Nintendo Voice to Text Patent

[whoamg]

Nintendo has a new patent for voice to text.

Key part:


The technology herein addresses these problems by providing a video game chat capability with voice-to-text conversion that identifies characteristics of the player's speech and selects text display formatting based on such identified characteristics. In more detail, a non-limiting illustrative exemplary implementation runs on a video game console or associated server and analyzes the player's speech to vary the font size, color or other text display formatting for display to other users. For example, if the amplitude of a player's voice is high, the text may be displayed to other users in a larger than normal font. If the voice sounds stressed or aggressive words are used, the text is displayed to other users in a special format (e.g., using a distinctive color such as red or other distinctive formatting). Other analysis may be done on speech in context to vary the text formatting options such as font size, color, font type, or other aspects of the text presentation and/or display.
Basically it converts what you say into text. If you are mad the text will be large and possibly an angry color like red. Voice > Text.

Thanks GameSponge (http://www.gamesponge.com)

[Magnanimous Gnome]

That could be pretty cool. Having the option to see text in certain online games would certainly be welcome. I don't want to hear some whiny twelve-year old's voice during an MMORPG for example.

To be honest I never want to hear the voices of whiny twelve-year olds, so I'd probably have this on in every title.

[Sl1pstream]

Meh...

Seems like they're doing everything to keep people from using voice chat ingame. It's a lot easier to censor text.

[Heretic Machine]

I'm with the Gnome. I fucking -HATE- voice chat, but since it's the only viable option for a console, it's something I deal with (by muting it 90% of the time). This really solves the problem in a way that's appealing to me.

[Vandabo]

I agree with the hatred of voice chat. I often play online games with the sound off or way down anyway, while watching TV or something. The only reason I'd want voice capability is for clan-based activities, the rest of the time I just want to see text or nothing at all.

[thiby]

I think this is awsome, I love typography and fonts! So if they allow you too choose what font and font size you want for anger and other emotions it would in my opinion make you really see/read what the other person is feeling. I wish they work on this as a main feature on this cause I'm thinking of the crazy posibilities that can happen. This might bring be just the thing to bring in graphic designers and typographers as an audience. But I think its still to early to get excited over this.

[Magnanimous Gnome]

If pulled off correctly, this could combine the speed and ease of voice chat with the non-instrusiveness of text.

I doubt that they are doing this so that they can censor speech, but I suppose it is a possibility.

[Vandabo]

As far as censoring goes, I wouldn't necessarily mind if it was a client side option to put on some text filters for parental controls. As long as it is optional, I think it could be a good way for parents to feel better about their kids playing online nintendo games.

Of course it would be funny when entire paragraphs of text from more foul mouthed players are reduced to a bunch of blanks and pronouns.

[Neverborne]

I can't wait for this thing to take a crack at a prepubescant-whiny-nerd-drawl.

[carneconcarne]

Easier patented than implemented. There isn't a single text to speech software solution that's available for less than a few hundred bucks, and those only get the words right, most of the time. Analysis for anger and stress? We'll see.

[MajSheppard]

Innovation, thy name is Nintendo. This is why Nintendo will be harder to kill then a cockroach. They won't stop trying, and for every four mistakes they hit something worth while. All those who hated on the E-reader or the GBA not having a backlit screen, also enjoyed the wavebird and the game boy player. It is give and take, and you may find this to be a joke, or a great step forward. Reguardless they are going to make it hard for Microsoft or Sony to run away with it all.

[dr_wily]

the only time i get to play games is when my wife takes a nap, so this is bad.

[codswallop]

This could be a really good thing. In-game chat could become voice -> text for anyone not in your friends list and regular voice for anyone in said list.

I love in-game voice chat, as long as they're not whiny dickheads (so about 10% of the time).

[Dabombpizza]

This sounds awesome, and it would make a console MMORPG pretty sweet. I don't think an MMO on the Xbox would work, because hearing the elf chick sound like a 35 year old man is just goind to ruin my hard on. Now let's see if it works.
Easier patented than implemented. There isn't a single text to speech software solution that's available for less than a few hundred bucks, and those only get the words right, most of the time.
And I'm going to guess, but I'm not entirely sure, that Nintendo may have just a slighty larger budget than Dragon Naturally Speaking.

[r3dwiz]

Easier patented than implemented. There isn't a single text to speech software solution that's available for less than a few hundred bucks, and those only get the words right, most of the time. Analysis for anger and stress? We'll see.

Recall that Nintendo has experience with voice rocognition, from Hey You! Pikachu! (the N64 game with the mic), to Mario Party 6 and 7, and Nintendogs. It'll be interesting to see what they can do with it.

[TKO]

Damn, Nintendo just fricking rock. (yeah, hold off with the fan-boy flames, I don't even *own* any Nintendo stuff.. until the Revolution comes along.) ;) ..This is perfect. It doesn't even have to get the conversion particularly correct, the l33t sp34k and cellphone-txt morons on forums have proved that. :D This frees up peoples hands so they can game, and stops us having to *hear* people (which is great no? ..being a girl, or someone with an accent, or a fricking whiny 12-year-old will no longer be a barrier to seamlessly participating with the rest. yay!) ..voices in games, from players to sh--ty voice-acting has always been a curse.

[thewayistao]

the only time i get to play games is when my wife takes a nap, so this is bad.


Yeah, terrible for people who dont want loud voices coming from their tv's, the way they would be with voicechat in halo2.

[CapnBob]

This is actually yet another thing I've thought could be a good idea for awhile... and possibly more for the DS than for the revolution. It takes more processing to accomplish, but it takes much less bandwidth to send messages online this way.