I came to Jagex because I saw an opportunity

Getting my head around sheer size of RuneScape was my first challenge. With 1,000 tracks, 5,000 characters and over 30,000 sound effects, it’s a question of how and where you start. For bandwidth reasons, the soundtrack was MIDI music unlocked as gameplay rewards, and most sound effects were generated with a built-in synth. Updating the audio is a bit like painting the Forth Bridge, getting half way across and having to start again, so we have to choose priorities carefully.Our ambition is to stand proudly alongside the very highest standards in game audio but achieve this within the easy access environment of a browser title. Investment in dedicated audio streaming servers has been vital in allowing us to produce a high quality soundtrack.The ultimate challenge is to keep the whole audio experience interesting and rewarding. Our players may spend many hours in-game in one geographical area developing just a single skill, so keeping the audio varied and entertaining is key.

 

There are eight of us in the audio department producing music, sound effects and voiceover direction and implementation. We also have dedicated audio coding resource available.When Jagex moved into our new building we designed a purpose-built audio facility with communal areas and dedicated booths. At other places I’ve worked, sound designers have been isolated from each other. I believe our setup gives us the best of both worlds with privacy as well as an environment for collaboration, brainstorming, and building team synergy.We also work externally now with a lot more people. Voiceover services are handled out of house as we work with studios in both the UK and US. Music is still mainly written in-house but we also use freelance composers, orchestras and session musicians. As an indication of our recent ambition, we recorded with The Philharmonia Orchestra at Abbey Road for Transformers Universe.