Yoshi-P comments on voice chat support

[Laraul]

I would like it if the PS3 released some kind of VC software that was compatible with PC's. I know the PSP has Skype but it's a pretty big bandwidth hog in comparison to some other chat programs out there like Mumble and Ventrilo. I'll have bandwidth troubles in a three way conversation in Skype while I can have a convo with 15 other people in Ventrilo and not worry as much about my voice turning into a robot. Also, if it were accessible through the PS3's XMB and PSN's servers were used for it then bandwidth wouldn't be an issue (for SE at least).

The PS3 can use any type of voice chat encoding it wishes. Portal 2 PS3 can chat just fine with the PC version via VoIP. But no one is going to seriously use voice chat in an MMO (well this MMO at least). It's too problematic. Just setting up the software alone is a huge amount of work and effort. Well at least for Ventrillo. Which is a pretty poor piece of software. Too many options... overwhelms the user. Large groups aren't going to deal with getting everyone prepped to use it when text chat is an viable alternative.

I remember when Xbox live came out, and it's big "thing" was it's voice chat support. With "voice masking" software. Everyone hated the voice masking. And the actual voice chat was rarely used. The only times I remember using it we're for one on one stuff. That's it.

BTW Ventrillo doesn't support binds via the controller. Considering how many people use the controller (Japanese players I imagine, as well as FFXI migrants) I don't see this ever being widely adopted.