Hello Games' stellar exploration game No Man's Sky is a unique project, one that relies heavily on innovative use of procedural generation tech.

At GDC 2017, No Man's Sky sound designer Paul Weir broke down how the game also makes use of an innovative vocal modeling synthesizer plugin and a custom-built generative music system to ensure the game's soundtrack is varied and reactive to player action.

It was a fascinating talk that shed light on how No Man's Sky's vocal tract synthesis plugin VocAlien was prototyped and built, as well as how the game's procedural audio pipeline was laid out.

Weir also demonstrated how No Man's Sky heavily relies on the use of a custom generative music system which is deeply embedded within the game logic, discussed the creative implications, and laid out how the band 65 Days of Static were able to both compose a traditional album and create generative soundscapes without compromising their sound.

It was an interesting presentation that you can now watch for free over on the official GDC YouTube channel!

About the GDC Vault

In addition to this presentation, the GDC Vault and its new YouTube channel offers numerous other free videos, audio recordings, and slides from many of the recent Game Developers Conference events, and the service offers even more members-only content for GDC Vault subscribers.

Those who purchased All Access passes to recent events like GDC, GDC Europe, and GDC Next already have full access to GDC Vault, and interested parties can apply for the individual subscription via a GDC Vault subscription page. Group subscriptions are also available: game-related schools and development studios who sign up for GDC Vault Studio Subscriptions can receive access for their entire office or company by contacting staff via the GDC Vault group subscription page. Finally, current subscribers with access issues can contact GDC Vault technical support.

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