Sounds of change: Nissan tag teams video game developer to alter alert tunes

Nissan is working on a new set of alert sounds that could potentially change the in-car interactions between a driver and machine. Nissan has tied up with gaming giant Bandai Namco for developing the new set of alert sounds for its future cars.

Bandai Namco is working on in-cabin sounds for the future range of Nissan cars. The gaming company will use its experience in creating video games.

Modern cars come with several alert systems that depend on aural, touch and display technologies. Almost all the in-cabin activities in a vehicle make some sort of sound. It could be opening a door, seatbelt reminder, parking sensors etc.

Nissan aims to replace its current set of these alert and notification sounds with new generation sounds. These are claimed to be delivering a unique aural experience to the occupants.

Nissan's lead engineer for in-car sound Hiroyuki Suzuki said that the in-cabin alert and notification sounds should be full of feeling and immediately recognisable as Nissan's own unique sound. "We wanted to make it easier to understand the information in the car and provide an emotional tone so people feel the Nissan brand," he further said.

Bandai Namco's sound designers are claimed to be developing sounds that simulate players' intuitive understanding. This similar technology will be used in developing future in-car sounds of the upcoming Nissan cars.

The Japanese auto manufacturer has been long emphasising the premium technological experiences for its vehicles. The project of developing new in-cabin sounds for the Nissan cars come as part of that startegy.

The two companies are not only working on a new set of sounds but a new speaker design as well for better audio delivery. However, it is not yet clear that which models will receive the new in-cabin sounds first.