As we wait for the next generation of gaming to really kick off and come to fruition, we certainly are excited for the way enhanced visuals will take us to far off worlds, and envelope our intrigue. Visual artistic merit and complexity are indeed part of why we call them video games, but another large part of our experience seems to go ignored in the Nex-Gen jargon: Sound.

Back when the 16-bit machines were waring for the players hard earned cash, NEC introduced the first home console CD based add-on. While it failed in the US, no one could deny that CD gaming brought a whole new aural experience to gaming: High quality red book audio.

While the Genesis and Super NES introduced us to better and better PCM sound, CDs introduced us to a whole new concept of sound in gaming. The tradition carried on of course by the Saturn, Playstation, and other CD based systems thereafter. But now that we are used to high-quality sound in games, what of the aural experience in the next generation? Have we lost an ear to the other half of gaming?

Now that we have our HDTV to accommodate the visuals of the next generation, lets take a look at our audio systems for a moment.The XBOX 360 gives us a taste in next-gen gaming sound by insisting that all games support Dolby Digital 5.1. While many games have already done this on the XBOX, and Pro Logic II on the PS2, it has never been insisted upon. What this means for us, is a wonderful chance for sound developers to express their ideas for engaging sound and music experiences outside the two-channel range.

What this also means is the need for an upgrade to our stereo. While games will still sound great in two-channel sound, upgrading to a 5.1 digital system means a whole new level of gaming bliss for our ears. Some may say that sound really isn't that important, but I challenge them to play a game of Burnout Revenge with the sound off. No longer do the crashes carry any weight. No longer do we get that rush of hitting nitrous to the sound of our favorite tunes, making our hearts beat faster and faster. Indeed, the experience is neutered by the absence of sound.

Indeed, I too cannot deny my excitement to stunning visual stimuli from the next gen, but without the sound, I may as well grab my etch-a-sketch in turn for gaming.