Sound is the unsung hero of video games. While characters, story, and gameplay draw players in, effective sound design helps bring these virtual worlds to life, making them feel more rounded and more enjoyable.
Whether it's Pac-Man's roaring sound as he chases endless cherries, or the song that plays when Mario gets his Superstar power-up, video games have a rich history of sound just waiting to be tapped into. I am. And that's exactly what he did with NoFixed Address's new full-service audio studio DOKI DOKI.
DOKI Founded by president Michel Labrecque, DOKI claims to “see sound from a different perspective.” DOKI Specializing in video game music production and multi-platform His Sound He design, DOKI is named after the Japanese onomatopoeia for heart-pounding excitement. It's all part of a striking identity that conveys the importance of sound through visuals, animation, and wordplay.
However, conveying the importance of sound visually is no mean feat. So Michelle turned to No Fix Address to create an identity from scratch. Audio When digging into what made his perspective on his studio so different, the agency's strategy team quickly found themselves in a natural conversation about how personal this project was to Michelle. focus, resulting in close collaboration.
For Stuart McMillan, Executive Creative Director at NoFixed Address, the concept of ideologues and onomatopoeia is the starting point for identity. “We were looking into the history of the Japanese video game industry as part of our research, so when we discovered the phrase DOKI DOKI (used to describe the sound of a rapid heartbeat), we were all hooked. ” he said. I will explain.
“This naturally led us to think that onomatopoeia is an interesting way to represent sound visually.” From there, NoFixed Address used these video game onomatopoeias to create their graphics. Waka Waka itself became the graphic outline of a giant Pac-Man, effectively conveying how the character's iconic movements and audio worked together.
On the other hand, “DOKI DOKI” is written vertically and has the shape of two humanoid characters. These assets not only represent his two players navigating the video game's sound design, but also leverage the spirit of collaboration within the brand identity.
“One of the most important things that Michelle wanted to express was the importance of creative collaboration in every project they work on,” said Jean, Creative Director and Designer at No Fixed Address. Philip Dugal says. “This is also the best evidence that they have a different way of looking at sound. They don't just work in solitude, locked up in a studio for weeks, just receiving instructions from the client.
“Throughout the process, they collaborate with each other, the client, and various artists and technologists to create audio worlds that are as unique as the visual worlds our clients create. We wanted to find a way to make it happen, so when we started visualizing the name, it became clear how we could do it.”
As for the identity's striking red and black color scheme, which reflects the display hues found on the Virtual Boy, Jean-Philippe reveals that this was a very conscious choice. “We looked at the color codes of the video game industry and our competitors and began refining the palette through a process that would allow our brand to stand out while also feeling authentic in that space,” he says.
“Certain colors such as bright red and their relationships to each other have been analyzed and discussed (many times) to ensure they appear in print, online and on social media.”
To further emphasize authenticity at the heart of the identity, the creative team delved into the sonic heritage of the video game industry. “We're all gamers to some degree (some more so than others), but our strategy team digs deep into the world to make sure it's authentic without being too niche.” “We did,” Stewart says.
“While there are so many different types of games available today, the iconic basic arcade games of the late ’70s and early ’80s still resonate with everyone in the industry today. Specifically, what did it sound like?”
Using familiar imagery from games like Pac-Man, Pong, and Galaga is a smart creative choice. Building on the success of sound in the past, NoFixed Address subtly leaves it up to the audience to understand why sound is so important in computer games.
And fortunately, these innuendos didn't land the studio in trouble over copyright. “These early games were so iconic that all they needed was a hint of the visuals so that everyone could immediately hear the same sounds in their imagination,” concludes Jean-Philippe. I attached it.
