First of all, voice acting can't be a gimmick. A gimmick is something that doesn't add anything to main products purpose. Like thermometer on a toothbrush for example. Voice acting ,on the other hand, is somewthing that greatly enhances the playing experience.
Voice acting is becoming a standard for MMO's. All upcoming AAA releases have it - SWTOR, GW2 and TSW, and tbh i can hardly now imagine a high profile mmo release without it.
BioWare has set a new standard. Other studios can follow, adapt, improve upon or ignore it.
It will not mean anything if 1. It takes forever to continue doing it or 2. The content after release is just terribad and hardly any of it is voiced over.
I mean yeah it is cute they are releasing, but this is not a single player rpg offline where they can give me Dragon Age 1 in 2009 and Dragon Age 2 in 2011. This is a mmo where people expect content updates at minimum 4-6 months.
I think BW has created there own undoing with the VO since everything here on out will need to have the same amount of VO and where not going to wait years for new content. so time will tell if they can continue to improve the game while devoting so many resources to the VO without hurting the rest of the game.
At this point, they've got the development process in place to create the voice-overs. Future content and releases, this won't be as big a deal to continue providing.
If it becomes standard that all content must have voiceovers and cutscenes, then games will compensate by not having much content. No thanks.
Thankfully, nothing really ever becomes standard in MMORPGs. Some things are more common than others, but other than definitional stuff like needing Internet access, nothing is really ubiquitous.
I would be fine playing an mmo without it, its ok, thought I would dislike it more, but I really do wonder if it was worth the time/money put into it...What would the rest of the game look like and have in it, if that time/money was redirected...
My opinion is still that a good balance of text and voice makes for a good presentation. If by VO's you mean FULL VO's, then no, I don't think many companies will follow suit. Bioware has kind of a niche, and I'd prefer they keep it going if it works for them. If every MMO was fully VO'd, I'd probably stop playing.
After 30 levels I didn't bother with side quest VO, since those quests are inevitably kill, collect or delivery. Very very few develop into a lengthy chain.
It is essential for class quests though. I think any game that uses them for significant quests are in a good place. But the side quest VO is unnecessary in my opinion and I feel it was a waste of money.
Enter a whole new realm of challenge and adventure.
I hope to god they are a gimmick because I would hate to see another developer put their time and money into NPC voice overs for a game that should be about the player community.
I've never thought it was really feasible for TOR's dialogue to become a standard or required feature in the MMO industry simply because TOR has so much of it that's really high quality. The only other company/corporation willing to do that, I'd imagine, would be Activision Blizzard, and that's just because they can throw in excess of 100 million dollars at an MMO to make that happen. It's not really a clear enhancement so much as it is force multiplier. I can almost guarantee no one would be enjoying the voice acting as much as they are if the writing wasn't consistently brilliant or at least acceptable. I'm sure it's not to some people but most love the writing and the fact that they use excellent voice acting and dialogue options is icing on the cake.
just a gimmick. I doubt even Bioware will continue with full VO's in futre content.
This, I don't know a single person that would'nt happily trade VO for another playable race, or game mechanics.
That's a lie or gross misrepresentation.
It should've been obvious to everyone with an objective, open mind and by merely reading these and other forums that there are lots of people who prefer SWTOR's quest revamp with VO/cutscenes and decisions above another playable race, or some minor game mechanics.
Try to look beyond your own yard next time, other people can like or prefer things that you don't, really, it's not that hard a concept to grasp, you see it in all aspects of regular life and society all the time.
The ease with which predictions are made on these forums: Fratman: "I'm saying Spring 2012 at the earliest [for TOR release]. Anyone still clinging to 2011 is deluding themself at this point."
just a gimmick. I doubt even Bioware will continue with full VO's in futre content.
This, I don't know a single person that would'nt happily trade VO for another playable race, or game mechanics.
That's a lie or gross misrepresentation.
It should've been obvious to everyone with an objective, open mind and by merely reading these and other forums that there are lots of people who prefer SWTOR's quest revamp with VO/cutscenes and decisions above another playable race, or some minor game mechanics.
Try to look beyond your own yard next time, other people can like or prefer things that you don't, really, it's not that hard a concept to grasp, you see it in all aspects of regular life and society all the time.
How do you know its a lie,have you actually spoken to everyone he knows who follows swtor,no you have not.You have a bad habit of claiming your right and your word is final,its actually laughable to be frank.How about you pratice what you preach and look beyond your own yard and stop claiming to speak for everybody else. Oh and off-topic..your mmo world scale is off on many accounts but we will leave that one until i make a post in it.
I have not been posting on these forums for long but i have been reading and coming here for years,some poster are just irratating and really dont know what they are talking about half the time.Ill wait for your reply because i know its coming but i look forward to reading what nonsence you come back at me with.
I predict that you will have one finger on the report button but thats to be expected from a certain type of poster,to hot in the kitchen and that magic button is the answer.
I doubt he was lying. I don't know anyone that really cares about voice overs in an MMO either, but I don't know thousands of people. Now if he'd said "I don't know anyone that prefers VO's over solid gameplay", and people disagreed, then I'd have said they're just being fanbois or idiots.
Some of them already are. He says something from personal experience and then people use non-personal statistics to rebutt his statement. Calm down, seriously. He's not actually wrong, he just doesn't represent everyone.
Comments
First of all, voice acting can't be a gimmick. A gimmick is something that doesn't add anything to main products purpose. Like thermometer on a toothbrush for example. Voice acting ,on the other hand, is somewthing that greatly enhances the playing experience.
Voice acting is becoming a standard for MMO's. All upcoming AAA releases have it - SWTOR, GW2 and TSW, and tbh i can hardly now imagine a high profile mmo release without it.
I think BW has created there own undoing with the VO since everything here on out will need to have the same amount of VO and where not going to wait years for new content. so time will tell if they can continue to improve the game while devoting so many resources to the VO without hurting the rest of the game.
At this point, they've got the development process in place to create the voice-overs. Future content and releases, this won't be as big a deal to continue providing.
If it becomes standard that all content must have voiceovers and cutscenes, then games will compensate by not having much content. No thanks.
Thankfully, nothing really ever becomes standard in MMORPGs. Some things are more common than others, but other than definitional stuff like needing Internet access, nothing is really ubiquitous.
I would be fine playing an mmo without it, its ok, thought I would dislike it more, but I really do wonder if it was worth the time/money put into it...What would the rest of the game look like and have in it, if that time/money was redirected...
My opinion is still that a good balance of text and voice makes for a good presentation. If by VO's you mean FULL VO's, then no, I don't think many companies will follow suit. Bioware has kind of a niche, and I'd prefer they keep it going if it works for them. If every MMO was fully VO'd, I'd probably stop playing.
After 30 levels I didn't bother with side quest VO, since those quests are inevitably kill, collect or delivery. Very very few develop into a lengthy chain.
It is essential for class quests though. I think any game that uses them for significant quests are in a good place. But the side quest VO is unnecessary in my opinion and I feel it was a waste of money.
Enter a whole new realm of challenge and adventure.
I hope to god they are a gimmick because I would hate to see another developer put their time and money into NPC voice overs for a game that should be about the player community.
Play as your fav retro characters: cnd-online.net. My site: www.lysle.net. Blog: creatingaworld.blogspot.com.
This, I don't know a single person that would'nt happily trade VO for another playable race, or game mechanics.
This, I don't know a single person that would'nt happily trade VO for another playable race, or game mechanics.
I wouldn't, now you know 1. Swtor is the first time lore has mattered to me in a mmo in 10 years. It's powerful stuff like it or not.Everything I say is my opinion or personal preference. You may or may not find it useful to your cause but regardless I am entitled to it.
I think players will demand it to be the new standard..
I think ToR and GW2 will set the bar in dialogue voice overs and a lot of customers at that point will be turned off by wall o text quests..
..Or they'll play,but the "yadda yadda yadda just give me the accept button" mentality will be even stonger.
I've never thought it was really feasible for TOR's dialogue to become a standard or required feature in the MMO industry simply because TOR has so much of it that's really high quality. The only other company/corporation willing to do that, I'd imagine, would be Activision Blizzard, and that's just because they can throw in excess of 100 million dollars at an MMO to make that happen. It's not really a clear enhancement so much as it is force multiplier. I can almost guarantee no one would be enjoying the voice acting as much as they are if the writing wasn't consistently brilliant or at least acceptable. I'm sure it's not to some people but most love the writing and the fact that they use excellent voice acting and dialogue options is icing on the cake.
really? 'cause I know of thousands....
Highly doubt it..
VO dialogue is a Bioware staple.
they might as well be called Bio "voice over" ware.
That's a lie or gross misrepresentation.
It should've been obvious to everyone with an objective, open mind and by merely reading these and other forums that there are lots of people who prefer SWTOR's quest revamp with VO/cutscenes and decisions above another playable race, or some minor game mechanics.
Try to look beyond your own yard next time, other people can like or prefer things that you don't, really, it's not that hard a concept to grasp, you see it in all aspects of regular life and society all the time.
The ACTUAL size of MMORPG worlds: a comparison list between MMO's
The ease with which predictions are made on these forums:
Fratman: "I'm saying Spring 2012 at the earliest [for TOR release]. Anyone still clinging to 2011 is deluding themself at this point."
really? 'cause I know of thousands....
Quest text could be in Braille for all I care if they had gave us more than a handful of uninspired humanoid races in a StarWars game.
I used to play MMOs like you, but then I took an arrow to the knee.
This, I don't know a single person that would'nt happily trade VO for another playable race, or game mechanics.
That's a lie or gross misrepresentation.
It should've been obvious to everyone with an objective, open mind and by merely reading these and other forums that there are lots of people who prefer SWTOR's quest revamp with VO/cutscenes and decisions above another playable race, or some minor game mechanics.
Try to look beyond your own yard next time, other people can like or prefer things that you don't, really, it's not that hard a concept to grasp, you see it in all aspects of regular life and society all the time.
How do you know its a lie,have you actually spoken to everyone he knows who follows swtor,no you have not.You have a bad habit of claiming your right and your word is final,its actually laughable to be frank.How about you pratice what you preach and look beyond your own yard and stop claiming to speak for everybody else. Oh and off-topic..your mmo world scale is off on many accounts but we will leave that one until i make a post in it.I have not been posting on these forums for long but i have been reading and coming here for years,some poster are just irratating and really dont know what they are talking about half the time.Ill wait for your reply because i know its coming but i look forward to reading what nonsence you come back at me with.
I predict that you will have one finger on the report button but thats to be expected from a certain type of poster,to hot in the kitchen and that magic button is the answer.
I doubt he was lying. I don't know anyone that really cares about voice overs in an MMO either, but I don't know thousands of people. Now if he'd said "I don't know anyone that prefers VO's over solid gameplay", and people disagreed, then I'd have said they're just being fanbois or idiots.
Some of them already are. He says something from personal experience and then people use non-personal statistics to rebutt his statement. Calm down, seriously. He's not actually wrong, he just doesn't represent everyone.
Unless some other company does something way better i dont see myself playing an MMO without it, it looks bland and retarded