Jonathan Zabel

Real-Time Response

Users command units using their voice. Possible applications include:

RTS (helps with micromanagement by allowing a user to command troops with your voice)
Sports (call out your plays, eg. "Defense!")
Sidekick Adventure/Platformer, eg. Jak and Daxter: Command your sidekick with your voice while you control your character with a controller.

NOTE: Tone could be given utility. If you shout "ATTACK NOW" loudly instead of whispering "please go attack" softly, you'll get a more immediate response. This could also impact the emotions of those you're commanding. If you're consistantly harsh, you could hurt the feelings of your sidekick or troops.

Zany Minigames/Puzzles (eg. Wario Ware Mega Microgames, Inc.)

Telemarketing
Preaching
Waveform Puzzles

Roleplaying

Actual voice interaction with NPCs integrates the players in the fantasy world.
Certain classes impacted by voice (eg. Bard)
Distance based chatting--if other PCs and NPCs are far away, you can either not hear them or hear them faintly.

Game Show

Host your own game show!
Like You Don't Know Jack, but one person serves as the host. Niche topics, like WWII history, would draw specific subsets of fans that would allow for expandable content.

Education

Teaching singing as a skill.
Programming for educational interactivity.

Performance Based Games (eg. Dance Dance Revolution, Karakoke Revolution, any sports game)

People usually have to sit around waiting for their turn. But what if when spectators boo or cheer, it actually impacts the game? Taking DDR as an exaple, if you get cheered you might get more points, but the arrows could come faster. This concept is adaptable to just about any game with spectators.

Posted by Jonathan Zabel at 12:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Shanghai. August 23. INTERFAX-CHINA - The Chinese Government unveiled a new system Tuesday to prevent individuals from playing online games for more than three consecutive hours, which must be installed for every online game in the country.

"This timing mechanism can prevent young people from becoming addicted to online games," Kou Xiaowei, Deputy Director of the Audiovisual and Internet Publication Department of the General Administration of Press and Publication (GAPP), said during a press conference.

The new system, developed under the guidance of the GAPP, stops individuals from playing online games for more than three hours by cutting the abilities of game characters. The new system cuts the ability level of a player's online game character by half after he or she has played for more than three consecutive hours. Once a player has played for more than five consecutive hours, the system cuts the ability level of that player's character to the lowest level allowed by the game.

[Continued]

Posted by Jonathan Zabel at 11:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Top-selling or most popular games that use voice:

Halo 2
Lifeline
You Don't Know Jack
Socom II
Karaoke Revolution
Pokémon Channel

Who plays these games? Who might play these games if the voice features were more integrated?

Females
Larger Groups of People
Families

Genres that appeal to these players:

Puzzles
Group Adventure
Interactive Arts
Sports
Tactical War Games
Party Games

Characters/scenarios that appeal to these players:

Singers/Divas
Cute/Cartoon

Activities that might make good use of this technology:

Wargames (command troops with your voice)
Music Games
Sports (talk out your plays)
Management (fire your employees)
Pets (talk to your pets)
Beatboxing
Partner-Based Adventure (voice-controlled sidekick)

Posted by Jonathan Zabel at 12:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)