, whether music is played in that situation and, if so, which one. It is not only important which zone the player is currently in, but also what activity he is engaged in, whether he is outdoors or in a tunnel, whether enemies are nearby and, if so, what type of enemies.
The “Cleaners,” the gentlemen with the flamethrower, are accompanied by a Blade Runner-like sound. When entering the “Dark Zones,” the harsh PvP zones in the game, this will also be noticeable in the intensity of the music. However, it is still uncertain about the “warning music” regarding the enemy factions. It is known that the path also carries risks, and the music should not take away the surprise.
Additionally, there will be sources for music in the game, such as radios or actual musicians in the operations bases.
Silence will also be important in The Division
It will be emphasized that the musical accompaniment does not become so dominant that players feel annoyed by it, after all, it is important to remain in the world for hours. A cinematic atmosphere is intended in crucial scenes. Furthermore, those who have never engaged with sound and music in a video game will also be given the option to disable it.
To properly capture the ambient sounds, a trip was made to New York. This is intended to be as authentic as possible; of course, it will also adapt to the situation in the game. 90% of the sound will consist of ambient noises. And they are also aware of the importance of silence.
The sound of the game is expected to be recorded completely digitally and not with an orchestra. In the actual music, synthesizer sounds and percussion should be dominant.
Here is the podcast about the music and sound of The Division in its entirety; from the 14th minute onwards, the preliminary talks are over, and it turns to the game, including small sound snippets:
