Brieger, Sebastian

brieger@kth.se

Göthner, Fredrik

fgothner@kth.se

Players’ attitudes towards HRTF-technology in FPS games

Abstract

In spite of being considered an important quality aspect in computer games, sound reproduction has received little attention in research and development. None of the available 3D sound techniques are used to any greater extent in computer games and we would like to examine the possibilities with using HRTF technology to position sounds in a virtual environment.

The study is based on play tests and standardized questionnaires and has been conducted using players with experience in the ”First Person Shooter” genre. The study shows that players have a positive attitude towards the technique. The technique is considered being a clear improvement to traditional sound reproduction through headphones and the study indicates that the technique can be compared to or perhaps supersede more sophisticated playback options, for example surround.