Poll: "He has a name, you know!"

[Bassman_2]

Ever since a character in DA2 (won't say which) said that line, I wonder if it could be possible with our technology or in future tech for characters in the game to say your name or your character's name, like the Speech function that Hawking uses but not robotic sounding.

I mean, everyone in the game calls you Hawke but we've all known each other for so long yet they still keep formalities. You're brother/sister and mum just name you by position in the family.

Then again, even if we were allowed to make some choice in the beginning to sound out our name so the characters in the game can say it (syllables, accents, speed, etc.), some might be creeped out. Some. I don't know who.

Discussion is this: Would you want the game to say your name (nobody would care if you made video game characters say tittycacapoopoopants) or would you not, what do you think about that kind of game feature, and how do you think it can be possible?

+: Some have the idea of a set list of names, which is an excellent idea.
I'm just worried games won't have my (or some other people's) name or would say it (or some other people's it) weird. (People say it weird all the time!)

 

[Johnnyallstar]

Right now, it probably can be done, but not entirely well. I assume it would take a lot of phonetic work in recording, and then the software trying to figure out how they all go together.

Then people will really mess up the system by trying to make the poor machine say Qqqrglxbinztls or something.

 

[Danceofmasks]

Sure it's possible, but at this moment in time, you may have to have some knowledge of phonetics.
As in, the player ... a game can do some of the guesswork for you, but unless you know how to write your character's name exactly the way it's pronounced (and not just dictionary-ish phonetics, but include tone changes, how fast sections of the word is in relation to others, slurs, all that good stuff), it won't be satisfactory.

 

[run_forrest_run]

As Yahtzee says there will always be some wanker who puts Qx1323dstv as their name. Of course If what your suggesting is that we actually have to sound our name out into the microphone it could be cool although it would give the voice actors a massive problem.

 

[Bassman_2]

Right now, it probably can be done, but not entirely well. I assume it would take a lot of phonetic work in recording, and then the software trying to figure out how they all go together.

Then people will really mess up the system by trying to make the poor machine say Qqqrglxbinztls or something.

If players had to fix the phoenetic way of saying a name themselves, they might have a tough time making the game say kwe-kwe-kwe-re-gliks-bin-zitls, and if they set that up then the game would just have to follow it.

Sure it's possible, but at this moment in time, you may have to have some knowledge of phonetics.
As in, the player ... a game can do some of the guesswork for you, but unless you know how to write your character's name exactly the way it's pronounced (and not just dictionary-ish phonetics, but include tone changes, how fast sections of the word is in relation to others, slurs, all that good stuff), it won't be satisfactory.

I believe that can be done if the player could test how the name sounds while setting up each sound, so they can pick a name they can appreciate.


I problem I have just discovered is that it will take a long time to make every single instance the name is said in the game sound different from most or some of each other.

 

[Sampler]

I like the Fable 2 approach where you can buy titles from the town crier - this giving you a limited choice of names - it worked for me as my surname's Butcher which handily was available as a title.

I've recently played a racing game with a more expansive list of names to chose from and it drops in the namesub where appropriate - although it was leaning towards american names, Simon not being available whilst being pretty popular this side of the pond - hell my high school class there were five of us! Fortunately as a back-up the game had a list of nicknames you could pick so you didn't have to be settled for being called Jeff or something. (believe the game was Grid)

 

[StriderShinryu]

If it could be done well at this point, I would definitely want it.. but I'm just not sure it could be done well enough. Unless it's perfect, it shouldn't be done.

 

[silver wolf009]

Mabye if there is a pre-set list of names. I really think that the characters in a game would be able to prnounce things like "Garreth Gobleckauck" (Kookie for refrence)

 

[ipop@you]

The best way i can figure it to be done would be to get all the people who would say the characters name to record pretty much every douns in the language i.e. soft/hard vowels, long/short letters, accents etc. but even then i think it would be quite stilted. I still want it though.

 

[thom_cat_]

A few games you can choose your name out of a long list and they just substitute the file for that sound into the game when required, but the way you're talking about... not today, but potentially in the future. Probably fairly useless anyway

 

[binvjoh]

I can definitely see it be done very well in the future.

 

[Halceon]

Yes, yes, a million times yes. I dream of the day when videogames are fully procedurally voiced. The possibilities that would open up...

 

[Danceofmasks]

Sure it's possible, but at this moment in time, you may have to have some knowledge of phonetics.
As in, the player ... a game can do some of the guesswork for you, but unless you know how to write your character's name exactly the way it's pronounced (and not just dictionary-ish phonetics, but include tone changes, how fast sections of the word is in relation to others, slurs, all that good stuff), it won't be satisfactory.

I believe that can be done if the player could test how the name sounds while setting up each sound, so they can pick a name they can appreciate.


I problem I have just discovered is that it will take a long time to make every single instance the name is said in the game sound different from most or some of each other.

Well, what you don't want is a recorded instance of the name.
Ok, take a name, any name ... say, "john"
Now, put them in the middle of sentences, but instead of actually sounding out the word, close your mouth and hum it.

Now, do the same with another name.

You'll notice a pattern .. the trick here is to apply that pattern as a variation on top of a generated name.

 

[Bassman_2]

Sure it's possible, but at this moment in time, you may have to have some knowledge of phonetics.
As in, the player ... a game can do some of the guesswork for you, but unless you know how to write your character's name exactly the way it's pronounced (and not just dictionary-ish phonetics, but include tone changes, how fast sections of the word is in relation to others, slurs, all that good stuff), it won't be satisfactory.

I believe that can be done if the player could test how the name sounds while setting up each sound, so they can pick a name they can appreciate.


I problem I have just discovered is that it will take a long time to make every single instance the name is said in the game sound different from most or some of each other.

Well, what you don't want is a recorded instance of the name.
Ok, take a name, any name ... say, "john"
Now, put them in the middle of sentences, but instead of actually sounding out the word, close your mouth and hum it.

Now, do the same with another name.

That does sound weird.
I'm shifting now towards it can't be done but I want it.

 

[Danceofmasks]

That does sound weird.
I'm shifting now towards it can't be done but I want it.

Why would you think it can't be done?
The reason Stephen Hawking's voice synthesizer sounds robotic is because what he's making it say isn't scripted, meaning he doesn't already have the context of how the word should sound in a sentence.

It takes a lot more work to get the whole thing working satisfactorily, than just telling your voice actor to record "that's not a good idea, Shepard" .. so .. it's hard but possible.

 

[kittii-chan 300]

Mabye if there is a pre-set list of names. I really think that the characters in a game would be able to prnounce things like "Garreth Gobleckauck" (Kookie for refrence)

only problem witht the list would be that it probably wouldnt have my name
a good idea would be that in the story you get ranks and NPC's call you by your honorific. like captain or private or general.

 

[DustyDrB]

Maybe it can be done, maybe not. It would, however, take more effort than its worth. Of the things I want in games, this is extremely low on the list.

 

[Vibhor]

I am sure its entirely possible.
That is if someone makes a game with microsoft Sam as a character.

 

[GeorgW]

With current technology there's nothing holding us back. I don't see why it wouldn't be well implemented.

 

[jpoon]

I have thought this for years, now we're definitely holding the technology, they just need the impetus to do it, likely few have even thought about it. You should be pitching this kind of idea to the actual game companies, on their forums even!