The AI voice revolution in gaming - where is it?

[Eyestabber]

If you spend any amount of time on YT you certainly ran into videos like "American presidents discuss X" where X is usually related to gaming. These videos are made using AI voices that sound remarkably similar to the real voice of Trump/Biden/Obama and that got me thinking: why isn't such technology revolutionizing game development? If Eleventh Labs and other tools can be trained to mimic the POTUS with like 99% similarity, why isn't AI voiced content not EXPLODING overnight in the gaming sphere? Are we not living in times when even games made by one guy can be fully voiced by AI and sound much better than, say, Stalker: Shadow of Chernobyl? Why aren't the same modders that make custom quests and modules not training the AI tool on the voice of existing characters, so that you can get Bastila Shan to say "force choke me harder, Revan!!!"?

Can anyone provide some insight on why the AI voice revolution isn't upon us yet? Is the technology not as advanced as I think, is it too expensive or is it some legal jewry going on? Discuss!

[rusty_shackleford]

the people making games are the same people who break down crying at the thought of using AI voice

[TKVNC]

Is it not tied to performance issues?

[Valter]

Right now it's easy to make it read audiobooks but harder to make it display appropriate emotional range. Expect it to soon be used for shittier roles like no-name sidequest NPCs, dunno how much longer it'll take to encompass main roles

[Stack of Turtles]

AI voice still hasn't crossed the uncanny valley threshold for many people. Some people like it but they seem to have a lower threshold.

[Tangerine]

If you spend any amount of time on YT you certainly ran into videos like "American presidents discuss X" where X is usually related to gaming. These videos are made using AI voices that sound remarkably similar to the real voice of Trump/Biden/Obama and that got me thinking: why isn't such technology revolutionizing game development? If Eleventh Labs and other tools can be trained to mimic the POTUS with like 99% similarity, why isn't AI voiced content not EXPLODING overnight in the gaming sphere? Are we not living in times when even games made by one guy can be fully voiced by AI and sound much better than, say, Stalker: Shadow of Chernobyl? Why aren't the same modders that make custom quests and modules not training the AI tool on the voice of existing characters, so that you can get Bastila Shan to say "force choke me harder, Revan!!!"?

Can anyone provide some insight on why the AI voice revolution isn't upon us yet? Is the technology not as advanced as I think, is it too expensive or is it some legal jewry going on? Discuss!

It's primarily a social issue. As Rusty said, a bunch of **** get teary-eyed at the thought of getting replaced by a robot that will work harder and longer than they will without forcing their politics, so they're kicking and screaming to discourage major studios from using it. Once the big studios replace the majority of the staff with *****, don't be surprised to see more AI voice work.

[Eyestabber]

But why aren't modders and small studios using it? They are the ones who stand to benefit the most, especially the latter since I doubt they will care much about the plight of VAs when a potential increase in sales is on the line.

[J1M]

It takes 7 years to make a AAA game. Anything coming out in the next year already had the voice recording done the traditional way.

There was a Darth Vader Fortnite event that showcased the technology.

[Rienen]

But why aren't modders and small studios using it?

I came across multiple indie games using AI art and/or AI VA during the last Steam Next Fest. So they are out there. Like clockwork, though, there were always a few people who complained about it on the game's board.

Most of the AI VA I came across were used for opening cinematics, but a few were used for characters in the world. I couldn't care less.

[Eyestabber]

But was it GOOD, tho?

[rusty_shackleford]

games won't make widespread use of AI until steam does something about the insane people review-bombing games for it

[WhiteShark]

But why aren't modders and small studios using it?

The modders around here have been using it for their BG3 mods. The average modder is probably too caught up on "voice rights" or whatever they're calling it.

[DoubleOO7]

For official games, I've only seen it done in the finals. It's also done very well, I had to be told it was ai voices to even know it

[Oyster Sauce]

It's currently a PR nightmare. I'd say it's about as bad as the lead developer saying "******" maliciously.

[Norfleet]

The modders around here have been using it for their BG3 mods. The average modder is probably too caught up on "voice rights" or whatever they're calling it.

I would think that'd only be an issue if they were using the AI to imitate a real voice, as opposed to using the AI to emulate a fictional voice.

[rusty_shackleford]

It's currently a PR nightmare. I'd say it's about as bad as the lead developer saying "******" maliciously.

Luddites who expect indies making small projects to shell out thousands of dollars for professional VAs are ridiculous.
The coordination alone is a significant amount of overhead, you'd probably also need to hire someone to manage all the VAs, get the recordings right, etc., Woops, there goes more time/money.

[Norfleet]

Luddites who expect indies making small projects to shell out thousands of dollars for professional VAs are ridiculous.
The coordination alone is a significant amount of overhead, you'd probably also need to hire someone to manage all the VAs, get the recordings right, etc., Woops, there goes more time/money.

And where would they even FIND one? I don't know any. Do you know any?

[Val the Moofia Boss]

Luddites who expect indies making small projects to shell out thousands of dollars for professional VAs are ridiculous.
The coordination alone is a significant amount of overhead, you'd probably also need to hire someone to manage all the VAs, get the recordings right, etc., Woops, there goes more time/money.

And where would they even FIND one? I don't know any. Do you know any?

There are a few voice acting forums and casting websites that VAs follow, I forgot the names of them off of the top of my head. IIRC Matt Mercer and Crispin Freeman on their podcasts about voice work talked about recording reels and sending them in to companies.

[Norfleet]

There are a few voice acting forums and casting websites that VAs follow, I forgot the names of them off of the top of my head.

And do you think random indie developers who are NOT voice actors follow such forums? Do you think they know any of those people? You don't know this site. I don't know this site. If we wanted to make a game, that would be completely useless to us.

IIRC Matt Mercer and Crispin Freeman on their podcasts about voice work talked about recording reels and sending them in to companies.

Yes, well, I have no idea who those people are, so how's that of any use?

[gerey]

English VAs are in the process of making themselves very unappealing with their hysterics and increasing attempts to strongarm companies via their gay unions, so I imagine we'll be seeing an increasing push for AI voice acting in the future.

Darth Vader's actor already signed away the rights to his voice before his death, so the ice is already broken in that regard. All that is needed is for the English VAs to have another few chimpouts for publishers to get fed up enough to attempt a big project voice partially or fully with AI, and once they see that the general public could give less of a flying **** about muh worker rights, the floodgates will truly open.

Oh, right, let me post the dysgenic VA freak again:

Imagine being a company and having to pay this thing to be featured in your product, while the mutant is busy on social media alienating a massive chunk of the potential userbase with her antics.

[Val the Moofia Boss]

There are a few voice acting forums and casting websites that VAs follow, I forgot the names of them off of the top of my head.

And do you think random indie developers who are NOT voice actors follow such forums? Do you think they know any of those people? You don't know this site. I don't know this site. If we wanted to make a game, that would be completely useless to us.

IIRC Matt Mercer and Crispin Freeman on their podcasts about voice work talked about recording reels and sending them in to companies.

Yes, well, I have no idea who those people are, so how's that of any use?

Matt Mercer and Crispin Freeman are amongst the biggest game and anime voice actors in the West. You might know Matt Mercer as the host of that recorded-for-Youtube D&D campaign series Critical Role, which forums like these now despise. Only VAs who might be more prominent than them would be the fem Shep VA Jennifer Hale and Troy Baker, but AFAIK they weren't offering extensive inside looks into the VA industry like Mercer and Freeman did.

[gerey]

Critical Role

Anyone involved in that abomination, as well as their families and friends, should be rounded up and gassed.

Also, it's always funny to me that female VAs are the ones that will screech the loudest and DEMAND mods not use their precious voice, while male VAs usually tend to be more chill and won't C&D a mod for using AI to replicate their voice.

[Norfleet]

Matt Mercer and Crispin Freeman are amongst the biggest game and anime voice actors in the West.

Which means that they're both overused and overpriced, and as celebrities, they are functionally uncontactable (not to mention unaffordable) by random plebian developers. How's this of any use when you need something like this for a few dozen or more NPCs? If you tried to contact any of these people, you'd be thrown out by their security guards. Even if you knew some way to contact them, celebrities are awful people to work with.

You might know Matt Mercer as the host of that recorded-for-Youtube D&D campaign series Critical Role, which forums like these now despise.

I have no idea what that is.

[J1M]

There are a few voice acting forums and casting websites that VAs follow, I forgot the names of them off of the top of my head.

And do you think random indie developers who are NOT voice actors follow such forums? Do you think they know any of those people? You don't know this site. I don't know this site. If we wanted to make a game, that would be completely useless to us.

IIRC Matt Mercer and Crispin Freeman on their podcasts about voice work talked about recording reels and sending them in to companies.

Yes, well, I have no idea who those people are, so how's that of any use?

Also if they hire a union actor they have to only hire union actors or get sued.

[Oyster Sauce]

I've been playing WoW with the mod that has NPCs speak quest dialogue automatically after you instantly accept it and sprint away. It's really nice. I'm learning so much about these quests I've never cared about before.

https://github.com/mrthinger/wow-voiceover/releases/

[rusty_shackleford]

I've been playing WoW with the mod that has NPCs speak quest dialogue automatically after you instantly accept it and sprint away. It's really nice. I'm learning so much about these quests I've never cared about before.

https://github.com/mrthinger/wow-voiceover/releases/

I heard bl*zzard banned this mod, anyone know why?

[Oyster Sauce]

I've been playing WoW with the mod that has NPCs speak quest dialogue automatically after you instantly accept it and sprint away. It's really nice. I'm learning so much about these quests I've never cared about before.

https://github.com/mrthinger/wow-voiceover/releases/

I heard bl*zzard banned this mod, anyone know why?

https://www.wowhead.com/classic/news/vo ... sts-332419

Hello TioMiklas,

I’m Josh Allen, from the World of Warcraft Community Team. We came across your Voice Acted Quests project, and I have to say, the work you’ve put into it is very impressive!

Unfortunately, I’ve been told that this project infringes on our intellectual copyrights in a way that we can’t allow. You may recall a similar situation with an addon called “Warcraft Tales” a few months ago. While your project is slightly different, it’s still considered a re-performance of our established works.

Because of that, we have to ask you to stop production and distribution of the Voice Acted Quests project. Rather than going straight to delivering a legal notice, they’ve asked me to contact you directly to deliver the news and answer any questions you may have. Like I said, it’s a very impressive project and we recognize the amount of work you’ve put into it, it’s just not the sort of thing we can allow to be created using our copyright.

Sorry for the bad news,

Josh
The issue isn't about any potential monetary gains. The issue is simply that Blizzard doesn't want third parties to create in-game story content for WoW, and creating a vocal performance for existing lines falls inside that. No one here thinks you’re trying to be malicious – I’m being completely honest when I say we found your work impressive!

That’s about the extent of what I can comment on myself. Anything further would need to come from our legal team.

People are still using it, or an alternate mod, as of a few months ago.

[rusty_shackleford]

I've been playing WoW with the mod that has NPCs speak quest dialogue automatically after you instantly accept it and sprint away. It's really nice. I'm learning so much about these quests I've never cared about before.

https://github.com/mrthinger/wow-voiceover/releases/

I heard bl*zzard banned this mod, anyone know why?

https://www.wowhead.com/classic/news/vo ... sts-332419

Hello TioMiklas,

I’m Josh Allen, from the World of Warcraft Community Team. We came across your Voice Acted Quests project, and I have to say, the work you’ve put into it is very impressive!

Unfortunately, I’ve been told that this project infringes on our intellectual copyrights in a way that we can’t allow. You may recall a similar situation with an addon called “Warcraft Tales” a few months ago. While your project is slightly different, it’s still considered a re-performance of our established works.

Because of that, we have to ask you to stop production and distribution of the Voice Acted Quests project. Rather than going straight to delivering a legal notice, they’ve asked me to contact you directly to deliver the news and answer any questions you may have. Like I said, it’s a very impressive project and we recognize the amount of work you’ve put into it, it’s just not the sort of thing we can allow to be created using our copyright.

Sorry for the bad news,

Josh
The issue isn't about any potential monetary gains. The issue is simply that Blizzard doesn't want third parties to create in-game story content for WoW, and creating a vocal performance for existing lines falls inside that. No one here thinks you’re trying to be malicious – I’m being completely honest when I say we found your work impressive!

That’s about the extent of what I can comment on myself. Anything further would need to come from our legal team.

People are still using it, or an alternate mod, as of a few months ago.

******* ridiculous.

Unfortunately, I’ve been told that this project infringes on our intellectual copyrights in a way that we can’t allow. You may recall a similar situation with an addon called “Warcraft Tales” a few months ago. While your project is slightly different, it’s still considered a re-performance of our established works.

Yeah, which Blizzard, as the owner of the works, can allow without doing anything about it.
As bad as Nintendo.

[Demonic Fate]

There are a few voice acting forums and casting websites that VAs follow, I forgot the names of them off of the top of my head.

And do you think random indie developers who are NOT voice actors follow such forums? Do you think they know any of those people? You don't know this site. I don't know this site. If we wanted to make a game, that would be completely useless to us.

Making a game all alone takes a long, long time — maybe many, many days and nights. While you wait and work, you can learn new things. Learning new things means asking questions, like, 'Where can I find someone who will talk in my game with funny voices, but not cost too many dollars?' Then you look around, ask people, or use a computer to find the answer. That’s called researching — it’s like being a little detective who wants to learn stuff.

AI will still be much better, though.

[Norfleet]

Learning new things means asking questions

No, it doesn't. Why would you ask questions if you wanted to learn anything? That's not how the Internet works. You don't learn anything by asking questions. You learn them by confidently giving the wrong answers.