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IGN: Splatoon's lack of voice chat is "cheap and lazy"

S

Seth Enosh

Member
test_account said:
Regarding Mario Kart 8 and Smash Bros, which reasons did Nintendo give regarding voice chat there? Those games have voice chat, although not in-game, but you can potentially do shit talk when voice chat is available.
Click to expand...
Smash Bros Fact 49 from the 50-Fact Direct says "while you're battling, in order to keep your connection as strong as possible we've disabled voice chat". Not sure if they ever gave a reason for Mario Kart 8 customs but it could be the same.

Based on what the director of Splatoon said, not having voice chat was his own decision and not a company policy so the decisions made for MK8 and smash may not be relevant. It will be weird if the 8 player custom lobby mode released in August doesn't have text or voice chat though.
 
G

GoonerTRON

Banned
70s Style Pimp said:
" I also believe it's cheap and lazy."

Says the wannabe journalist working at IGN. Videogame journalists - always the expert, no matter the topic. Including the costings of game development in this case.
Click to expand...

Well ofcourse they saved money by not including it - cheap

They didn't put the effort into including it - lazy

But yeah insult his profession, that's mature.
 
Dr. Buni

Dr. Buni

Member
Splatoon's lack of voice chat is one of the best things about the game. Plus, if you played the demo, it is clear as a crystal that the game doesn't require voice chat.
 
B

bart64

Banned
Nintendo racked their brain to create a game that works without chat, give them some credit--you don't always have to appeal to your nine year old base. Lots of parents just don't know or care about parental controls, why punish their kids. And friends only is not a solution for them, kids friend everyone they like on Miiverse.

Not convinced? Have a taste of my pink splat you cum covered faggot!
 
Oppo

Oppo

Member
Reila said:
Splatoon's lack of voice chat is one of the best things about the game. Plus, if you played the demo, it is clear as a crystal that the game doesn't require voice chat.
Click to expand...

Not my experience. I played it at PAX and team members naturally started talking to each other while playing in the show floor.

Honestly arguing against the inclusion of such a popular and obvious feature is totally disingenuous. I mean if you don't personally care, whatever, but saying it shouldn't even exist is fucking myopic. And yeah I'll include the game director there. He's wrong.

And the bandwidth argument is horseshit, compression against human voice is hilariously effective and is a tiny trickle of data using any half modern codec.

It's amazing that I haven't heard of Minecraft chat corrupting our youth because that game is sorta popular.
 
Neff

Neff

Member
woopWOOP said:
Minimap can tell you a lot without voice chat, but it'd be nice to let other people know you got a barrier ready or whatever and you should rally together for a short while. Maybe there's a pre-written text command for that tho, I dunno.
Click to expand...

The map is very comprehensive. In my experience, the main advantage of chat in regular shooters is to let your team know the proximity of teammates and rivals due to the limited map display. That style of play encourages it. In Splatoon, the entire map is viewable at all times, including all players not hiding, and more importantly the location of paint, without having to change screens. I find an enormous amount of chat which would ordinarily be practical becomes irrelevant due to this. The levels aren't really big enough for reconnaissance to make a difference, and I noticed that visual communication worked very well. I saw people painting areas in unison, creating squid travel trails for each other, trapping opponents with floor patterns for opportune attackers, and alternating between the role of attacker and painter as teammates called for it- all of it presumably communicated wordlessly. Implementing chat might enrich the experience, but you're not at the disadvantage you are in traditional shooters without it.
 
W

Winterfang

Banned
bart64 said:
Nintendo racked their brain to create a game that works without chat, give them some credit--you don't always have to appeal to your nine year old base. Lots of parents just don't know or care about parental controls, why punish their kids. And friends only is not a solution for them, kids friend everyone they like on Miiverse.

Not convinced? Have a taste of my pink splat you cum covered faggot!
Click to expand...

Whut? o_O
 
S

SeanR1221

Member
Everyone's so focused on random chat but I'd just like to be able to party up and chat with a friend. This is what I did on 360 and it's what I do on PS4. On Wii U I can join a friends game and Mario Kart and call him on Skype (annoying) and only play custom games on Smash with the computer (also annoying).

Splatoon had a chance to fix shortcomings like this.
 
T

The End

Member
Yeah, it's 2015

Having to create a PSN party with my friends so I can chat while play a Wii U game

(and then realizing there was no way to actually play with your friends)

is slightly ridiculous
 
RichardKSJ

RichardKSJ

Member
I don't have any friends who like Nintendo so I wouldn't have anyone to chat with anyway.

It should still be in there though period. If it's such an issue of negative reinforcement from other players just have everyone muted by default. That or just have the option off by default.
 
S

sinxtanx

Member
GoonerTRON said:
Well ofcourse they saved money by not including it - cheap

They didn't put the effort into including it - lazy

But yeah insult his profession, that's mature.
Click to expand...

voice chat is not something that is either expensive or requires effort to implement

this is purely a choice the director made because people were mean to him online

"This is coming from personal experience," Amano said. "When I played online games, I didn't like the negativity I got and people telling me, 'You're crap. Go away.' So we wanted to focus on the positive aspects of online gaming."

Having the ability to chat with other players in shooters, particularly to plan routes of attack, or coordinate movement is one of the genre's oldest features. And Amano admitted that he thought this might be seen as limiting to some. To him and the rest of the people on the team, having a safe, clean environment in which to play is worth it.
Click to expand...
 
N

NotLiquid

Member
SeanR1221 said:
Everyone's so focused on random chat but I'd just like to be able to party up and chat with a friend. This is what I did on 360 and it's what I do on PS4. On Wii U I can join a friends game and Mario Kart and call him on Skype (annoying) and only play custom games on Smash with the computer (also annoying).

Splatoon had a chance to fix shortcomings like this.
Click to expand...

I'd like to think it ideally still has one, only if it gets put into the friendly matchmaking lobbies. Maybe they'll look at some of the feedback leading up to that update and manage to compromise by including it there. That way they can have voice chat both while avoiding toxicity (because you can assume friends will be okay with saying whatever between one another), and avoiding teams having any clear advantages (because you can assume that friends will, by default, be more co-ordinated).
 
P

PetrCobra

Member
The lack of voicechat is mildly annoying. The fact that it generates such an amount of strongly worded opinions and even articles is mildly amusing.
 
S

SeanR1221

Member
NotLiquid said:
I'd like to think it ideally still has one, only if it gets put into the friendly matchmaking lobbies. Maybe they'll look at some of the feedback leading up to that update and manage to compromise by including it there. That way they can have voice chat both while avoiding toxicity (because you can assume friends will be okay with saying whatever between one another), and avoiding teams having any clear advantages (because you can assume that friends will, by default, be more co-ordinated).
Click to expand...

Yeah it would be nice. Not being able to talk to randoms is whatever. Not being able to talk to friends? That's just stupid.
 
K

King_Moc

Banned
Agreed. They could have at least enabled it for people on your friends list. It really takes the human element out of online multiplayer not having it.
 
M

mapet318

Banned
I understand why people are upset about the issue, but I see Nintendo's point of view. They're the Disney of video games. They want to avoid negative connotations that could be associated with their products. With that said, voice chat being off by default and having a "foul language" warning would sufficient I think.

Either way, I don't think Splatoon needs voice chat. I played at least 20 matches during the demo and I was able to coordinate with my teammates without it.
 
N

Nanashrew

Banned
Neff said:
The map is very comprehensive. In my experience, the main advantage of chat in regular shooters is to let your team know the proximity of teammates and rivals due to the limited map display. That style of play encourages it. In Splatoon, the entire map is viewable at all times, including all players not hiding, and more importantly the location of paint, without having to change screens. I find an enormous amount of chat which would ordinarily be practical becomes irrelevant due to this. The levels aren't really big enough for reconnaissance to make a difference, and I noticed that visual communication worked very well. I saw people painting areas in unison, creating squid travel trails for each other, trapping opponents with floor patterns for opportune attackers, and alternating between the role of attacker and painter as teammates called for it- all of it presumably communicated wordlessly. Implementing chat might enrich the experience, but you're not at the disadvantage you are in traditional shooters without it.
Click to expand...

This was my experience as well. Chat doesn't seem entirely necessary for this type of game. Matches are also only 3 minutes long with constant action and no time to really set up a strategy because it's constantly switching up in these small symmetrical maps. There is no camping, turtling or tanking and if you attempt that, you're punished. You have to do things differently and not stay a sitting duck. It's fast and hectic.

--

Now chat with friends? Sure I can agree just for laughs. Chat with randoms? Not really. I got paired up with a lot of Japanese users more often.
 
T

test_account

XP-39C²
Seth Enosh said:
Smash Bros Fact 49 from the 50-Fact Direct says "while you're battling, in order to keep your connection as strong as possible we've disabled voice chat". Not sure if they ever gave a reason for Mario Kart 8 customs but it could be the same.

Based on what the director of Splatoon said, not having voice chat was his own decision and not a company policy so the decisions made for MK8 and smash may not be relevant. It will be weird if the 8 player custom lobby mode released in August doesn't have text or voice chat though.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the info :)

Yeah, i would surprised if the August update doesnt include some type of chat.
 
G

GhostTrick

Banned
Lack of voice chat in Splatoon isn't cheap and lazy. This is blatantly wrong. But I wish it was the case.

No it is worse, lack of voice chat in Splatoon is a pure design decision. Because Nintendo still lives in that bubble about online play. I mean, I get it, you can meet weird people on the internet. But is it too much to ask for voice chat with people from your friend list ?

Nintendo needs to rethink on that matter, because going this way, they forget that their userbase is aging and aren't kids anymore. The 12 years old kid who bought a Wii U in 2012 will be 18 years old when the successor will be on market. The 12 years old kid who had a Wii in 2006 is now 21 years old.
 
J

jimi_dini

Member
zoukka said:
Nobody misses chatting with randoms. We want to play with friends and chat with them.
Click to expand...

And then you will get broken Uncharted-multiplayer.

As in 5 4 overpowered players fully dominating the other team.

That's actually one of the major reasons why I stopped playing Uncharted multiplayer.
 
TeddyShardik

TeddyShardik

Banned
If you're leaving out voice chat put in some emotes á la Dark Souls! Get steamrolled while you're trying to figure out what your friend is trying to relay to you! :p
 
N

number47

Member
GhostTrick said:
Lack of voice chat in Splatoon isn't cheap and lazy. This is blatantly wrong. But I wish it was the case.

No it is worse, lack of voice chat in Splatoon is a pure design decision. Because Nintendo still lives in that bubble about online play. I mean, I get it, you can meet weird people on the internet. But is it too much to ask for voice chat with people from your friend list ?

Nintendo needs to rethink on that matter, because going this way, they forget that their userbase is aging and aren't kids anymore. The 12 years old kid who bought a Wii U in 2012
will be 18 years old when the successor will be on market. The 12 years old kid who had a Wii in 2006 is now 21 years old.
Click to expand...
The best part is where you forget Nintendo's base audience WILL ALWAYS BE KIDS.
My child will not need voice chat. You do? Play with your friends local.
 
S

Sho_Nuff82

Member
mapet318 said:
I understand why people are upset about the issue, but I see Nintendo's point of view. They're the Disney of video games. They want to avoid negative connotations that could be associated with their products. With that said, voice chat being off by default and having a "foul language" warning would sufficient I think.

Either way, I don't think Splatoon needs voice chat. I played at least 20 matches during the demo and I was able to coordinate with my teammates without it.
Click to expand...

The analogy isn't really appropriate when Disney has used diversification, not conservative retreat, to become larger than ever before and dominate multimedia entertainment.

Age of Ultron is a Disney film.
 
N

Nanashrew

Banned
TeddyShardik said:
If you're leaving out voice chat put in some emotes á la Dark Souls! Get steamrolled while you're trying to figure out what your friend is trying to relay to you! :p
Click to expand...

There are taunts that inform other players already. There were two in the demo but I believe there should be 4 to better communicate and hopefully is in the full game or patched in later.
 
N

NotLiquid

Member
Nanashrew said:
There are taunts that inform other players already. There were two in the demo but I believe there should be 4 to better communicate and hopefully is in the full game or patched in later.
Click to expand...

Yeah I hope we'll get more really.

Doesn't really make much sense to only have two of them when we have four D-pad directions, hope it was just limited to the demo. It was weird how it wasn't even pointed out in the Direct.
 
TeddyShardik

TeddyShardik

Banned
Nanashrew said:
There are taunts that inform other players already. There were two in the demo but I believe there should be 4 to better communicate and hopefully is in the full game or patched in later.
Click to expand...

Didn't know that. I was only joking about that being an alternative but sure, sounds cool anyway.
 
P

pelican

Member
GoonerTRON said:
Well ofcourse they saved money by not including it - cheap
They didn't put the effort into including it - lazy
Click to expand...

Ever managed a project within budget and time constraints? To suggest the reasons a feature is absent from a project is purely down to the developers being "cheap" and "lazy" is childish to say the least. Nothing is black and white.

The more likely explanation for the lack of voice communication is down to a design decision.
 
D

Dusk Soldier

Member
If they included voicechat, what would happen when one team is 2 americans, an australian, and a canadian.

And the other team is comprised of a russian, an belgian, and 2 japanese players?

One team would have a huge "advantage" over the other just because of random draw.

But in reality, randoms rarely use voice chat to coordinate anyways.
 
R

Raide

Member
Dusk Soldier said:
If they included voicechat, what would happen when one team is 2 americans, an australian, and a canadian.

And the other team is comprised of a russian, an belgian, and 2 japanese players?

One team would have a huge "advantage" over the other just because of random draw.

But in reality, randoms rarely use voice chat to coordinate anyways.
Click to expand...

Nintendo are going all out to advertise this is a competitive shooter and then neglect something that actually makes it more competitive. Sure not everyone co-ordinates via voice but those that want to get good with the game and really show the game off the way the developers intended, will communicate to be more effective.

Nintendo are hoping this game is big enough to have players all around the world making teams of friends. At this rate, it will be a typical Nintendo game barely supported by die-hard fans that want the game to succeed.
 
hymanator

hymanator

Member
My favorite kind of compromise was when games used voice presets. The Tribes series is one of my favorite examples of this. It helps add to the overall atmosphere of the game as well. With the Wii U tablet controller, it's possible to put an entire soundboard on the screen to chat with. It's a shame they didn't at least consider that as an option.
 
A

Amir0x

Banned
I agree in general terms, but I don't know if I'd call it "lazy." Cheap, yes, but I think Nintendo has some stupid fucking reasoning behind why they didn't go with voice chat like they always do. I know some people will get by and it won't matter for them, but if Nintendo wants a legitimate multiplayer hit that is actually going to resonate and have an active community beyond the pittance Wii U userbase, one day they're going to have to drop their shit and start joining the rest of the world when it comes to online functionality and features like voice chat.
 
R

Raide

Member
Like the hat? said:
Nintendo can't afford to have some kid groomed by some predator. It's not cheap and lazy, it's Nintendo needs to cover their ass.
Click to expand...

So Nintendo games only for kids to play? Ok...

Basic MP features should have been the core of the system from day 1, not a developer afterthought.
 
J

javac

Member
Sho_Nuff82 said:
The analogy isn't really appropriate when Disney has used diversification, not conservative retreat, to become larger than ever before and dominate multimedia entertainment.

Age of Ultron is a Disney film.
Click to expand...

To be fair, those films aren't regarded as Disney films to the general audience, and as far as I'm aware there's no Disney splash screen for those films, and I assume the same for the Star Wars films. Disney is the third largest global media conglomerate in the world, a lot of things you wouldn't expect come out of the house of mouse, from ABC to a partial ownership of ESPN, but nobody think Mickey Mouse when they see them, right? In that sense, in the same way, I guess nobody thinks Nintendo when they see Monolith Soft lol.
 
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