Evan Buehler: The experience of a new game is much more fluid. You start with the creative concept, obviously, but not everything is necessarily set. A lot of the work goes into figuring out what the game is going to be about, what role are elements like music and sound effects going to play in the game.

I don't think there's anything mysterious about it. These are the kind of decisions you make when you're creating something new. We tend to try out a lot of things to see what works.

Crescent Blues: How much input does the sound designer have in shaping the game?

Evan Buehler: I would say a great deal. At least my role is to make choices, audio-wise, about what would be appropriate for the game. Part of it comes down to what technology we're incorporating into the game. That determines how much time our programmers will spend creating the sound engine for the game.

A lot of technical factors shape what I can do. How much space on a CD can we have for dialogue and sound effects? What quality of audio can we use given our resources for the kind of computer that will play it? Lower-end systems, obviously, aren't going to have the computing capacity of the high-end models. And everything has to play on the lowest capacity system that can play the game.

Really, I have a great amount of freedom in what I do. It just depends on being true to what's appropriate for the game.

Crescent Blues: Do you play the music for the games yourself, or do you arrange a recording session?

Evan Buehler: I play everything, actually. It depends on the project. Most of the music for SWAT was ambient music -- the kind of music you hear in a movie or TV show behind an action sequence. It's not music that you really pay attention to.

Crescent Blues: It runs below the level of consciousness.

Evan Buehler: It's something you're conscious of if you want to be. I think if the music wasn't there, you'd notice it, but if it is there, you may not.

But I play pretty much everything, instrument by instrument, using a sequencer and samplers. Sometimes I will record something live. At least for the music I've done so far, I've done everything.

Crescent Blues: How many instruments can you play?

Evan Buehler: I can play piano somewhat. My expertise is as a jazz vibes player, but I also have a KAT midi controller which is like a vibraphone or mallet kind of controller for recording. I can also play drums, as well, and pretty much any percussion instrument. But sequencers and synthesizers make it quite easy to "play," in a sense, a lot of instruments.

Crescent Blues: How long do you think the project you're working on now will take from start to finish?

Evan Buehler: If I could tell you exactly how long it would take, I would be a genius. It's difficult to say. When you're tackling a project, part of it depends on what new programming needs to be done. If you're starting really from scratch, obviously, it will take a lot longer, because you've got a lot of interesting new technology to work with.

Games now tend to be over a year in development. It can even take up to two years for a game to be developed, whereas it used to be a much shorter time frame. You used to be able to put out a game in about nine months, but now there's generally a lot more work put into games than there used to be.

Crescent Blues: Because they tend to be more complex?

Evan Buehler: More complex, and games tend to be very trendy and technology-driven, and the technology changes very quickly. A lot of times -- even mid-stream in a project -- you may want to add new features that weren't originally planned and which will obviously take time to complete.

A lot of the functions aren't really a question of sound or musical effects. Like anything, the more time you take on it, the better it will usually be.

Crescent Blues: What's it like working for one of the biggest gaming and software companies in the world?

Evan Buehler: It's great. It's fun. I guess it's like working for any other software company. It's really project-driven stuff, cyclical work. You start with regular hours and eventually you begin putting in a lot of extra hours, because you need to get the project out of the door.

It tends to be a very creative environment. You have a lot of programmers, artists, sound designers and animators all working together. It tends to be a very competitive but playful environment. But also, like any work environment, there are a lot of serious things, and a lot of work gets done. We just happen to make games.

Crescent Blues: How do you view composing for games in the context of your other musical interests?

Evan Buehler: For me, music for games is like commercial art. Like any commercial art, it's not a mode of personal expression like playing jazz. Playing jazz is something I do, because I want to do it. There's no other mental requirement than that. Whereas writing for games is writing for a specific function. It's a different way to work. I guess it's the difference between being an artist and making a living, if that makes any sense.

Crescent Blues: What are your plans for the future? Do you see yourself composing music for Sierra in five years, for example?

Evan Buehler: I don't know. I would like to, obviously. It depends on what kind of circumstances the industry is in. I tend to like to work on computer games versus console games like Dreamcast®. And that's really where the industry is headed -- towards console games. Computer games tend to be more complex, and I enjoy that more. But yeah, I'd like to be working where I am.

Crescent Blues: What do you do after hours?

Evan Buehler: I try to have a life. I spend a lot of time playing with different jazz groups in Seattle. I also play a lot of games too. I spend a lot of time playing games.

Crescent Blues: Sounds like you fell into the perfect job then.

Evan Buehler: Yeah. I work at Sierra, because I love games. Most people who work at Sierra do the same thing. Even the programmers there, I would say, are there, because they love games. That really typifies the approach there. I don't think a lot of people go to work for a game company, because they see it as just a job. It's more of a passion for people. They like to make games, because they want to play them.

Crescent Blues: What would be the ideal game to work on?

Evan Buehler: Unrealistically, it would be a true virtual reality simulation. What we create now is a representation of the world, where we try to be absolutely realistic or seem real. The game industry would love to create the kind of simulation like the holodeck on Star Trek, where you walk into an environment where everything you touch and hear and smell seems real.

But realistically, I'd like to work on a game that would incorporate a lot of different elements and styles, like an adventure game -- like King's Quest® -- yet it would also have a lot of action elements. Yet it would also be a very seamless environment.

Crescent Blues: More along the lines of a Role-Playing Game (RPG).

Evan Buehler: It could be, but not necessarily. I like the story, and a lot of action games tend to be short on story. I like the kind of game that's interactive, where you play from your perspective, and you feel like you are the one who's driving the story. When I play a game, I like to feel I'm part of the story and I'm driving the story, even though that may not really be the case.

Crescent Blues: What kind of games are you playing these days?

Evan Buehler: I've been playing a lot of RPGs like Baldur's Gate®. Those games are a lot fun. I play a ton of Sierra games. Homeworld Cataclysm™ is one I've spent a lot of time on recently. I've been getting into the racing games a little bit. But the big one for me right now is Tribes 2™. Just ask my wife.

I tend to play games for a while, then put them away.

Crescent Blues: I know our readers will really want to know: do you get free games from Sierra?

Evan Buehler: Well, sometimes. But we also get them at the employee store with a discount. I get free copies of the games I work on now. So if I work on a game, I'll get a copy of it.

Crescent Blues: Anything you'd like to add?

Evan Buehler: Buy more Sierra games.

Teri Smith

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