I think we can basically assume that this will be more of an arcade type shooter game than anything deep or cooperative, judging by this.
I personally never use voice chats either, and always prefer text. But, I'm thinking this will be more a game where communication will be irrelevant and unused, in general, if they are considering cutting text.
That's a pretty poor excuse to not slap in a text system(not like it's hard to add text chat to a game), but that's what I'm reading into it.
It will be a game where there are probably a few people who do voice-chat with their close friends, and everyone else will largely just not have any real communication beyond running up and helping kill an enemy or something... hmm, maybe it is a modern MMO after all
How many people who play console MMOs actually speak to others through text anyway? I'd be curious to know. I know people who play games like ESO, etc., and just don't do chat at all.
Nothing makes it feel more 'console limited' than no proper text chat.
Both Warframe and DCUO, to name two off the top of my head, have text chat on both major consoles.
Nothing about consoles limits the ability to have text chat.
Except most people not having a keyboard or keypad because they aren't supplied with the console so, even though it's available, many people can't or won't talk back.
I don't know one person that doesn't have keyboard for their PC.
I don't know one person that has a keyboard/pad for their console.
I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy every minute of it.
Nothing makes it feel more 'console limited' than no proper text chat.
Both Warframe and DCUO, to name two off the top of my head, have text chat on both major consoles.
Nothing about consoles limits the ability to have text chat.
Except most people not having a keyboard or keypad because they aren't supplied with the console so, even though it's available, many people can't or won't talk back.
I don't know one person that doesn't have keyboard for their PC.
I don't know one person that has a keyboard/pad for their console.
I don't know about Xbox, but on PS4 everyone has a keyboard if they have a smartphone. The second screen app (ps app) is both a second screen and a keyboard to type on PS4. That's how i type on Warframe, FFXIV, and ESO. I think Xbox One has the physical keypad that plugs on the controller similar to the xb360.
It doesn't bother me. For a game like this it is not as big a deal as some make it seem. It is not an MMORPG after all. For the type of game it is? A co-op multiplayer play with friends kind of game? Not an issue for me.
but what if i don't have friends playing the game? i would need a global chat to look for groups
EDIT: it doesn't really affect me personally, but i don't see why they skip it when everyone else has no issue adding text chat to their online games.
I'm sorta flabbergasted...a quasi-MMO without text-based chat?
The fact that they don't feel they can adhere to FCC rules about TTS smacks of both "hurrying the game out the door" and "too much money to be worth bothering".
I look at The Division 2 and the fact that it comes out shortly after Anthem and yet it seems that Ubi has no problem making sure they're in compliance with FCC rules.
I think this is a huge mistake on EA's part.
I didn't even know about these rules. If text-to-voice is required, why isn't voice-to-text required for the deaf to be able to understand what others are saying?
I've been turned off from voice chat in games and I prefer to do content that doesn't require it these days.
You'd think that if the FCC regs were this big of a deal everyone in the industry that has games releasing in 2019 would be talking about it. So I'm going to call bullshit on this "it's the evil FCC that killed your text chat."
Not having it may be kind of weird in PC multiplayer games but it isn't that weird on the consoles. Shit even ESO launched their console versions with no text chat and there's nothing quasi about that MMO. It was voice or nothing. I have no idea if they've added text chat options to it yet.
And I agree with everyone saying that most people don't even bother in games that have it on any small 4-man content and that type of content seems to be 100% of Anthem game play.
"Social media gives legions of idiots the right to speak when they once only spoke at a bar after a glass of wine, without harming the community ... but now they have the same right to speak as a Nobel Prize winner. It's the invasion of the idiots”
― Umberto Eco
“Microtransactions? In a single player role-playing game? Are you nuts?” ― CD PROJEKT RED
The article uses some quite strong language, all that he actually said was that they are still in the process of figuring out was was achievable.
I've been working with CVAA for a long while, I can shed a little light.
The USA has for decades enshrined communication as a legal entitlement of people with disabilities. That's why for example phone networks are required to provide relay services, for deaf people to be able to communicate by phone using text input/output.
CVAA updates this to cover modern forms of communication. This covers both VoIP and text chat, under the banner of 'advanced communication services'.
If you provide an advanced communication service you are required to make it accessible. Accessible means that the communications functionality itself plus any interface used to navigate to and operate it must meet the following requirements:
(i) Operable without vision. Provide at least one mode that does not require user vision.
(ii) Operable with low vision and limited or no hearing. Provide at least one mode that permits operation by users with visual acuity between 20/70 and 20/200, without relying on audio output.
(iii) Operable with little or no color perception. Provide at least one mode that does not require user color perception.
(iv) Operable without hearing. Provide at least one mode that does not require user auditory perception.
(v) Operable with limited manual dexterity. Provide at least one mode that does not require user fine motor control or simultaneous actions.
(vi) Operable with limited reach and strength. Provide at least one mode that is operable with user limited reach and strength.
(vii) Operable with a Prosthetic Device. Controls shall be operable without requiring body contact or close body proximity.
(viii) Operable without time dependent controls. Provide at least one mode that does not require a response time or allows response time to be by passed or adjusted by the user over a wide range.
(ix) Operable without speech. Provide at least one mode that does not require user speech.
(x) Operable with limited cognitive skills. Provide at least one mode that minimizes the cognitive, memory, language, and learning skills required of the user.
The relevant points to look at in particular are point (i), point (iv), and point (ix).
So what this means is that yes, there must be a way for someone who can't see to be able to communicate. But there also must be a way for someone who can't hear or can't speak to communicate. Which means that removing text chat isn't really an option; even if you don't have direct text to text messaging you still must have some form of text based communication.
The law came into effect in 2010, with a compliance deadline of 2012. But because games are not exclusively about communication, because communication is just part of what makes up the game experience, the FCC had power to grant the industry temporary waivers to allow for R&D time, to figure out ways to tackle it. 8 years on and the waivers have now expired, so any game launching for the US market from Jan 1st is covered.
There is also a game-specific waiver process, if any requirement looks like it is not realistically achievable you can ask the FCC for permission not to implement it. And there's a bit of flexibility for game that were already mid way through development ahead of the compliance date. But in years to come I wouldn't expect it would be possible for a company with resources of EA's scale to be able to argue that they couldn't afford it.
@Phry I totally disagree with you, just because it's not a "service" doesn't mean people who are disabled don't have the right to entertainment like everyone else.
Sorry, but no, disabled people do not have a "right" to entertainment anymore than abled people. Let's leave the entitlement at the door, otherwise maybe all games should be required to be turn based with unlimited timers for moves so disabled people with limited funtionality can still play? If you're unable to play a game because of a disabilty, life sucks. Find a different game.
What people have a legal right to is communication.
Outside of communication people with disabilities also have a legal right to be able to play any game that is in a federal setting, like a game that is used as part of a training programme in a government department, or an educational game that is used in a school.
@Phry I totally disagree with you, just because it's not a "service" doesn't mean people who are disabled don't have the right to entertainment like everyone else.
Sorry, but no, disabled people do not have a "right" to entertainment anymore than abled people. Let's leave the entitlement at the door, otherwise maybe all games should be required to be turn based with unlimited timers for moves so disabled people with limited funtionality can still play? If you're unable to play a game because of a disabilty, life sucks. Find a different game.
What people have a legal right to is communication.
Outside of communication people with disabilities also have a legal right to be able to play any game that is in a federal setting, like a game that is used as part of a training programme in a government department, or an educational game that is used in a school.
No, people do not have a right to communication, abled or disabled. You can be ignored by anyone who wishes to ignore you, including private companies and even government agencies. Also, people with disabililties do NOT have the right to play games in a federal setting, training programs, or educational programs. Accommodations for disabled people are limited to REASONABLE accommodations, and reasonable accommodations leave out a LOT of disabled people. A person with muscular dystrophy, for example, is not going to be accommodated for a Navy flight simulator. America's Army is a video game originally used to train U.S. Army troops and still used as a recruiting tool. Go tell them you're legally blind and they have to accommodate you. Won't happen.
There is no actual legal requirement for games to accommodate people with disabilities, if they do then it is purely at their own discretion and usually is limited to people who are colour blind etc. If anything it is up to the person who is disabled to obtain for themselves the means with which to play games, there are any number of peripherals that can be purchased that aid players with various disabilities. Nobody is 'entitled' to play games, whether they are disabled, or not.
The article uses some quite strong language, all that he actually said was that they are still in the process of figuring out was was achievable.
I've been working with CVAA for a long while, I can shed a little light.
The USA has for decades enshrined communication as a legal entitlement of people with disabilities. That's why for example phone networks are required to provide relay services, for deaf people to be able to communicate by phone using text input/output.
CVAA updates this to cover modern forms of communication. This covers both VoIP and text chat, under the banner of 'advanced communication services'.
If you provide an advanced communication service you are required to make it accessible. Accessible means that the communications functionality itself plus any interface used to navigate to and operate it must meet the following requirements:
(i) Operable without vision. Provide at least one mode that does not require user vision.
(ii) Operable with low vision and limited or no hearing. Provide at least one mode that permits operation by users with visual acuity between 20/70 and 20/200, without relying on audio output.
(iii) Operable with little or no color perception. Provide at least one mode that does not require user color perception.
(iv) Operable without hearing. Provide at least one mode that does not require user auditory perception.
(v) Operable with limited manual dexterity. Provide at least one mode that does not require user fine motor control or simultaneous actions.
(vi) Operable with limited reach and strength. Provide at least one mode that is operable with user limited reach and strength.
(vii) Operable with a Prosthetic Device. Controls shall be operable without requiring body contact or close body proximity.
(viii) Operable without time dependent controls. Provide at least one mode that does not require a response time or allows response time to be by passed or adjusted by the user over a wide range.
(ix) Operable without speech. Provide at least one mode that does not require user speech.
(x) Operable with limited cognitive skills. Provide at least one mode that minimizes the cognitive, memory, language, and learning skills required of the user.
The relevant points to look at in particular are point (i), point (iv), and point (ix).
So what this means is that yes, there must be a way for someone who can't see to be able to communicate. But there also must be a way for someone who can't hear or can't speak to communicate. Which means that removing text chat isn't really an option; even if you don't have direct text to text messaging you still must have some form of text based communication.
The law came into effect in 2010, with a compliance deadline of 2012. But because games are not exclusively about communication, because communication is just part of what makes up the game experience, the FCC had power to grant the industry temporary waivers to allow for R&D time, to figure out ways to tackle it. 8 years on and the waivers have now expired, so any game launching for the US market from Jan 1st is covered.
There is also a game-specific waiver process, if any requirement looks like it is not realistically achievable you can ask the FCC for permission not to implement it. And there's a bit of flexibility for game that were already mid way through development ahead of the compliance date. But in years to come I wouldn't expect it would be possible for a company with resources of EA's scale to be able to argue that they couldn't afford it.
On the contrary, any lawyer would be more than happy to take that one on because it would be lucrative, and the FCC would be guaranteed to lose. Which is why you will never see the FCC trying to prosecute a game company, even assuming they were daft enough to think they could.
Comments
I personally never use voice chats either, and always prefer text. But, I'm thinking this will be more a game where communication will be irrelevant and unused, in general, if they are considering cutting text.
That's a pretty poor excuse to not slap in a text system(not like it's hard to add text chat to a game), but that's what I'm reading into it.
It will be a game where there are probably a few people who do voice-chat with their close friends, and everyone else will largely just not have any real communication beyond running up and helping kill an enemy or something... hmm, maybe it is a modern MMO after all
How many people who play console MMOs actually speak to others through text anyway? I'd be curious to know. I know people who play games like ESO, etc., and just don't do chat at all.
I don't know one person that doesn't have keyboard for their PC.
I don't know one person that has a keyboard/pad for their console.
but what if i don't have friends playing the game? i would need a global chat to look for groups
I didn't even know about these rules. If text-to-voice is required, why isn't voice-to-text required for the deaf to be able to understand what others are saying?
I've been turned off from voice chat in games and I prefer to do content that doesn't require it these days.
Not having it may be kind of weird in PC multiplayer games but it isn't that weird on the consoles. Shit even ESO launched their console versions with no text chat and there's nothing quasi about that MMO. It was voice or nothing. I have no idea if they've added text chat options to it yet.
And I agree with everyone saying that most people don't even bother in games that have it on any small 4-man content and that type of content seems to be 100% of Anthem game play.
“Microtransactions? In a single player role-playing game? Are you nuts?”
― CD PROJEKT RED
I've been working with CVAA for a long while, I can shed a little light.
The USA has for decades enshrined communication as a legal entitlement of people with disabilities. That's why for example phone networks are required to provide relay services, for deaf people to be able to communicate by phone using text input/output.
CVAA updates this to cover modern forms of communication. This covers both VoIP and text chat, under the banner of 'advanced communication services'.
If you provide an advanced communication service you are required to make it accessible. Accessible means that the communications functionality itself plus any interface used to navigate to and operate it must meet the following requirements:
(i) Operable without vision. Provide at least one mode that does not require user vision.
(ii) Operable with low vision and limited or no hearing. Provide at least one mode that permits operation by users with visual acuity between 20/70 and 20/200, without relying on audio output.
(iii) Operable with little or no color perception. Provide at least one mode that does not require user color perception.
(iv) Operable without hearing. Provide at least one mode that does not require user auditory perception.
(v) Operable with limited manual dexterity. Provide at least one mode that does not require user fine motor control or simultaneous actions.
(vi) Operable with limited reach and strength. Provide at least one mode that is operable with user limited reach and strength.
(vii) Operable with a Prosthetic Device. Controls shall be operable without requiring body contact or close body proximity.
(viii) Operable without time dependent controls. Provide at least one mode that does not require a response time or allows response time to be by passed or adjusted by the user over a wide range.
(ix) Operable without speech. Provide at least one mode that does not require user speech.
(x) Operable with limited cognitive skills. Provide at least one mode that minimizes the cognitive, memory, language, and learning skills required of the user.
The relevant points to look at in particular are point (i), point (iv), and point (ix).
So what this means is that yes, there must be a way for someone who can't see to be able to communicate. But there also must be a way for someone who can't hear or can't speak to communicate. Which means that removing text chat isn't really an option; even if you don't have direct text to text messaging you still must have some form of text based communication.
The law came into effect in 2010, with a compliance deadline of 2012. But because games are not exclusively about communication, because communication is just part of what makes up the game experience, the FCC had power to grant the industry temporary waivers to allow for R&D time, to figure out ways to tackle it. 8 years on and the waivers have now expired, so any game launching for the US market from Jan 1st is covered.
There is also a game-specific waiver process, if any requirement looks like it is not realistically achievable you can ask the FCC for permission not to implement it. And there's a bit of flexibility for game that were already mid way through development ahead of the compliance date. But in years to come I wouldn't expect it would be possible for a company with resources of EA's scale to be able to argue that they couldn't afford it.
What people have a legal right to is communication.
Outside of communication people with disabilities also have a legal right to be able to play any game that is in a federal setting, like a game that is used as part of a training programme in a government department, or an educational game that is used in a school.
Nobody is 'entitled' to play games, whether they are disabled, or not.