Hockey arenas will use an EA Sports NHL sound library
With no crowds, the NHL teamed with EA Sports to help create a sound library for arenas.
As sports begin to return amidst the coronavirus pandemic, they’ll look and sound a bit differently. For starters, no major sports are allowing fans in which presents a bit of a unique challenge when it comes to recreating a gameday atmosphere.
Some leagues are turning towards their partners in the video game industry to help. As we reported previously, Major League Baseball worked with Sony San Diego to get crowd noise from MLB The Show to play at the various ballparks.
Similarly, the NHL will do the same with EA Sports, developers of the NHL video game franchise. ESPN recently spoke with Steve Mayer, NHL chief content officer and senior executive VP of events and entertainment, about hockey’s return and what the league is doing to create an authentic game environment despite having no crowd.
Mayer acknowledged that games will sound “extremely similar” to what fans are already used to. Music will play, whistles will be blown and public address announcers will do their thing. The league has also worked with EA Sports to put together a sound library.
"Yes, but we’re also bringing in sounds from our past broadcasts. EA Sports has shared their library, and that’s primarily what we’re going to work with."
Mayer explained that EA Sports has sounds from each arena and that they are all unique. These sounds will be incorporated into the broadcast, creating the feeling of an actual crowd being there.
As a sports game enthusiast, we sometimes take for granted the sound effects and crowd noise in video games. EA always makes a big deal about creating an authentic, immersive environment. Well, who would’ve thought that one day it might sound so realistic that they’d use it to replicate the sound of a crowd amidst a pandemic?
Sports have gotten incredibly creative over the past few months as they attempt to return to a sense of normalcy. It’s pretty cool that their video game counterparts have played a key role in that. The NHL will return on August 1 with a 24-team tournament competition for the Stanley Cup.