In Australia, around $12 billion a year is lost on gaming machines, known locally as pokies. “The Losing Sound” is based on this figure, an initiative promoted by creative director Neil Walshe that proposes a specific intervention in the design of these devices: incorporating an unequivocal sound when the player loses.
The premise is based on the fact that many machines do not acoustically differentiate between a real loss and a “loss disguised as an almost win”, a phenomenon widely studied in gaming psychology. The result is a sound experience that reinforces the continuity of the game, even when the balance is negative.
The project, developed in collaboration with Rumble Studios and Milos Photography, introduces a sound signal designed on a psychological basis to clearly mark the loss. The audiovisual piece that accompanies the initiative documents a small-scale test carried out with real players who were unaware of the modification. According to the promoters, the experiment showed an increase in loss awareness and a reduction in the urge to continue playing.
The goal is to restore sensory information that allows the user to clearly distinguish between winning and losing.
Sound design as a behavioral intervention
In gaming machines, sound serves a behavioral function. Studies on intermittent reinforcement schemes have shown that the combination of visual and auditory stimuli contributes to maintaining gambling behavior. When a loss is presented with stimuli similar to those of a prize, the player may perceive the experience as less negative than it is in economic terms.
Therefore, “The Losing Sound” proposes to reverse this ambiguity through a specific acoustic signal for losses. The goal is to restore sensory information that allows the user to clearly distinguish between winning and losing.
The campaign has been launched in collaboration with two addiction recovery specialists: Ron Isherwood of The Truth About Addiction and Kerrie Atherton of Stories of Hope Australia. The initiative includes an explanatory short film and a public petition for the use of stall sounds to be regulated and implemented compulsorily in all machines.
Neil Walshe, promoter of the project and former creative director at agencies such as Special Australia and DDB Australia, said: “Gaming addiction destroys families and lives. If this project helps players become more aware, it is already progress.”
Although the test presented is limited in scale, the project seeks to move the conversation to the regulatory field.
More info: The Losing Sound on Change.org
