TellingStoryThroughSound:BuildinganInteractive"RadioPlay"

BonnieBogovichGameAudio,BlackCatBonifide

MichaelLeeSoftwareEngineer,SchellGames

BonnieBogovich MichaelLee

TheBakerStreetExperience

● ReleasedbySchellGamesonSeptember8th,2016● Aninteractiveaudioadventure(thatusesvoice!)● AvailableonallAlexa-enableddevices

AQuick‘Alexa’Primer

EchoDotEcho KindleFire

“Alexa, play Baker Street Experience”

TheBakerStreetExperience

NotThis

Ademonstration,Holmes…

Takeaways

● Audiogamesareanewmarketforclassictechniques● LessonslearnedfromdevelopingBakerStreet● AdvantagesofbuildingforAlexaand“smartspeakers”

Whatisa“RadioPlay?”● Classicandenhancedstorytelling● Incorporates● Strongwriting● Excitingfoleyworkandsounddesign● Dynamicandvariedcast● Funandcharmfromliveperformance

StillPopularToday!● Recordedepisodicadventures

● DoctorWho● Hitchhiker’sGuide● WelcometoNightvale

● Liveradioplayperformances● MidnightRadioprogram● HearNowFestival● AndNightvaleagain

AdvantagesofAudio“Plays”● Wideraccessibilityforgroups● Narrativeiterationandfreedom● Environments(sounddesignandmusic)● Characters(dramaticstorytelling)● Playershaveguidestopicturethescene, buttherestisuptoimagination

DesigningthePlay

SettingtheScene

● Twoweeks…intwoyears

● Focusoncharactersandscenarios,notnewsettings

Elementary,MyDearWatson● WhynotSherlockHolmes?● Focusoncreatingagoodgameinsteadofinventingnewsetting

● Freedomtoexploreandexpandonexistingcharacters,plots,andsettings

● TheSherlock-verseisverypopular!● Fansareopentonewinterpretations

(neversaid)

ConnectingthePieces● Finalizednarrativewithpathsandbranches

● Actorshadachancetoshine● Sounddesignershadablast● Playable15-25minutesexperience

JumpingtoAlexa

BeforeAlexa● Simpleprototype● MechanicalTurk-esque

● Thinkingaheadtovoice● Examineddifferentoptions● ButreallyjustwaitingforAlexa

JustOneWeekLater

HearingtheEcho…echo…echo…● RevisitingBakerStreet● AmazonreleasedAlexaSkillKitright afterour1stjamweek!

● Increasedsupportanddocumentationfornewdevelopers

● Andgamesstartedtoshowup!

TheAlexaAdventureEcosystem

WayneInvestigationsMagicDoor CodenameCygnus

TakingAdvantageofAlexa

● AvoidroboticAlexaspeakbyincorporatingaudio● Buildvoicepromptstofeellikenaturalconversation● UtilizenewfeatureslikeHomeCards

UsingthenewHomeCardsystem

PortingComplications

VoicingSomeConstraints

● Not(originally)designedforlong-formSkills● Onlysupports90secondsofaudioper“prompt”● Misinterpretedinputcausesrepeatsanderrors● Skillsautomaticallytimeoutafter15seconds

WorkingWithinLimitations● The90secondlimit● Reworkpromptstoaddmoreinteractionpoints● Thetimelimithelpedkeeppromptsfocused

● AddingWatsonwittyresponses● Misinterpretedfeedback● Timeoutissues

AndReleased!

Alexa,CareForMoreAdventures?

TheGrowthoftheSmartSpeakers● Greaterhardwareadoption● Echo/Dot/Kindle(Alexa)● GoogleHome(GoogleNow)

● Enthusiasticsupport● Audienceisresponding● Skillsarebeinghighlighted

BarriersareLow

● Requireslittleramp-up● Amazonprovidesbasicframework● Focusonwritingandsound● Visualsaresecondary

*Monetizationstillawork-in-progress

NewMarketforClassicTechniques● MostSkillsutilizebasictext-to-speechsystems● Designyourstorieswithtraditionalradioplayconceptstocreateabetterstory● Voiceactors,foley,andbackgroundambience

● Growinglandscapewithdesireforcontent● Lotsofopportunitiesforpartneredexperiences● Ifyou’restuck,rememberthepublicdomain!

ThanksandCreditsThankstoJonandEddyfromEarplayandSusanO’Connor

CASTJamesMoriarty—CHRISTOPHERARNOLDIreneAdler—BONNIEBOGOVICH

InspectorG.Lestrade—TOMQUITONITheNarrator—TIMROSKO

PROJECTROLES

PROJECTDIRECTORTOMQUITONI

DESIGNCHRISTOPHERARNOLDBONNIEBOGOVICHBOBJONESJOSHLIPPERTTOMQUITONI

SherlockHolmes—RYANHALLJohnH.Watson—BOBJONES

ENGINEERINGMANOJANANDMICHAELLEE

AUDIOENGINEERBONNIEBOGOVICH

HOMECARDARTBENGREENE

WRITERSCHRISTOPHERARNOLDBONNIEBOGOVICHBOBJONESJOSHLIPPERTTOMQUITONI

ORIGINALCONCEPTBONNIEBOGOVICHMATTMAHON

SPECIALTHANKSREAGANHELLERANABALLIACHE

PRESENTEDBYSCHELLGAMES

Alexa, play “Baker Street Experience”

ThankYou!BonnieBogovich@BlackCatBonfeed

MichaelLee@drinkycode

Pleaseremembertofilloutyoursurveys!

Alexa,play“BakerStreetExperience”

Moreexamplesat:tinyurl.com/bakerstreetvids