Whenever the company Vivox is mentioned, VP of Product Management and Marketing Monty Sharma almost always comes to mind. He's always actively campaigning for their VOIP gaming technology and to be frank about it, the service is indeed innovative and impressive. We came across the guy again today through an interview by gaming site MMORPG and as always, he always has something new and interesting to say.

Sharma initially reflected on how the in-game voice service change the game. "As we've all learned the hard way, typing and combat don't mix - it's a good way to die. And being able to talk freely improves strategy because your guild can discuss the plan of attack in detail without being tied to the keyboard for IM."

He then went on to  enumerate rival companies like Ventrilo and TeamSpeak and emphasized that the main difference between them is that Vivox requires no separate application to run and no credentials and server addresses to negotiate.

As of now, MMOs such as Fallen Earth and EVE Online use the Vivox technology. However, Sharma reveals that they are most excited about their partnership with BigWorld. "We have integrated our voice services into BigWorld's suite of game development tools. Game developers using the BigWorld Technology Suite can now have access to a pre-implemented and tested voice solution," the official said.

Lastly, Sharma would like to remind everyone that the Vivox technology can actually be used even if the player is not in the game. He even mentioned an example of that feature's benefits - "Imagine that your guild is about to plan a raid and you need to have an important strategy meeting, but you are stuck in your car commuting, or your corporation is under attack, and you need to get a message to all of the members whether they are in the game or not. You shouldn't be left out just because you are not running the game."

We've all heard about how the devs ranted about the proliferation of World of Warcraft copycat MMOs during the Austin Game Conference. Well, the nice folks at Massively Online Gamer just released their interview videos of several developers that they managed to corner during they AGC.

The good thing about the MOG interviews is that they mostly focus on the games the developers have up, instead of the rants they have about WoW dupes. Focusing too much on rants is sort of counter productive after all.

First up (they'll be releasing the rest of the interviews in the future, so we'll update you once those are up) is Lee Hammock, Lead Game Designer for Icarus Studios. Click play below to see what he had to say about Fallen Earth.

Part 1

Get the other parts of the interview after the jump!

There is still no word as to when Fallen Earth will be released. Developer Icarus Studios has always maintained that it will be due out when it is done. To tell you the truth, it is quite refreshing to see a company taking time perfecting its craft, instead of dumping half-baked games into the market. But with a storyline like Fallen Earth, everybody's curious regarding the game's whatabouts.

It was a good thing that no less than Christophe Watkins himself, the studios' VP for Business Development, was at hand during this year's GDC to provide new information and preview of their company's first offering. To start things off, Watkins stresses that strength lies in a believable storyline. Unlike most fantasy MMOs out there, Fallen Earth is very much reflective of our society's current situation: terror, pollution, global warming, mutating viruses and genetic manipulation. Sounds eerily familiar, we know.

Of course, how can a game be believable if not for outstanding graphics and real-like environment? It is not a problem with Fallen Earth as it features a full physics system based on the AGEIA PhysX Processor. Also, audio plays a very crucial component in this game. Watkins proudly shares that a noise meter is attached to every player that may tip off an NPC to their location.

A vast selection for character customization is available, ranging from normal skin and hair to body tattoos and piercings. Also,
players will be able to attach weapons to different parts of their bodies, such as the hips, back, arms and legs. Watkins then pointed out to watch out for the amazing Day/Night and season system that makes the world truly lifelike.

And just when you think Fallen Earth could improve no further, the aspect of genetic manipulation and mutation will make you well, think again. According to Watkins, th game does not use classes to define players’ abilities. Instead, players will be awarded allocation points (AP) to increase whatever abilities they choose. Genetic manipulation increases power and establish individuality and status as well. The game also allows players to join socio-political factions that best meet their play style, skills, and personal philosophies.

Finally, while Fallen Earth focuses on PvE, PVP is also available in select areas. There, what more can we say? With all these ideas outside the box, maybe it would be wise to remain patient and let Icarus Studios work its magic. It will be due out when it's done, they say. We say, we'll be waiting and will get ready for Fallen Earth.

 

Ever seen those truckers use their Citizen Band Radio Service (CB) before? You'd hear them talk in weird languages and laugh all the time. They'd also give each other tips on where the heavy traffic locations are, so that the other truckers would be able to avoid them. Cool thing. Well, EVE Online, has something like that now, via-Vivox technology. It's a technology that delivers high quality and real-time  in-game voice communication. Now, your character doesn't have to die because your typing speed was too slow.

Although we reported that it's already being used in EVE Online and Fallen Earth, we'd like to delve further into how it's being used in the game. So far, almost all chat text-based channels have been overlaid with voice chat audio. Traditional chat functions like kick, ban, mute, un-mute are being voice implemented. One of the more creative gameplay applications so far is during fleet combats. Remember old Star Trek episodes where they needed to go on "radio silence" to not get noticed by the enemy? Yep, they do that here now. It's a way so that the enemy doesn't hear their plans.

Monty Sharma, Vivox's VP of Product Management and Marketing, also mentioned that they're planning to add voice font tools--it allows voice pitch and modulation. Therefore you should have the voice to match your avatar. Another thing they'd love to add is a player calling out from within the game from a virtual phone booth. The tentative date for voice font implementation will be around December, while the phone booth capability is still in the works.

How will this affect the overhead and how heavy will the patch be? It seems that there shouldn't be any additional overhead to the game on any broadband connected PC, once the voice font tools have been implemented. The patch should weigh in about 2MB to the game file base. In short, it shouldn't leave a dent to your gameplay and pockets. Wouldn't it be nice if EVE Online users have their own CB-like Slang? Like the idea? Nodamene? Forty two!

Lee Hammock, the lead designer of Fallen Earth from Icarus Studios, demonstrated the game earlier this week at the Austin Game Conference. For those not familiar with the game, it's set in a post-apocalyptic world where gamers play the roles of various mutated humans (yup, I'll be calling myself "Mad Max" from now on). But there's more: as mutated humans, you have special abilities (yup, I'll be calling myself "Mad X-Max" from now on). Here are the details:

• Vivox technology that delivers high quality and real-time in-game voice communication">Vivox technology that delivers high quality and real-time in-game voice communication">Vivox Voice Over IP: You'll be so busy using your hands to control your character that you'll need voice. The demo run went great: voice communication was fast and clear, and the graphics of the game went smoothly, too.
• Crafting: Almost every item in the game will be crafted by players. You don't go after a giant monster to get a rare weapon. You get a rare component that you use to make a weapon. And there's time involved; it takes a few hours (either online or offline time; the time still keeps counting even while you're offline) to make a gun but it'll take days or weeks to make something more complex (like a car). You can only craft one item at a time.
• PVP: There are 6 factions in the game organized as a six-sided wheel. The faction across the wheel is the great enemy, the 2 factions next to you on the wheel are allies, and the remaining 2 factions (sandwiched between your allies and your great enemy) are on the cusp between being friendly and being hostile. You don't have to choose a faction right away, and you can do missions for any faction to earn "reputation points." The reputation points fuel the drama: for every positive point in your favor, you lose two points from the opposing faction.

Considering that Icarus Studios is behind the Icarus Studios Technology Suite (a collection of high quality fully-integrated tools), and considering the fact that this was developed in order to make Fallen Earth, we're going to keep an eye on this game. The world is interesting, and the game design along with the crafting and the factions add more depth to it. Meanwhile, I'll go practice my Mad X-Max pose.

Today, gaming publisher Icarus Studios and online voice communications specialist Vivox technology that delivers high quality and real-time in-game voice communication">Vivox announced that they are teaming up to provide on-demand, in-game voice communication for the upcoming MMORPG, Fallen Earth. Vivox technology that delivers high quality and real-time in-game voice communication">Vivox will provide Icarus with game-embedded voice custom communication services to be integrated into the game experience. Players will have the ability to talk to other players and create private audio conference channels and join or leave channels at will. Best of all, since the voice communication will be hosted by Vivox, there should be little, if any, impact on game performance.

The MMO is set in a near future post-apocalyptic world struggling to emerge from the collapse of civilization, brought on by perpetual warfare, pandemics, and environmental disaster.

"We pride ourselves on our cutting edge, internally developed technology, but when it comes to offering real-time voice communications to our players, we turned to Vivox for their ability to deliver superior server side VoIP technology and easy expansion for external and cross-game IP voice chat," said Icarus Studios CEO Jim Hettinger. "The Vivox Network managed service offering allows us to get up and running quickly. In addition, they have been great partners in the development effort to bring our vision for in-game communications in Fallen Earth to life."

Vivox CEO Rob Seaver added, "Industry veterans and visionaries such as the Icarus team continue to raise the bar for richer gaming experiences in an exhilarating MMOG market...including real-time voice in Fallen Earth demonstrates their commitment to innovation and to the immersive player experience".

Fallen Earth is all about a nightmare world where the last human survivors struggle to survive on a planet nearing ecological collapse. Icarus Studios plans to offer a preview of game demonstrating the embedded voice solution at the Vivox booth number 314 at the Austin Games Conference, September 6-8 in Austin, Texas.

"O, what a piece of work is Man..." - William Shakespeare

"Two hundred years in the future...world civilization has crumbled into radioactive dust. A century-and-a-half of warfare has brought unending plagues and a planetary ecosystem on the verge of collapse. The remnants of once amazing technologies exist side-by-side with the most primitive of survival skills and strange new powers that border on magic.

"Beneath the ruins of Man's puny works, a wealth of knowledge lies buried...knowledge that  could mean resurrection and renewal - or final death..."

Welcome to the post-apocalyptic world of Fallen Earth, published by Icarus Studios, LLC. These fine folks have been kind enough to supply some exclusive screenshots from their flagship game. Just click on the thumbnails below and enjoy!

   

Fallen Earth is a post-apocalyptic MMO due out "when it's done". There isn't much information available on this title but the screenshot to the right, sourced from MMORPG.com, looks promising. At least we're not seeing the same old stuff when it comes to MMOs and companies are finally starting to branch out a bit.

Here's a bit of info on the game, from the Fallen Earth site:

A world struggling to emerge from the collapse of civilization… a global collapse brought on by a century and a half of war and plague, environmental disaster and the final death-throes of civilization.

A world changed, evolved, mutated... where remnants of great technologies exist in uneasy balance with primitive skills and strange new powers…A world whose wealth of knowledge lies beneath the dust and ashes of its violent past, buried…

A world whose inhabitants must learn to recover, restore, rebuild, and battle…