Coffee Talk #150: Do You Want to Control Games with Your Voice?

Google Android’s voice recognition is pretty outstanding. I’ve been loving it on the Evo 4G and I’m surprised that it works so well. The voice capabilities of the phone got me thinking — if voice recognition can be effective on a mobile phone with a 1GHz processor, then shouldn’t it just completely rock on a console with a multi-core CELL chip? Sure, games like Seaman and Hey You Pikachu were gimmicky, but I think the right developer could use today’s voice recognition and console power in a really fun way.

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Google Android’s voice recognition is pretty outstanding. I’ve been loving it on the Evo 4G and I’m surprised that it works so well. The voice capabilities of the phone got me thinking — if voice recognition can be effective on a mobile phone with a 1GHz processor, then shouldn’t it just completely rock on a console with a multi-core CELL chip? Sure, games like Seaman and Hey You Pikachu were gimmicky, but I think the right developer could use today’s voice recognition and console power in a really fun way.

A real-time strategy game created with voice command in mind would be cool. Whether it’s like Pikmin or like StarCraft, voice could totally work for the genre. Personally, I’d love a strategy RPG (Disgaea, Final Fantasy Tactics) that used voice controls. The game I see in my head (I’d show it to you, but it would be messy getting in there) uses customary SRPG gameplay combined with several voice-specific twists.

Do you think voice-controlled games could be fun? Would you even want one? Or is it a matter of a developer creating a cool voice experience and making you want it? Do you see a genre that would work well with voice? Share your thoughts (please)!

Author: RPadTV

https://rpad.tv

31 thoughts on “Coffee Talk #150: Do You Want to Control Games with Your Voice?”

  1. I think that voice recognition could only serve as an added feature to games and not the main feature of games.

  2. Wow, interesting topic, i think it would be good if it was an added feature as mentioned by RROD but not the main. i know some of us play into some late hours and it would be difficult to play games that use speech recog because we might wake kids or spouses or whoever else. Also, some of us like to play with the music on in the background and i'm thinking that might interfere with the game play. It sounds sweet but in the end i think it will be more of a headache, i hate those companies that only have the speech recog feature for their call-in menu's.

  3. Only in squad based games, or maybe an RTS but other than that, I am not a fan of anything out of the norm( Motion Controls, Voice, and what not.) Tom Clancy games used the voice control functions in a few of the games they had but it never caught on. I enjoyed actually telling people in rainbow six breach and clear, that and it was pretty fun playing red light green light with the squad.

  4. Didn't Ubisoft has a voice command RTS last year? I remember it not doing so well. I think it was voice command anyway.

  5. @smartguy

    yeah it was Tom Clancy's Endwar, which sold like 4 copies nation wide.

  6. I don't think I would like voice commands. I know when I am playing a game its rare that I mess up where my fingers are on a controller, but I could see myself stumbling over words a lot when in a heated situation.

  7. Ok, I know this is totally out of context, but it would make for a really funny bit on TheOnion.com:

    We should get the same developers who made Superman 64 do a modern shooter with voice recognition. Every time you wanted to fire a gun in the FPS, you would have to say "fire" in order for one bullet to shoot out of your gun. If you wanted to throw a grenade, you would have to say "grenade." Also, you could do a co-op game where the second player would be responsible for moving the first player via voice commands such as "move forward", "strafe right", "strafe left" and "look up". Every voice command for movement would move the player one step.

    Now, picture in your head playing this game (that would probably be similar in style to Call of Duty) with a friend next to you. America, I give you a torture tool more potent than waterboarding.

    -M

  8. I think that it would be cool if it was used in a RTS, that would have been awesome to have some kind of function in Age of Mythology that allowed voice control.

    On the other hand I felt embarrassed enough playing LOZ: Phantom Hourglass in public when you had to yell into the mic, or blow out a candle, etc. I don't like to be the center of attention like that in public, haha.

  9. ^^^Code Red. Super bowl in terrorist attack city. Better beef up security to the 10th power.

  10. I agree with RROD. Al Queda will do anything to stop the Dolphins from going to the Super Bowl again.

    (*shifts eyes suspiciously at all of you anti-Dol-fans*)

    -M

  11. @Iceman

    Whoever the Dolphins QB is does everything to stop the Dolphins from going to the Super Bowl again.

  12. Well, it does limit the chances of a nip-slip if Jay-Z and Beyonce are performing in parkas, doesn't it?

    I think it's awesome frankly, and I hope it's two warm weather teams like Arizona and San Diego in a foot of snow. But be honest, you're watching it no matter where it's played or who's in it.

  13. I think it's shitty to host the game in a place where the weather isn't temperate. I hope a blizz shuts down the airport.

  14. I think it's shitty that the same 5 cities always get the game. That doesn't mean I wish a hurricane on one of them.

  15. @nightshade

    those places get blizzards all the time. Hurricane season and the superbowl don't collide. Fact of the matter.

  16. Sorry, I grew up in the North East. they don't get blizzards "all the time." They just don't. A couple of times a year, yes. But it's not a weekly occurrence. There's about as good a chance that it'll be a all NY Super Bowl as there is that that one day will be the day of the "Storm of 2014."

    In fact, some of the most memorable games in NFL history have been played in the frigid cold. We just had a Super Bowl in Miami not too long ago in a downpour. Shit, it was 40 degrees all week when the game was out here in AZ a couple of years ago, and if not for the dome people would have been wearing their parkas to that game.

  17. @Nightshade

    Comparing the game of old (which I do miss) with today's game is hard to do. It's a qb driven league. Dominant defenses and a steady rushing attack just isn't how the game is played. Evidenced as much by all the rule changes in the last decade.

    My apologies about generalizing about all the time. Isn't February the month with the largest amounts of snowfall? I looked online and a few places say so.

    Arizona has a dome…that's fine. Minn has a dome. Indy has a dome now. I'd prefer the biggest game of my team's season or franchise history to be played in somewhat neutral weather conditions. Just me though.

  18. kids, there was a day a long time ago when rush n' attack was a fun game to play

    and i miss those days, terribly

  19. Wednesday morning rant:

    Yesterday marked one year since I have lived in my new house. Coinciding with the anniversary was the end of my promo period for Charter. My bill went up by $25 because of the basic tv service I subscribed to. I tried to haggle with them, but the only deal they'd cut me is for a cable phone to be included with my internet and tv for the same price. I don't need a phone. So they are option 1 at $75 per month for 16mb internet and lousy tv.

    I checked in to Uverse….ATT charges a premium for channels for sure. Their internet speeds are a joke. I was pretty shocked that an IPTV service has an upcharge of $10 per month for HD. Why even waste the bandwidth on SD???? At least they include the price of a dvr in their channel package price. Yay??

    Dish Network and Directv seem pretty expensive for television as well. I guess what it all boils down to is that I can't believe that there is still premium on HD access when most ppl have an hd capable tv. Why is it $10 per month extra? I'm also trying to weed through which carriers available to me will let me use my own DVR instead of renting it.

    In the end..I have to blame the broadcast companies. Their biannual rate hikes really stick it in and break it off on you. I noticed some of the ads of the lowest tiers of channels being 50% off, but starting at $35. Wow, so the basic line up is almost $70 when your promo is up?

    For the record, I only watch football and some baseball on tv. I did my Lost viewing online.

    I need a la carte tv. I will pray that it is one of Apple's big things coming up.

  20. @smartguy

    i completely agree with your rant. Most of the cable companies will let you use a Tivo dvr but you have to use cable cards which can be quite a B**ch at times for you or the person on the other end that doesn't know how to help you. $70 for basic tv channel lineups are ridiculous (sp?) and they wonder why people "steal" cable/satellite service.

  21. @ Smartguy

    Satellite is the only viable option where I live. I run Dish Network and it's only like $30 bucks a month plus $7 for each set of premium channels. I get Showtime for one reason only… Dexter.

    Most of my viewing I still do online though, so if I need HD for something (which is rare) I can get it online. I have Verizon internet. If your looking for a package deal… that's where they'll screw with you.

  22. @N8R

    that dish package doesn't have NFL network does it? If it does, I will pay for the HD as well. Is that still a promo price?

  23. @ Smartguy

    It's like the top 100 or 200 most popular channels. So… I get NFL Network during football season. I've never checked for it during the off season.

    I think it is, I saw a commercial for it like last week. To be honest though, I couldn't tell you. I watch very little TV as it is. When you live in Cali and you're a Steeler fan… you end up either watching games on JTV or going to the Steeler bar.

  24. @ tokz

    "So whatcha gonna do Post Cereals, when Hulkamania, the 24 inch pythons, and an army of legal representatives runs wild on YOU?"

  25. @n8r

    hahaha. Get Pebbles and Bam-Bam to take them down. It seemed to work in the commercial.

  26. Here's a great deal on Amazon. Buy Glory of Heracles for DS (cool little RPG) for $10.99 and you get a $10 credit to use for a future videogame purchase and a $5 credit for MP3s.

    <iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=rt0b3-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&m=amazon&f=ifr&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&asins=B002EE5RKI&quot; style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe>

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