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SilentNegotiator

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CRank: 6Score: 177160

ME3's Exclusive Voice Control Excuse is Ridiculous

Voice Command. It didn't start with expensive peripherals this generation. Why, just last generation, the least powerful console had SOCOM. No, not starting with SOCOM 3, after years of getting the engine right and well enough to "squeeze" in the processing required for voice command. Nope, it started with SOCOM *ONE*. But that game used small, linear levels and......what's that? SOCOM used fairly large, fairly opened up levels? Ah, yes, that's right.

But old game systems using voice commands without aid is only the beginning of the revelations.

Tell me....what systems is Mass Effect 3 coming to? PS3 and Xbox 360. That's right. PS3 and Xbox360 only. Just those platforms. Not any others.
.....Oh yeah....PC.
Wait....so what is the barrier there? PCs built with gaming in mind with modern processors can't muster up the miniscule processing power required for voice commands that last generation and older systems no issue with?
Just how powerful IS this processor in the Kinect, then?

The Marvell PXA 168. Powerhouse of epic proportions. Enabler of technology used in games over a decade ago. The gentleman's choice of Digital Photo Frame application processor. That's right, this processor's few notable uses include being the processor of displaying pictures. The Marvell PXA 168 is an application processor, meant for menial tasks in digital devices.

In short, the claim that the internal hardware is the reason for the voice commands being only on the Xbox 360 via Kinect is balderdash, because the hardware really isn't so impressive that the ps3 couldn't handle the small task and the PC can have much better hardware to handle it anyway, and older games on older systems had no issue doing voice control without damaging the integrity of the game. From all angles, this argument is worthless. The reason for exclusivity is clearly due to a background deal, and that's fine......just don't try to insult our intelligence when making up excuses.

SilentNegotiator4477d ago (Edited 4477d ago )

This excuse has been busted from all angles. There is no reason why voice control shouldn't be a minor processing matter (as on games like SOCOM with large lists of possible commands) and available on the other systems, especially of which, the PC.

And I'll post this PDF first, from the company, of its theoretical uses and top specs:
http://www.marvell.com/sele...
....that I can practically guarantee it is not at in a device (kinect) that has a $50 BOM.
****Even if it were the most power application (or even non-application) processor in existence, this still would not excuse the fact that the task of voice commands is NOT a difficult process, as demonstrated by games like SOCOM, running on the Playstation 2's relatively weak hardware.

soundslike4477d ago (Edited 4477d ago )

You're right about the hardware power, but consider this:

If the kinect has proprietary software for voice recognition, that's something that Bioware don't have to develop themselves. I don't think Bioware would ever have opted for voice recognition if it meant spending time and money to write the software themselves. EVEN IF it was only a minor addition.

Besides, who cares? Do you really feel left out? I wouldn't be caught dead saying those commands...its no skin off my back that PS3 doesn't have voice support.

coryok4477d ago

ps3 has voice recognition, bioware wouldnt have to develop anything for ps3 either.

its a business deal nothing else, but no i dont care if it has voice recognition or not, hell i dont even care about the game very much

Christopher4477d ago

Kind of feel like we're beating a dead horse with this conversation, but, did want to point out something.

***If the kinect has proprietary software for voice recognition, that's something that Bioware don't have to develop themselves***

Sony has built into the PS3, PSP, and PSVita SDKs voice recognition tools and libraries already.

soundslike4477d ago

Ok then.

It was always a business deal anyway

Hufandpuf4477d ago

People seem to forget rainbow six Vegas had voice controls too.

JellyJelly4477d ago (Edited 4477d ago )

Even Rainbow Six 3 on the original Xbox had it, so it's nothing new.

I don't really see why people are so upset by this. Stuff like this is common in this industry and happens all the time. When DICE only showed the PS3 version of Battlefield 3 I didn't see any blogs about it though.

SilentNegotiator4477d ago

"When DICE only showed the PS3 version of Battlefield 3 I didn't see any blogs about it though"

How does that compare to content being left out and getting BS excuses for it that insult our intelligence?

I mean, we KNOW what it means when they show one version of a game but not the other. Because one looks better than the other (PS3 version had MLAA in BF3). That happens about a hundred times more often in the 360 version's favor anyway.

If this was just them not showing ps3/pc footage of Mass Effect 3, I'd shrug my shoulders and walk away. They did a good job with the ps3 version of ME2, and we all know the PC version will be fine (except for having EA's spyware).

Godmars2904477d ago

That its in Binary Domain says that voice command in ME3 is just to sell Kinect to Xbox users.

Sobari4477d ago

>Implying people even care about the voice controls.

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