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The Soapbox: Voice chat is the worst thing ever

Eliot Lefebvre — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Opinion, Humor, The Soapbox, Miscellaneous

Disclaimer: The Soapbox column is entirely the opinion of this week's writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Massively as a whole. If you're afraid of opinions other than your own, you might want to skip this column.

Part of me thinks that voice chat is a product of the miraculous and wondrous age we live in. I can still remember when the very idea of the internet seemed like a magical idea. I could search an entire world full of knowledge and ideas at once! The fact that video games have evolved into games where I can log in to a shared world and speak to someone in a real-time discussion is nothing short of astonishing.

Most of me, however, really just hates voice chat.

I've used voice chat extensively before, and I didn't like it then. I still don't like it now. And for all of the advantages it offers, I can't say it's something that I consider a positive addition to the MMO landscape any more than I'm happy about the widespread adoption of the colloquial term "toon." It might not be a cultural issue that needs to be addressed, but I really hate voice chat.

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The Soapbox: Voice chat is the worst thing ever originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 20 Mar 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hands-on with End of Nations

Emil Vazquez — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Events, real-world, Game mechanics, New titles, Previews, Opinion, War, Free-to-play, Hands-on, MMORTS, Massively Hands-on, Massively Event Coverage, Miscellaneous

Real-time strategy games aren't exactly in vogue at the moment. The genre is far from dead, but modern RTS games, with the notable exception of StarCraft, don't tend to appeal to as broad an audience as do MMOs. Trion Worlds and Petroglyph's proposed answer to genre stagnation is the upcoming MMORTS End of Nations. In fact, Trion thinks that what's really lacking in the RTS genre is a persistent world, one filled with robots and post-apocalyptic fascism.

The team behind End of Nations has some serious industry cred. Publisher Trion Worlds is notable for its remarkably smooth-launching MMO, RIFT. Developer Petroglyph's pedigree is no less respectable (if a little dated), with titles like 1992's Dune II (widely credited for having inspired the Warcraft series of RTS games) and the original 1995 Command and Conquer under its belt.

My time with this game was spent during the alpha testing phase, and many things might change between now and launch. Still, the bones of the game were there, and I'm happy to share my findings with you, discerning readers. From what I saw and experienced, End of Nations just might have what it takes to become the first "triple-A" MMORTS.

Gallery: End of Nations

Continue reading Hands-on with End of Nations

Hands-on with End of Nations originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 29 Feb 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wurm Online client update brings proximity voice chat, UI update, and more

Matt Daniel — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Patches, Wurm Online, News items, Free-to-play, Sandbox

The latest client update to Code Club AB's construction-oriented sandbox title Wurm Online brings a cornucopia of new features to the game, but perhaps none so interesting as the addition of proximity voice chat. That's right, players will now be able to vocally communicate with any players in the immediate vicinity without the use of third-party applications like Ventrilo or Mumble. Have you ever wanted to gather up your village group, sit around a fire, and tell stories or just enjoy a bit of idle banter? Maybe typing "oh god help there's a rabid pachyderm devouring my face" just isn't expedient enough when there's a rabid pachyderm devouring your face. Either way, players now have access to proximity voice chat, an updated UI, and much more.

For the full details on the latest client update, just click on through the link below to Wurm Online's official site.

Wurm Online client update brings proximity voice chat, UI update, and more originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 26 Jan 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Guild Counsel: Guild life in SWTOR

Karen Bryan — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Guilds, Launches, Opinion, Star Wars: The Old Republic, The Guild Counsel

If you thought the future looked cloudy for guilds in MMOs, Star Wars: The Old Republic's launch stomped out any doubts. The pre-launch list of guilds was so enormous that it rivaled the total player populations of other MMOs. But there are some interesting aspects to guild life in SWTOR, and this week in The Guild Counsel, we'll take a closer look at them.

If you're interested in some first impressions from a guild perspective, or if you're wondering how to make a guild now that the game has launched, read on for a look at guild life in SWTOR.

Continue reading The Guild Counsel: Guild life in SWTOR

The Guild Counsel: Guild life in SWTOR originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 22 Dec 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vivox voice chat comes to Star Trek Online

Jef Reahard — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, MMO industry, News items, Star Trek Online

Star Trek Online is the latest MMORPG to receive the integrated Vivox voice chat treatment. While players are still a few years short of tapping their command insignias and barking out orders to their party, it's a step in the right direction.

The system allows team and fleet members to chat directly without the need for third-party servers or software such as TeamSpeak or Ventrilo. Joining a channel is automatic when you group with other players, and the implementation features the usual configuration and customization options (including, of course, a push-to-talk binding and the ability to disable the service entirely).

Read all about it at the official STO website.

Vivox voice chat comes to Star Trek Online originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 07 Jul 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Game Archaeologist and the What Ifs: True Fantasy Live Online

Justin Olivetti — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Consoles, The Game Archaeologist

As an extremely amateur historian -- and an extremely attractive archaeologist -- I've always been fascinated with the "what ifs" of gaming's timeline. What if Blizzard had pulled the plug on World of Warcraft during development as it did for Warcraft Adventures? What if Hellgate: London had a lot more time and resources before it launched? What if North America had embraced the free-to-play model much earlier instead of the subscription model? What if Shawn came to his senses before he hired me?

Life would've been a lot better. Or worse. That's the problem with counterfactual history: We can make educated guesses, but we'll never really know. While it's sad to see MMOs shut down due to underperformance, it's especially maddening to contemplate MMOs canceled before they even made it to the starting gate. In a new periodic series here at The Game Archaeologist, I'm going to look at a few of the "what ifs" of prematurely terminated MMORPGs.

And to kick us off, I'm tackling probably one of the most frustrating, painful subjects that still linger amongst potential fans. I'm talking, of course, of True Fantasy Live Online, the game that could've shown the true potential of console MMOs. Or, y'know, not.

Continue reading The Game Archaeologist and the What Ifs: True Fantasy Live Online

The Game Archaeologist and the What Ifs: True Fantasy Live Online originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 14 Jun 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Global Chat: Room for improvement edition

Rubi Bayer — Sun, 29 May 2011 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Opinion, Massively Meta, Global Chat, Miscellaneous

Welcome to this week's Global Chat! We love hearing what you have to say at Massively, and we love it even more when we can share the best comments with all of our readers. Massively staffers will be contributing some of their favorite comments every week, so keep an eye out every Sunday for more Global Chat!

We love our MMOs here at Massively, but we'll be the first to tell you that nothing's perfect. There's always room for improvement, but sometimes things just are what they are and you find a way to work with the situation and enjoy yourself anyway.

Today's Global Chat is all about acknowledging those limitations and less-than-fun aspects of gaming and what you can do in spite of those potential roadblocks. Follow along after the jump to see what the Massively community had to say this week!

Continue reading Global Chat: Room for improvement edition

Global Chat: Room for improvement edition originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 29 May 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ask Massively: Clearly I need more totally random pictures edition

Eliot Lefebvre — Thu, 26 May 2011 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: MMO industry, Massively Meta, Ask Massively, Miscellaneous

So apparently, having a picture of a BattleMech as the header for Ask Massively makes everyone expect that there's some big news about a BattleTech MMO somewhere to be found. Sorry, folks -- I'd like it just as much as you would, although I'm not sure that it would necessarily turn out to be very good. (There's not a lot to do outside of a 'Mech and not much to do inside of one other than shoot things.) Luckily, I'm pretty sure that it will not be possible to misconstrue this week's image. I certainly hope not.

Today's discussion has absolutely nothing to do with the above picture, which is usually the case. Instead, we're talking about integrated voice chat in games and the apparent immortality of Ultima Online. If you've got a question you would like answered in a future edition of Ask Massively, just drop us a line at ask@massively.com or leave your question in the comment field.

Continue reading Ask Massively: Clearly I need more totally random pictures edition

Ask Massively: Clearly I need more totally random pictures edition originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 26 May 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Star Trek Online Ask Cryptic talks starbases, ground combat, and more

Jef Reahard — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Game mechanics, MMO industry, News items, Star Trek Online

How would you feel about a cover system and/or first-person-shooter elements in your daily Star Trek Online diet? Producer Dan Stahl tackles the feasibility of both of those features -- and a host of others -- in the latest Ask Cryptic. The STO version of the community Q&A feature went live last night on the game's official website and boasts a large number of subscriber-generated queries ranging from integrated voice chat to a time table on the ground combat revamp to the addition of starbase functionality to the Foundry.

"We anticipate the next major feature to the Foundry being the ability for fleets to design and run their own starbases. This is a monumental addition to the Foundry, so don't expect it right away, but it is the next big thing for that feature," Stahl says.

Check out the full list of questions on the official STO website.

Star Trek Online Ask Cryptic talks starbases, ground combat, and more originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 07 Apr 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Guild Counsel: To vent or not to vent

Karen Bryan — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Guilds, Opinion, The Guild Counsel, Miscellaneous

As we've looked at the ins and outs of managing a guild, one issue that's often overlooked is whether to vent or not to vent. No, not the Minus 50 DKP type of vent -- I'm talking about Ventrilo and voice chat in general. Ten years ago, guild leaders didn't have to worry about this, because the choice was between typing text or hosting a LAN party. But today, with the rise of voice chat clients like Ventrilo and in-game voice services like Vivox, the culture has changed quite a bit.

In this week's Guild Counsel, we'll take a look at the benefits of type vs. voice chat, and we'll look at what role each plays in guild management. Whether you sleep with your headset on or cling to your keyboard, read on for a look at why both have their merits.

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The Guild Counsel: To vent or not to vent originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 31 Mar 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Champions Online discusses the future of the game, adding voice chat

Eliot Lefebvre — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Super-hero, News items, Star Trek Online, Free-to-play, Champions Online

The free-to-play conversion has certainly wrought some far-reaching changes for Champions Online, but as producer Rob Overmeyer puts forth in the latest State of the Game letter, there's still more to come. Aside from numerous C-Store additions for players, a new power framework and a new adventure pack are both in the works for the next couple of months. In addition, the development team is looking to add "Comic Series" missions on a regular basis, akin to the featured episodes implemented in Star Trek Online.

This letter comes hot on the heels of the announcement that Cryptic Studios will be partnering with Vivox to bring built-in voice chat to both of its current games. That benefits both Champions Online and Star Trek Online, although no details are currently available for the precise implementation of the feature or the integration timetable. Still, fans of the game should be happy to see that the change in models hasn't hurt any of the game's long-term plans for content or functionality.

Champions Online discusses the future of the game, adding voice chat originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 01 Mar 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vivox doubles user base, now serves over 45 million

Jef Reahard — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: MMO industry, News items, Miscellaneous

Last year was mighty productive for the folks at Vivox, as the voice chat firm doubled its user base and now serves over 45 million customers worldwide. While 45 million is quite a large number on its own, when taken together with the fact that Vivox served a mere 18.5 million users in early 2010, it's easy to see how the competition has its work cut out for it.

Gaming firms including Wargaming.net, Runewaker, and Bigpoint all turned to Vivox for their voice needs in 2010, and company CEO Rob Seaver says that's just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. "There is a clear opportunity for voice providers to reshape the social web with a communication medium that has proven to be the easiest, most intuitive channel of communication throughout [...] thousands of years of existence: voice," he said in a press release earlier today.

Vivox also provides voice services for the likes of CCP Games, Linden Lab, and Sony Online Entertainment, and you can find more coverage of the company in our interviews with VP of Product Management Monty Sharma.

Vivox doubles user base, now serves over 45 million originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 16 Feb 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Alter-Ego: Working together is hard to do

Krystalle Voecks — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, Bugs, PvE, Opinion, DC Universe Online, Alter-Ego

The news earlier this week that DC Universe Online is now Sony Online Entertainment's best-selling game probably won't come as much of a surprise to anyone who has actually played it. There's an enormous amount of fun to be had in running through the game, and the storylines are incredibly well thought-out. However, for all that I personally love the game, there is one thing that I and many other people I've talked to find to be incredibly lacking, and in this case, it's something so integral to the MMOG experience as to essentially make or break parts of the game.

Essentially, what point is there to an MMO in which you can't really reliably interact with the other people you're playing with? It's also rather eye-opening just how much your enjoyment of a game like this can be impacted when you can't effectively talk to other people. As such, this week I'll look at several crucial problems with the DC Universe Online chat interface, as well as things that can be done to improve the overall experience.

Continue reading Alter-Ego: Working together is hard to do

Alter-Ego: Working together is hard to do originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 29 Jan 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Perfect Ten: The 10 people you meet in MMO hell

Justin Olivetti — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Opinion, Humor, Perfect Ten, Miscellaneous

"Hell is other people," the jaunty Jean-Paul Sartre wrote in No Exit. In this play, three characters are locked together in a small room, where they gradually realize that they are there to torment each other for all of eternity. Plus, there are no toilets, and that's going to get unpleasant fast.

It's fun for the whole family -- get your tickets today!

We've all met folks in game who leave an unpleasant taste in our mouths for a long time after. With the all of the good of social games comes the seedy underbelly (henceforth referred to as "Camden, New Jersey"), and for every stellar soul you connect with, there is another lying in wait to destroy your day. If MMO heaven is full of supportive guildies and grammatically correct chat channels, then think of MMO hell as a pick-up group gone horribly awry as you run a dungeon that never ends, a dungeon you can never quit.

While we'd never voluntarily go to MMO hell, it was inevitable that some of its denizens have escaped to walk amongst us in our games even today. Who are these nefarious devils? Hit the jump to find out!

Continue reading The Perfect Ten: The 10 people you meet in MMO hell

The Perfect Ten: The 10 people you meet in MMO hell originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 27 Jan 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: Are you a chat Luddite?

Jef Reahard — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Super-hero, Culture, New titles, Opinion, The Daily Grind, DC Universe Online

So DC Universe Online's voice chat is broken, according to many of the commenters on this and other MMO-centric websites. Ironically, even if the game had no voice chat at all, it would be less broken than the abject disaster that serves as the superhero title's text chat interface.

While the game is enjoyable enough in most respects, I scratch my head as to how a development firm with SOE's considerable expertise could scrimp on something as vital as in-game text chat. The cynic in me says that it's because the PS3 version takes priority, but whatever the reason, DCUO's social tools (at least on the PC) are in dire need of someone who cares.

That brings up an interesting point regarding voice chat vs. text chat. While third-party programs such as Mumble and Ventrilo have been the norm for "serious" MMO guilds for years now, it's only recently that games have started incorporating voice chat (and players have started expecting it). Sure, voice can be vital for raids, PvP, and challenging endgame content, but is it really necessary (or desirable) for most of the things we do on our way to the level cap? Today's Daily Grind is all about your stance in the voice vs. text chat debate. Are you a chat Luddite? Do you refuse to play a game without voice chat? Inquiring Massively minds want to know.

Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!

The Daily Grind: Are you a chat Luddite? originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 25 Jan 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: What's in your ears while you play?

Eliot Lefebvre — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Opinion, The Daily Grind

When it's time to sit down and play an MMO, very few of us do so in total silence. Even neglecting the occasional burst of profanity at the game, there's usually a wide selection of game audio to be heard, ranging from environmental noises like rustling leaves to simple and evocative music that stays with you even if you leave the game behind. But for all the care put into it, the in-game music can eventually get boring to many players.

Maybe you still have the game soundtrack turned on, and you occasionally just stop and listen to one of your favorite melodies. Perhaps you've moved on to listening to a favorite playlist on iTunes or Pandora while you play, or you might turn off the sound altogether to focus on the business of voice chat. There's even a chance you've decided to be charmingly meta and listen to another game's soundtrack altogether. What are you listening to while you play your favorite game?

Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!

The Daily Grind: What's in your ears while you play? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 20 Nov 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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World of Tanks announces Vivox voice chat

Jef Reahard — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Historical, MMO industry, New titles, News items, War, World of Tanks

What's a military action game without angry squad leaders, four-letter words, and locker room camaraderie, amirite? In service of those ideals, and a few that are more family-friendly, Wargaming.net announces the arrival of integrated voice chat in its World of Tanks action MMO.

High-definition in-game voice will be heard around the battlefield courtesy of Vivox, Inc. "When creating World of Tanks it was critical for us to include voice communication capabilities. With proven scalability, numerous live integrations, and best in class quality -- partnering with Vivox was an easy decision," says Wargaming.net CEO Victor Kislyi.

World of Tanks is a free-to-play, vehicle-based action game currently undergoing closed beta testing. The Vivox integration will allow seamless communication, sans third-party apps, during combat and via the game's various lobbies. You can learn more, as well as sign up for beta, at the official website.

World of Tanks announces Vivox voice chat originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 18 Nov 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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APB's voice chat feature will contain advertisements

Brendan Drain — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Business models, MMO industry, New titles, News items, All Points Bulletin, Crime

With launch day closing in, crime MMO All Points Bulletin has been getting its payment scheme in order. The game's pricing structure was revealed at the end of April, including several flexible pay-per-time and monthly subscription options. In addition, the game will have a currency called "RTW points," which can be used for character customisations or converted into game time. While looking through the payment options in his account management page early this morning, one APB forum poster spied a strange button that set off a few warning bells in his head. Marked "VOIP Premium," the option removes adverts from APB's in-game voice chat for 30, 90 or 180 days in exchange for payment.

This was the first players had heard of adverts being inserted into their voice chat and speculation began to run wild in the game's pre-release forum community. Players feared the worst -- that right in the middle of their game, a radio advert would start playing over their speakers. Community Officer Toxico was quick to address concerns, explaining the exact circumstances under which the ads will be played. For an advert to play, you have to be entering a district and must not have heard an ad for the past three hours. This ensures that they'll never interrupt normal play and won't play in an irritatingly high frequency. While some forum posters are avidly opposing a premium VOIP service, most seem content with the explanation provided and the conditions under which adverts will be played.

[Thanks for the tip, Kip!]

APB's voice chat feature will contain advertisements originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 24 Jun 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: Push to blurt

Justin Olivetti — Mon, 10 May 2010 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Opinion, The Daily Grind

Voice chat in games -- XBox Live, Vent, TS or whatever poison you prefer -- is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it offers near-instantaneous communication between players, frees up the need to type out conversations, and adds tone and personality to unseen players. On the other hand, the phrase "speaking without thinking" comes to mind.

In the Massively offices, we were sharing tales of some of the odder Vent outbursts in our history. These included Rubi using her Mom Voice to break up a fight between her kids while not realizing she was accidentally chewing out her entire raid, a guy who was annoyed that his girlfriend went into labor in the middle of a heated play session, and the ever-popular "Holy crap, some idiot just drove their car through the side of my house!"

We've all been there on both sides of disturbing, bizarre, hilarious or just plain weird Vent outbursts -- and we want to hear yours today! When were you the sender or receiver of some crazy Vent outburst that stunned the voice chat room into silence... or sent them to the floor laughing? What string of unfortunate words have you ever heard blurted from a guildie?

The Daily Grind: Push to blurt originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 10 May 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Atlantica Online adds voice chat functionality

Kyle Horner — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: News items, Free-to-play, Atlantica Online

Vivox has brought voice communication to yet another MMORPG with today's news that Ndoors Interactive's Atlantica Online now offers the feature to its players. Interestingly, the voice-over-IP service has been made available through the game's official website, as opposed to within the game itself. While there's nothing stopping players from accessing voice chat while in-game, it's still an odd choice.

The only thing that really matters is whether or not it works, and given Vivox's fairly extensive experience via games like EVE Online, EverQuest II and Global Agenda there shouldn't be any unacceptable issues for Atlantica Online players. The feature should be available to players now, so long as you're logged into your account when trying to access voice chat.

Atlantica Online adds voice chat functionality originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 25 Mar 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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APB pumps up the volume on video podcast #18

Jef Reahard — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Podcasts, Video, MMO industry, New titles, News items, All Points Bulletin, Crime

All Points Bulletin community manager Chris Collins serves as your guide to the latest podcast about the forthcoming urban crime MMORPG. Along with RealTime Worlds' audio lead Roland Peddie, Collins guides the viewer through APB's unique locational VOIP system.

"No matter where you are within San Paro [the game's fictional metropolis], you can pretty much yell at anyone who passes you by, you can smack talk other players, while you're arresting someone you can listen to them cry for help. It's great fun," Collins enthuses.

Another feature of the game's voice chat that looks to differentiate it from standard VOIP implementations is the ability to interact directly with other player avatars using voice. As Peddie puts it, the system allows for "spontaneous moments of absolute comedy gold" such as running over a player with your vehicle and thrilling to his 'R'-rated reaction. Questions of political correctness aside, the feature could provide a fair bit of immersion when coupled with the game's modern urban setting.

You wanted to see the podcast? Look no further than after the break!

Continue reading APB pumps up the volume on video podcast #18

APB pumps up the volume on video podcast #18 originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 23 Mar 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GDC10: Vivox's Monty Sharma interviewed

Jef Reahard — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Events, real-world, MMO industry, News items

While often overlooked among gamers due to the prevalence of Ventrilo and Teamspeak, integrated MMORPG voice chat is a service that is steadily gathering steam, and leading the charge is Vivox, Inc. Founded in 2005 and headquartered in Framingham, Massachusetts, Vivox has pioneered integrated voice technology in games as diverse as EVE Online, EverQuest II, and Second Life.

We sat down with Monty Sharma, Vice President of Product Management and Marketing at this week's Game Developer's Conference to talk about the company's past, present and future.

Hit the jump for the full interview.

Continue reading GDC10: Vivox's Monty Sharma interviewed

GDC10: Vivox's Monty Sharma interviewed originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Runes of Magic announces integrated voice chat

Jef Reahard — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, MMO industry, News items, Free-to-play, Runes of Magic

Runes of Magic's 2.8 million players will soon have something besides their favorite MMORPG to talk about: each other. Runewaker Entertainment just announced a partnership with Vivox to provide in-game voice chat for the hit free-to-play title.

High definition voice chat will be available in public and private channels, and is already live on the game's Taiwanese servers. The service will debut on American and European servers very soon according to company representatives.

"We have been looking forward to bringing voice chat to Runes of Magic for some time knowing the extraordinary benefits it brings to the community," said Runewaker Entertainment's Tony Tang. "Vivox is the only voice chat provider capable of delivering high definition voice to gamers."

Runes of Magic announces integrated voice chat originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 08 Mar 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: What are you like in voice chat?

Eliot Lefebvre — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Opinion, The Daily Grind

Voice chat isn't a part of every facet of games, but it's usually de rigeur for communication in endgame activities. While some of us can type pretty quickly, we can still talk a bit faster, and if you're using the keyboard as anything other than an ornament time spent typing is time spent not pressing other buttons. The popularity and proliferation of Ventrilo is almost entirely based upon this need, and games have increasingly come to include built-in voice clients (including World of Warcraft, although its quality is rather widely debated).

Of course, hand-in-hand with the fact that we can talk faster than we can type, many of us have a clearer personality by voice than we do in text. We're more trained as human beings to react to audio cues anyway, as opposed to subtleties in sentence structure or the occasional "lol." So what do you act like when you get behind the microphone? Are you the one guy that won't stop making off-color jokes, or are you quiet and professional? Do you act the same way you usually do via text, or do you have a totally different side that only comes out over voice chat?

The Daily Grind: What are you like in voice chat? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New voice chat program Blabbelon launches today

Rubi Bayer — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Business models, Interviews

"Stop Venting" is the suggestion made by Blabbelon, the brand new, completely free voice chat service launching today. Blabbelon aims to revolutionize voice chat by offering a web-based client that will eliminate the problems and limitations of currently available setups.

"I come from a family of avid gamers, and we were all frustrated with our options for online voice chat." said Dr. Ed Ikeguchi, founder and CEO of Blabbelon. "I didn't understand why I couldn't just register once, click and talk and at the same time have the ability to easily invite people to join me, manage my various groups, and control my game through better quality communication. And so Blabbelon was born,"

We got a chance to sit down with Dr. Ikeguchi and talk about the issues that plague current voice chat programs -- like lag, complicated setup procedures and a lack of privacy and security -- and explore how Blabbelon aims to eliminate those issues. Read on to see what he had to say.

Continue reading New voice chat program Blabbelon launches today

New voice chat program Blabbelon launches today originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Voice chat - zOMG!

Rubi Bayer — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Game mechanics, Free-to-play, Browser, Casual, Gaia Online

Well, yes, we are happy about this, but zOMG! is the name of the MMO, not an expression of our excitement. Vivox, the company that provides voice chat in quite a few of our favorite games, has added one more to their list. They've partnered with Gaia Online to provide in game voice chat for zOMG!, their free-to-play browser based MMO.

"Gaia Online has defined the social web experience for millions of teens and young adults," said Rob Seaver, CEO of Vivox. "And voice is the ultimate social glue. By adding voice chat to zOMG!, Gaia Online proves, again, its commitment to providing a truly social experience for its players."

Vivox voice chat is live in zOMG! now for players to "gab to your heart's content using the power of your own face-hole, saving valuable keystrokes for more efficient monster bashing," according to the zOMG! monthly newsletter. True to form, zOMG! has added their own twist on it as well: players can purchase voice fonts in the storefront to give their voice a unique twist. Congratulations to Gaia Online and Vivox for their partnership!

Voice chat - zOMG! originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MMO Family: 17 internet safety tactics for gaming families

Lisa Poisso — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Kids, MMO Family, Family, Miscellaneous

MMO Family is your resource for leveling a gaming-specced family. From tips on balancing gaming with family life to finding age-appropriate niches for every family member, MMO Family offers you advice on MMO gaming of the family, by the family and for the family.

"Be careful, there's nasty stuff out there on the internet."

It's frustrating to hear this warning clarioned over and over again. We're gamers ourselves, after all. We know easily children can get in over their heads on the internet. "Be careful," intone the experts. "Watch carefully, and be very, very careful ..." But how? What must we be careful to do? To not do? What does "being careful" mean in actual practice? Specific online safety tactics - and putting them into practice without driving anyone crazy in the process - become an epic quest reward that always manages to stay two turn-ins out of reach.

As we mentioned last week, your main objective as the parent of a young MMO player is to remain figuratively logged in to their activity. When children are online, parents cannot afford to be figuratively AFK. We're not suggesting you pull up a chair and some popcorn to faithfully oversee kids' every move online. No child needs direct supervision to kill 10 rats (or pick 20 flowers or befriend 30 fairies or frag 50 enemies ...). But young gamers do need your boundaries and your guidance (as well as your feedback, your enthusiasm and your support). Just how strong the boundaries should be will depend on the age of your child and the game that they're playing. Apply common sense, based on your own MMO experience, along with these 17 tactics for safe online gaming.

Continue reading MMO Family: 17 internet safety tactics for gaming families

MMO Family: 17 internet safety tactics for gaming families originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 09 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Station launcher moves out of beta, adds voice chat support

Seraphina Brennan — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Sci-fi, EverQuest, EverQuest II, Pirates of the Burning Sea, PlanetSide, Launches, MMO industry, Patches, The Matrix Online, Star Wars Galaxies, Vanguard

So the beta launcher is finally un-betaed! Sony has officially pushed the Station Launcher into the "final version," dropping in voice chat, simplified menus, faster servers for downloads, and the ability to run the launcher without administrative rights as well.

The fun stuff, however, is really contained within the voice update. This new voice, dubbed "station voice," lets you communicate with friends from within the game or outside of the game. Creating a room from outside of the game is done with your in-game character, letting people who are on the station launcher join you, or people inside of the game join your room from the inside, no launcher required.

Plus, the other new features like the upgraded servers that will give more downstream bandwidth for game updates, are certainly nothing to sneeze at.

This doesn't mean that Sony is done with upgrading and changing the launcher, as they've already pledged to continue taking user feedback and pushing that into their product to constantly make a better launcher.

For the full patch notes, check them out on the EverQuest forums, located in this thread.

Station launcher moves out of beta, adds voice chat support originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 29 Jun 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Second Life racks up 1 billion voice minutes last month. Linden Lab announces new services

Tateru Nino — Wed, 20 May 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Business models, News items, Second Life, Virtual worlds

Linden Lab has announced that it is currently averaging one billion voice-minutes per month. That's time actively engaged in a voice session, not just time spent with voice support enabled. That's quite a statistic. That puts Second Life's voice service right up there among the top VoIP providers, and around 12% of Skype. That's very impressive.

In the 18 months since voice was introduced, roughly 15 billion voice-minutes have been served, through Vivox's voice services for Second Life. Additionally there are new products/services. Some available from today, and some scheduled for later this year.

Continue reading Second Life racks up 1 billion voice minutes last month. Linden Lab announces new services

Second Life racks up 1 billion voice minutes last month. Linden Lab announces new services originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 20 May 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Issues with DC Universe Online cross-play not entirely technical, also cultural

Kyle Horner — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Interviews, New titles, News items, DC Universe Online

Will cross-platform play be a part of DC Universe Online come launch day? In light of a recent interview between Tracey John of MTV Multiplayer and DCUO devs Wes Yanagi and Jens Andersen, it's not looking too good.

While the official answer was more of a "We'll see." the overall direction of the two developers' response to the cross-play question was to punctuate the social discrepancies between PC MMO players and console users. They cited the PC MMO ritual of getting to know someone in text chat before speaking via TeamSpeak or Ventrilo, then followed that with the console experience: Microphones, matchmaking and lots of subsequent smacktalking. A fair point.

Although, on the other hand, Playstation 3's don't come with a standard headset like Xbox 360's. In fact, many users seem to have been adjusting just fine to text in the recently launched Home service -- although there seems to be plenty of griefing. So while console and PC MMO players may not blend well as is, the PS3 is a bit of an anomaly when it comes to communique in the first place. So who knows?

Did you enjoy this? We've donned our capes and tights to explore SOE's DC Universe Online in-depth. Come explore more of Metropolis and Gotham with your friends at Massively!

Issues with DC Universe Online cross-play not entirely technical, also cultural originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 06 Feb 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Massively interviews NetDevil on PvP and more in Jumpgate Evolution

Kyle Horner — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sci-fi, Jumpgate Evolution, New titles, Massively Interviews

We got the chance to catch up with NetDevil Producer Hermann Peterscheck on everything Jumpgate Evolution this week. With the game coming up fairly soon, we thought up some rather specific questions that had been floating about in our brains over the past month or two. Exploration rewards, mining, cockpit view, PvP and more are waiting just after the break.

Gallery: Jumpgate Evolution Gallery

Continue reading Massively interviews NetDevil on PvP and more in Jumpgate Evolution

Massively interviews NetDevil on PvP and more in Jumpgate Evolution originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 06 Feb 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Grind: Do you use integrated voice chat?

Shawn Schuster — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Opinion, The Daily Grind

Integrated voice chat is becoming a default feature of many newer MMOs, and it's even been retrofitted into our older games, like EverQuest II and World of Warcraft. It's like power steering on a new car; you almost can't remember a time before it was standard. Games like Dungeons and Dragons Online were among the first to offer the feature, while others soon followed suit.

Personally, I find myself sticking with programs like Ventrilo or TeamSpeak to run my voice chat. Even in Lord of the Rings Online, I find myself turning off the IVC to use TeamSpeak with my kinship. So the important question here is: What do you prefer? Does integrated voice chat cause your game to lag, or any other performance problems? Do you just prefer Vent or TS (or Skype, or Xfire, etc) because you're used to it from before it became integrated? Let us know!

The Daily Grind: Do you use integrated voice chat? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 06 Feb 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Console MMOs from a reverse perspective: Can they succeed?

Shawn Schuster — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Business models, Culture, MMO industry, Opinion, Consoles

In the first of a promised series of articles concerning MMOs on a console platform, Jim Pwnage of Xboxoz360gamer.com gives us a discussion on the importance of communications to a cross-platform MMO. He starts off by making a general introduction to MMOs, seemingly directed at console gamers. If this is the future of the genre, we might as well get used to it.

This first installment discusses how voice communication is essential to a console MMO. No one wants to be typing out their commands or guild chat on a console, and voice chat among 100+ people would be chaotic to say the least. So his solution is a way to join and leave smaller conversations more easily. Wouldn't that defeat the purpose of massively multiplayer though? It's an interesting thought, and we look forward to the next part of this series.

Console MMOs from a reverse perspective: Can they succeed? originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 22 Sep 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Station Voice goes live today in EQ2 and SWG

Dan O'Halloran — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: EverQuest II, News items, Star Wars Galaxies

Back in February, we reported on EverQuest II's announcement of built-in chat coming to the game. Today, Sony Online Entertainment officially announced that Station Voice has arrived not only in EQ2, but also in Star Wars Galaxies and is coming to EverQuest next month.

What's included in the Vivox technology? Along with the usual controls you'd expect (moderation, private channels, etc.) you can set the levels of each person in group. Always good to have when dealing with the serial shouter that inevitably ends up in your group/raid. Other features are planned including the ability to mask your voice in different ways and to talk to your friends in-game without having the game loaded up yourself.

More information can be found on the new Station Voice page.

Station Voice goes live today in EQ2 and SWG originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 31 Jul 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Testing begins on EverQuest II's new voice service

Michael Zenke — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 20:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, Patches

As we noted just a few days ago, Vivox integration will be coming to EverQuest 2 in the upcoming Game Update 47. Greg Spence, a designer on the EQ2 team, states on his personal blog that voice chat is already rolling out to the test servers. They don't expect GU 47 to hit the live side for almost a month, but they want to make sure this particular patch is tested as heavily as possible.

Greg goes into some interesting commentary about what people are experiencing as they use voice in EverQuest 2. For example, SOE's engineers assumed people would know that the 'push button to talk' feature was remappable. Instead, users would continue to click with their mouse - a problem a simple tooltip hopefully fixes. The designer concludes with a Q&A between himself and a fictitious player, attempting to clarify any questions you might have about the patch. It's well worth looking into.

Testing begins on EverQuest II's new voice service originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 24 Jun 2008 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vivox voice integration coming in EQ2 Game Update 47

Michael Zenke — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 17:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, EverQuest II, Patches

EverQuest 2's Technical Director Joshua "Autenil" Kriegshauser has released some very interesting news via the official forums. The GDC announcement of Vivox and SOE's partnership appears to be reaching fruition, as in-game voice chat will be added to EQ2 with Game Update 47. The system's implementation appears to offer effortless discussion with groupmates, guildmates via private voice channels. Settings can be tweaked to allow non-guildies into guild voice chats for convenience, and will even allow for communication across EQ2 servers.

There's an official thread for player feedback and questions already up and running. Kriegshauser has been in there since yesterday, clarifying elements of the UI, system, and integration. Some tidbits from that discussion include:

Initially cross-game chat will not be possible, though that's likely to change as other SOE titles integrate the technology.
At the moment there are not assignable permissions for guild ranks, though that may change.
Players are restricted to only speaking in one channel at a time, though again that may change in the future.
Private channels (requiring just a password to access) are still in the works, with hopes it will be available when the service launches.
Logging a character out disconnects you from a chat, but you will still be in the voice channel while zoning.
Voice masks (which Vivox calls 'fonts') are planned for future updates.
Likewise, proximity-based free-for-all chat is a hoped-for addition down the road.

Vivox voice integration coming in EQ2 Game Update 47 originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 20 Jun 2008 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Viewer 1.20RC7, Simulator 1.22 expected to see light next week

Tateru Nino — Wed, 14 May 2008 23:00:00 EST

Filed under: Betas, Patches, News items, Second Life

Bridie Linden has updated the development roadmap (actually, it's not a roadmap so much, as a set of directions, but bear with us) for upcoming releases. The release cycle for the 1.20 viewer is going to be longer than usual, expecting to end in June.

The map is a bit tangled, with a commingling of server-side and viewer-side changes kind of munged together, but there's a new feature in the long, long list of bugfixes and bughunting tweaks: New feature: VWR-4794: Basic voice lipsync for voice visualization. Now that's going to be interesting.

Viewer 1.20RC7 and Simulator 1.22 are both expected to see the light next week.

Nothing much new in SLS1.22, except work to further ease load on the asset servers (if some of you are winding up at infohubs and welcome-areas instead of at home, or getting teleport routing failure messages, those are a part of this work), and code to help identify possible failure points in other systems.

Viewer 1.20RC7, Simulator 1.22 expected to see light next week originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 14 May 2008 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vivox signs voice technology deal with NCsoft

Michael Zenke — Tue, 13 May 2008 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: Business models

Gamasutra is reporting that Vivox and NCsoft have signed an agreement to offer voice communication services across the entire NC games library. NCsoft joins the likes of Multiverse, Sony Online Entertainment, CCP, and Wizards of the Coast in using the Vivox tech to connect players over IP.

As with these other companies, Vivox will offer "voice fonts", voice mail, in-game transmissions to external phone and text services. There are no details as of yet whether this technology will be incorporated in any way to the NCLauncher the company uses to update its games. NCsoft, of course, is publisher responsible for MMO titles such as Lineage II, Guild Wars, Tabula Rasa, and City of Heroes.

Vivox signs voice technology deal with NCsoft originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 13 May 2008 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Multiverse partners with Vivox to bring voice to virtual world developers

Akela Talamasca — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: EVE Online, Business models, MMO industry, News items, Second Life, Virtual worlds

Metaverse development company Multiverse has announced a partnership with Vivox, the voice service provider for virtual worlds and MMOs of many stripes. Being able to provide integrated voice chat, 3D positional audio, presence, speaking indicators, and management tools right out of the box will be a definite selling point for developers who are interested in using Multiverse's platform to create their virtual worlds.

Vivox is keeping influential company -- other partners include Wizards of the Coast, IBM, metaverse developers Electric Sheep Company, and EVE Online's CCP Games. With strong strategic alliances like these, they're quickly rising to the top of voice provider solutions for the industry. Let's hope their grasp doesn't exceed their reach.

[Via Business Wire]

Multiverse partners with Vivox to bring voice to virtual world developers originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 01 Apr 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cinemassively: Getting started with voice chat in Second Life

Moo Money — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Video, Second Life, Cinemassively, Machinima

Torley Linden is a tutorial-making machine! Her how-to's are great for the starting resident of Second Life, but might also teach the older enthusiast a thing or two. If you need instruction on a specific subject, there's actually a video tutorial wiki page.

Yesterday, Torley did a whole series of them on voice chat. The video above is on getting started, but she also has videos on who's speaking, etiquette, improving your hearing, private calls, speech gestures, and disabling it for yourself and your land. These clips are in easy to digest lengths of just under one minute to almost four, depending on the complexity of the problem!

Cinemassively: Getting started with voice chat in Second Life originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 26 Mar 2008 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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