Racing Veteran Ian Bell Prioritizes Immersive Sound Design in Upcoming Project Motor Racing
Ian Bell, a long-time figure in sim-racing growth known for titles like GTR 2, Need for Speed: Shift, and Project Cars, is focusing on realistic and immersive sound design for his next project, Project Motor Racing. Bell emphasized the critical role sound plays in simulating the experience of racing, particularly in the absence of physical sensations like G-forces.
According to Bell, sound in sim-racing isn’t solely about auditory fidelity; it’s a synthesis of what’s heard within the cockpit and what the mind perceives as physical feeling.He stated, “Sound is not just about sound… It is basically a synthesis of what you hear inside the cockpit of a racing car, and what yoru mind tells you that you feel at the same time. It is crucial to create the right feeling in a simulator.” He is collaborating with Stephen Baysted and his team, alongside Doug Arnao and the physics team, to achieve this. Baysted, with whom Bell has worked for twenty-five years, is known for consistently pushing the boundaries of sound design in their games.
Bell noted the importance of recreating “space sound,chaos,rattling and noise” – elements he believes are lacking in most racing games currently available.
