In this paper the history of Ambisonics in computer gaming is presented, then described with a discussion of its current adoption and implementation, concluded by an examination of the role Ambisonic technology might have in the future of games audio. Surround formats, such as Dolby 5.1 Surround, have been used effectively within the computer games sector for over 10 years, with format used almost exclusively in some genres. However, recent developments in processing power and advancements in game-audio engines (such as OpenAL incorporation) it has become possible to use Ambisonics as an alternative surround audio format in all video games. There are currently only a limited number of game titles which use Ambisonic materials, and these have not yet been systematically catalogued.

Authors: Horsburgh, Andrew J.; McAlpine, Kenneth B.; Clark, D. Fraser
Affiliations: University of Abertay, Dundee, Scotland, UK; University of the West of Scotland, Paisley, Scotland, UK(See document for exact affiliation information.)
AES Conference: 41st International Conference: Audio for Games (February 2011)
Paper Number: 4-3
Publication Date: February 2, 2011
Subject: Spatial Audio

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