{"id":365,"date":"2026-05-25T09:00:10","date_gmt":"2026-05-25T08:00:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/sounddesign\/?p=365"},"modified":"2026-07-03T06:03:05","modified_gmt":"2026-07-03T05:03:05","slug":"aaa-game-sound-design","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/sounddesign\/2026\/05\/25\/aaa-game-sound-design\/","title":{"rendered":"How Do You Design the Sound of a Blockbuster Game? Michael Caisley on Creativity, Recording, and Crafting the Sound of Call of Duty"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Michael<\/a><\/p>\n

How do you design the sound of a blockbuster game?<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Modern video games are built from extraordinarily complex systems. Artificial intelligence, physics, animation, graphics and networking all operate simultaneously to create worlds that respond continuously to the player\u2019s decisions. Sound design must function within that same complexity. Unlike film, where every frame is predetermined, game audio unfolds differently every time someone plays. Thousands of individual sounds interact dynamically, responding to changing environments, player behaviour and gameplay events without losing clarity or dramatic impact. During his online guest lecture for Edinburgh Napier University, Michael Caisley drew upon his experience as Senior Sound Designer on Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare<\/i><\/span> to explore how one of the industry\u2019s largest productions approached this challenge. Throughout the session, one principle emerged repeatedly. Great game audio is designed as a complete system rather than a collection of individual sound effects.<\/p>\n

This philosophy shaped every stage of the project\u2019s development. Rather than asking how individual weapons, footsteps or explosions should sound, the audio team began with a broader question. How should the player experience the world? Every recording, editing decision and implementation technique ultimately served that objective. Sound design therefore became an exercise in shaping perception rather than simply producing assets. Individual recordings remained important, though their true value emerged only through the relationships they formed with every other element of the soundtrack. The player never experiences sounds in isolation. They experience an acoustic world.<\/p>\n

Caisley explained that this perspective influenced one of the team\u2019s earliest decisions. Although Call of Duty<\/i><\/span> already possessed an established sonic identity developed across multiple successful titles, the audio team resisted the temptation simply to inherit those conventions. Instead, they treated Advanced Warfare<\/i><\/span> as an opportunity to rethink the game\u2019s entire sound philosophy from first principles. Existing assets, familiar production techniques and long-standing implementation methods were all reconsidered. Their ambition was not to reject the past, but to ensure that every creative decision continued to serve the experience they wanted players to have. Innovation therefore emerged through careful questioning rather than change for its own sake.<\/p>\n

That philosophy also transformed the relationship between sound design and implementation. In many production pipelines, sound designers create assets that are later integrated into the game by other specialists. Caisley described a markedly different approach. Sound designers remained responsible for implementation inside the game itself, allowing them to shape how recordings behaved once they became part of the interactive experience. The timing of a sound, the circumstances under which it played, the way it interacted with other events and its contribution to the overall mix all became part of the design process. Creating an excellent recording represented only the beginning. The player\u2019s experience ultimately depended upon how successfully that recording functioned within the wider system. Implementation was therefore not separate from sound design. It was an essential part of it.<\/p>\n

The same systems-oriented thinking naturally extended to recording. Rather than relying primarily upon commercial sound libraries, the team invested heavily in producing original recordings specifically for the game. Specialist libraries remained valuable resources, particularly carefully curated collections produced by experienced field recordists, though Caisley consistently argued that original recording provides opportunities to discover sounds that nobody else possesses. More importantly, recording becomes a creative process rather than simply a method of gathering raw material. Unexpected textures, unusual perspectives and subtle acoustic details often emerge only when designers capture sounds for themselves. Distinctive game audio begins long before editing or implementation. It begins with listening carefully to the world.<\/p>\n

One particularly revealing example involved footsteps. Traditional Foley often records isolated footsteps on carefully prepared surfaces inside controlled studio environments. Caisley questioned whether this approach remained appropriate for a first-person game in which movement is experienced continuously through the player rather than observed from an external viewpoint. Instead, the team carried lightweight portable recorders into forests, hillsides and outdoor locations, capturing complete performances that naturally progressed from walking to running and sprinting. Rather than constructing movement artificially from disconnected recordings, they captured the changing rhythm, effort and momentum that emerge naturally when people move through real environments. The resulting recordings felt noticeably more convincing, illustrating that authenticity sometimes depends less upon technical precision than upon preserving the natural behaviour of the performer.<\/p>\n

The recording equipment itself reflected the same practical philosophy. Caisley encouraged students not to become preoccupied with expensive technology at the expense of creative opportunity. Much of the team\u2019s field recording relied upon compact portable recorders that could be deployed quickly whenever an interesting sound presented itself. Mounted directly onto lightweight boom poles, these systems reduced handling noise while allowing recording sessions to remain flexible and spontaneous. The lesson extended far beyond the specific equipment being used. Interesting sounds rarely arrive when it is convenient to record them. Designers therefore benefit from tools that allow them to respond immediately rather than waiting for ideal conditions or elaborate recording setups. Creativity, he suggested, often rewards preparedness more than perfection.<\/p>\n

The same willingness to question established practice shaped the recording of weapons. Rather than organising one large recording session intended to capture every firearm in a single location, the team divided the work across numerous smaller sessions. This approach simplified logistics, though its greatest benefit proved creative rather than organisational. Each session could be reviewed afterwards, allowing the team to identify opportunities for improvement before returning to record additional material. Different environments also introduced naturally varying acoustic characteristics, providing a richer collection of perspectives than a single location could have offered. Recording therefore became an iterative process in which every session informed the next. The objective was not simply to accumulate material, but to refine the sonic identity of the game through continual experimentation.<\/p>\n

Perhaps the most important lesson from this stage of the lecture concerned the relationship between individual sounds and the finished player experience. Caisley observed that players rarely remember isolated recordings. They remember moments. The impact of those moments depends upon countless design decisions working together, from recording and editing through implementation, mixing and gameplay design. The audio team\u2019s objective was therefore never to create the loudest explosion or the most detailed weapon recording. It was to build a soundtrack in which every element supported the player\u2019s understanding of the world. Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare<\/i><\/span> consequently adopted a more dynamic approach to mixing, allowing important sounds to occupy the foreground while leaving space for the rest of the soundtrack to breathe. Restraint became every bit as valuable as spectacle. The most memorable moments did not emerge from individual sound effects alone. They emerged from a coherent acoustic world in which every element strengthened the player\u2019s belief that the environment around them was responsive, believable and alive.<\/p>\n

Having established the technical foundations of the project, Caisley turned towards the creative decisions that ultimately give a game its identity. Recording and implementation provide the raw materials, though they do not determine how a player experiences a moment. That depends upon judgement. Throughout the remainder of the session, he returned repeatedly to an idea that sounds deceptively simple but lies at the heart of professional sound design. Every sound reflects a design decision. The role of the sound designer is not merely to create convincing audio, but to decide what deserves to be heard, when it should be heard and, just as importantly, what should remain absent.<\/p>\n

This philosophy shaped the way Caisley approached almost every design problem. Instead of searching immediately for the perfect recording, he preferred to build what he described as palettes of possibilities. Families of related sounds sharing particular textures, movements and tonal characteristics were assembled through recording, processing and experimentation. Organic recordings of motors, impacts, machinery and environmental sounds were manipulated repeatedly, gradually forming a collection of materials from which the final design could emerge. Creativity therefore developed through exploration instead of beginning with a predetermined solution. Designers rarely know exactly what they are searching for at the start of a project. They discover it by experimenting until unexpected relationships begin to reveal themselves.<\/p>\n

His workflow reflected the same exploratory mindset. Projects often began in apparent disorder, with sounds accumulating rapidly as multiple ideas were investigated simultaneously. Immediate organisation was deliberately given lower priority than experimentation. Once a broad range of possibilities had been created, the process shifted towards careful refinement. Caisley compared this approach to sculpting. A sculptor begins with a block of material and gradually removes everything that does not belong until the final form becomes visible. Sound design, he suggested, often develops in exactly the same way. Instead of continually asking what should be added, designers should also ask what can be removed.<\/p>\n

This idea challenges one of the most common assumptions made by new sound designers. Richer sound does not necessarily result from adding more layers. As recordings accumulate, frequency masking increases, textures become crowded and important details begin to disappear. Caisley described repeatedly muting, removing and simplifying elements until only those making a genuine contribution remained. Equalisation, dynamics processing, timing adjustments and careful layering all supported this process, though none represented the objective in itself. Their purpose was to improve clarity, strengthen communication and ensure that every remaining sound justified its place within the mix. Professional sound design therefore depends less upon the quantity of material than upon the quality of the decisions shaping it.<\/p>\n

A particularly memorable example came from a sequence in which the player escapes across a glass roof before an ally destroys the structure beneath pursuing enemies. The obvious solution might appear to involve recording increasingly dramatic glass impacts before combining them into one spectacular crash. Caisley approached the problem very differently. The event was divided into a sequence of distinct dramatic stages. Initial bullet impacts, subtle structural weakening, growing instability and the final collapse each received their own carefully judged sonic treatment. Texture, pacing and silence changed gradually as the scene unfolded, allowing players to follow the progression of the collapse as a connected series of events rather than experiencing a single overwhelming burst of noise. The sequence derived its dramatic impact from the way the sound evolved over time, allowing the narrative of the scene to unfold naturally through listening as well as through the visuals.<\/p>\n

The same attention to dramatic pacing shaped Caisley\u2019s approach to synchronisation. Students often assume that every visible action should be matched precisely by an accompanying sound. Professional practice, he suggested, is considerably more nuanced. Delaying one sound slightly, allowing another to emerge first or simplifying an otherwise crowded moment can produce a stronger dramatic effect than strict synchronisation alone. Rhythm, pacing, expectation and contrast all become compositional tools that guide the player\u2019s attention. Instead of following every visual event mechanically, sound design helps determine what players notice, what they anticipate and how they interpret the unfolding action. Games therefore rely upon many of the same principles of dramatic storytelling found in music and cinema, while remaining responsive to player interaction.<\/p>\n

Equally revealing was Caisley\u2019s discussion of realism. Throughout the lecture, he challenged the assumption that authentic sound must originate from authentic sources. Recording larger explosions does not necessarily produce better explosions, nor does striking more metal automatically create more convincing mechanical impacts. Professional sound designers routinely combine recordings whose original sources bear little resemblance to the finished result. Environmental ambiences, machinery, organic textures and countless unexpected recordings may all contribute qualities that literal recording alone cannot provide. What ultimately matters is not the origin of the sound, but whether it supports the player\u2019s perception of the world. Believability depends upon the finished experience rather than literal accuracy.<\/p>\n

Technical processing formed part of this broader creative process rather than existing as an end in itself. Equalisation, compression, distortion and other processing tools undoubtedly shape the final soundtrack, though Caisley resisted presenting them as universal recipes. Every adjustment served a specific purpose within the wider composition. Heavy compression might transform an otherwise unremarkable recording into the perfect supporting layer. Subtle timing adjustments could reveal details previously hidden within the mix. Equalisation often preserved recordings that might otherwise have been discarded. Considered individually, many processed sounds appeared incomplete or even unattractive. Their value emerged only through their relationship with every other element. As throughout the lecture, the emphasis remained firmly upon systems rather than isolated sounds.<\/p>\n

Towards the end of the session, Caisley reflected upon the qualities that distinguish successful sound designers from merely competent technicians. Technical expertise undoubtedly matters, though he argued that curiosity, collaboration and the willingness to accept constructive criticism exert a far greater influence over long-term professional development. Working alongside experienced colleagues continually challenges assumptions and exposes designers to alternative ways of thinking. Equally valuable is the habit of listening analytically to other people\u2019s work. Rather than deciding whether an entire game succeeds or fails, Caisley encouraged students to identify individual moments that demonstrate particularly thoughtful creative decisions. Examining one successful interaction in depth often teaches far more than making broad judgements about an entire soundtrack. Developing as a sound designer therefore depends as much upon careful listening as upon creating new sounds.<\/p>\n

Taken together, Caisley\u2019s presentation revealed that blockbuster game audio is built as much through judgement as through technology. Recording, editing, implementation and mixing undoubtedly provide the necessary tools, though those tools acquire meaning only through the decisions that shape them. Every sound exists in relation to every other sound, every moment contributes to a larger dramatic experience and every creative choice influences how players understand the world around them. Sound design is not the art of creating more sound, but of making better decisions. Technology provides the tools. Careful listening, thoughtful judgement and an understanding of human perception transform those tools into interactive experiences that players instinctively accept as real.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Michael Caisley explores the creative and technical decisions behind the sound of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. From field recording and implementation to mixing and gameplay, he demonstrates that memorable game audio is not created through individual sound effects, but through carefully designed systems that shape how players experience interactive worlds.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":433,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32,23,6,35,12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-365","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-field-recording","category-mixing","category-online-guest-lectures","category-sound-design","category-video-games"],"yoast_head":"\nHow Do You Design the Sound of a Blockbuster Game? Michael Caisley on Creativity, Recording, and Crafting the Sound of Call of Duty - Sound Design at Edinburgh Napier University<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Discover how Michael Caisley designed the sound of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, revealing how AAA game sound design creates believable interactive worlds.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/sounddesign\/2026\/05\/25\/aaa-game-sound-design\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How Do You Design the Sound of a Blockbuster Game? Michael Caisley on Creativity, Recording, and Crafting the Sound of Call of Duty - Sound Design at Edinburgh Napier University\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Discover how Michael Caisley designed the sound of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, revealing how AAA game sound design creates believable interactive worlds.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/sounddesign\/2026\/05\/25\/aaa-game-sound-design\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Sound Design at Edinburgh Napier University\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-05-25T08:00:10+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-07-03T05:03:05+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/sounddesign\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/179\/2026\/07\/MichaelCaisley.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"429\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"300\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"iainmcgregor\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"iainmcgregor\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"11 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/sounddesign\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/25\\\/aaa-game-sound-design\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/sounddesign\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/25\\\/aaa-game-sound-design\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"iainmcgregor\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/sounddesign\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/9409de58300c40065b9ba7f1f1db080d\"},\"headline\":\"How Do You Design the Sound of a Blockbuster Game? Michael Caisley on Creativity, Recording, and Crafting the Sound of Call of Duty\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-05-25T08:00:10+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-07-03T05:03:05+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/sounddesign\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/25\\\/aaa-game-sound-design\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":2318,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/sounddesign\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/25\\\/aaa-game-sound-design\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/sounddesign\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/179\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/MichaelCaisley.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Field recording\",\"Mixing\",\"Online guest lectures\",\"Sound Design\",\"Video games\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/sounddesign\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/25\\\/aaa-game-sound-design\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/sounddesign\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/25\\\/aaa-game-sound-design\\\/\",\"name\":\"How Do You Design the Sound of a Blockbuster Game? Michael Caisley on Creativity, Recording, and Crafting the Sound of Call of Duty - Sound Design at Edinburgh Napier University\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/sounddesign\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/sounddesign\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/25\\\/aaa-game-sound-design\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/sounddesign\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/25\\\/aaa-game-sound-design\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/sounddesign\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/179\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/MichaelCaisley.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-05-25T08:00:10+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-07-03T05:03:05+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/sounddesign\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/9409de58300c40065b9ba7f1f1db080d\"},\"description\":\"Discover how Michael Caisley designed the sound of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, revealing how AAA game sound design creates believable interactive worlds.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/sounddesign\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/25\\\/aaa-game-sound-design\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/sounddesign\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/25\\\/aaa-game-sound-design\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/sounddesign\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/25\\\/aaa-game-sound-design\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/sounddesign\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/179\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/MichaelCaisley.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/sounddesign\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/179\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/MichaelCaisley.jpg\",\"width\":429,\"height\":300,\"caption\":\"Michael Caisley\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/sounddesign\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/25\\\/aaa-game-sound-design\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/sounddesign\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"How Do You Design the Sound of a Blockbuster Game? Michael Caisley on Creativity, Recording, and Crafting the Sound of Call of Duty\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/sounddesign\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/sounddesign\\\/\",\"name\":\"Sound Design at Edinburgh Napier University\",\"description\":\"Showcasing the creativity and expertise within our School of Computing, Engineering, and the Built Environment.\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/sounddesign\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/sounddesign\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/9409de58300c40065b9ba7f1f1db080d\",\"name\":\"iainmcgregor\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/005ec060b749e91cca4053012e0af4d8bb07b009b58800e31d03defd2fcec58b?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/005ec060b749e91cca4053012e0af4d8bb07b009b58800e31d03defd2fcec58b?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/005ec060b749e91cca4053012e0af4d8bb07b009b58800e31d03defd2fcec58b?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"iainmcgregor\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\\\/sounddesign\\\/author\\\/iainmcgregor\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How Do You Design the Sound of a Blockbuster Game? Michael Caisley on Creativity, Recording, and Crafting the Sound of Call of Duty - Sound Design at Edinburgh Napier University","description":"Discover how Michael Caisley designed the sound of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, revealing how AAA game sound design creates believable interactive worlds.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/sounddesign\/2026\/05\/25\/aaa-game-sound-design\/","og_locale":"en_GB","og_type":"article","og_title":"How Do You Design the Sound of a Blockbuster Game? Michael Caisley on Creativity, Recording, and Crafting the Sound of Call of Duty - Sound Design at Edinburgh Napier University","og_description":"Discover how Michael Caisley designed the sound of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, revealing how AAA game sound design creates believable interactive worlds.","og_url":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/sounddesign\/2026\/05\/25\/aaa-game-sound-design\/","og_site_name":"Sound Design at Edinburgh Napier University","article_published_time":"2026-05-25T08:00:10+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-07-03T05:03:05+00:00","og_image":[{"width":429,"height":300,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/sounddesign\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/179\/2026\/07\/MichaelCaisley.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"iainmcgregor","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"iainmcgregor","Estimated reading time":"11 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/sounddesign\/2026\/05\/25\/aaa-game-sound-design\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/sounddesign\/2026\/05\/25\/aaa-game-sound-design\/"},"author":{"name":"iainmcgregor","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/sounddesign\/#\/schema\/person\/9409de58300c40065b9ba7f1f1db080d"},"headline":"How Do You Design the Sound of a Blockbuster Game? Michael Caisley on Creativity, Recording, and Crafting the Sound of Call of Duty","datePublished":"2026-05-25T08:00:10+00:00","dateModified":"2026-07-03T05:03:05+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/sounddesign\/2026\/05\/25\/aaa-game-sound-design\/"},"wordCount":2318,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/sounddesign\/2026\/05\/25\/aaa-game-sound-design\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/sounddesign\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/179\/2026\/07\/MichaelCaisley.jpg","articleSection":["Field recording","Mixing","Online guest lectures","Sound Design","Video games"],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/sounddesign\/2026\/05\/25\/aaa-game-sound-design\/","url":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/sounddesign\/2026\/05\/25\/aaa-game-sound-design\/","name":"How Do You Design the Sound of a Blockbuster Game? Michael Caisley on Creativity, Recording, and Crafting the Sound of Call of Duty - Sound Design at Edinburgh Napier University","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/sounddesign\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/sounddesign\/2026\/05\/25\/aaa-game-sound-design\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/sounddesign\/2026\/05\/25\/aaa-game-sound-design\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/sounddesign\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/179\/2026\/07\/MichaelCaisley.jpg","datePublished":"2026-05-25T08:00:10+00:00","dateModified":"2026-07-03T05:03:05+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/sounddesign\/#\/schema\/person\/9409de58300c40065b9ba7f1f1db080d"},"description":"Discover how Michael Caisley designed the sound of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, revealing how AAA game sound design creates believable interactive worlds.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/sounddesign\/2026\/05\/25\/aaa-game-sound-design\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/sounddesign\/2026\/05\/25\/aaa-game-sound-design\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/sounddesign\/2026\/05\/25\/aaa-game-sound-design\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/sounddesign\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/179\/2026\/07\/MichaelCaisley.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/sounddesign\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/179\/2026\/07\/MichaelCaisley.jpg","width":429,"height":300,"caption":"Michael Caisley"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/sounddesign\/2026\/05\/25\/aaa-game-sound-design\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/sounddesign\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"How Do You Design the Sound of a Blockbuster Game? Michael Caisley on Creativity, Recording, and Crafting the Sound of Call of Duty"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/sounddesign\/#website","url":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/sounddesign\/","name":"Sound Design at Edinburgh Napier University","description":"Showcasing the creativity and expertise within our School of Computing, Engineering, and the Built Environment.","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/sounddesign\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/sounddesign\/#\/schema\/person\/9409de58300c40065b9ba7f1f1db080d","name":"iainmcgregor","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/005ec060b749e91cca4053012e0af4d8bb07b009b58800e31d03defd2fcec58b?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/005ec060b749e91cca4053012e0af4d8bb07b009b58800e31d03defd2fcec58b?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/005ec060b749e91cca4053012e0af4d8bb07b009b58800e31d03defd2fcec58b?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"iainmcgregor"},"url":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/sounddesign\/author\/iainmcgregor\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/sounddesign\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/365","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/sounddesign\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/sounddesign\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/sounddesign\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/433"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/sounddesign\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=365"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/sounddesign\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/365\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":368,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/sounddesign\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/365\/revisions\/368"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/sounddesign\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=365"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/sounddesign\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=365"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.napier.ac.uk\/sounddesign\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=365"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}