GamingNexus: When pushing voice over a network there's usually a trade off between quality and bandwidth requirements (higher quality requires more bandwidth), where does Vivox stand on this?
Yes, there is a balance to be had between quality, bandwidth, and CPU load. In general you get higher quality with higher bandwidth. To reduce bandwidth, you need to compress the audio stream, which costs CPU and quality. We are always experimenting with options to balance these considerations and provide users with the best experience with minimal system impact.
GamingNexus: Is the company strictly about voice chat for games or do you have other services? Are there other markets that you are considering expanding into?
We are all about voice in games. But voice for us isn’t just talking; it includes all of the controls, procedures, rules and permissions, and logical structures to make voice valuable in a 3D immersive virtual environment. In addition, we are always looking to bring more features to the gaming community to give players options on how and where they can connect with their fellow players and friends. For example, we recently gave away a million minutes of free calling from inside Second Life, allowing users to make calls to real phones from inside the virtual world. We see more of this blurring between the virtual and physical worlds coming, from simple things like calling an out-of-world friend or ordering a pizza without leaving the game, to much more involved applications.
GamingNexus: Vivox recently signed deals with companies within Second Life and EVE Online, is it your plan to work strictly with MMO's or would you consider branching out into other genre's like the first person shooters?
We are not limited to just MMOs. In fact, we just recently announced a partnership with K2 Network. They will be integrating Vivox voice into their FPS, War Rock. We are also active in other genres including serious games and other non-game online communities. There is a need for high-quality, integrated communications throughout the internet as communities flourish and expand. EVE Online was our first MMO client, and we are very excited about the months ahead as we will be announcing several new partners in early 2007 in the online gaming and other markets.
GamingNexus: Is Vivox technology something that can be "baked" into a game or is it always going to be a separate application?
Vivox voice capabilities are already “baked” into our customers’ games. Players do not need to load a second application or ALT/Tab to see the chat screens.
GamingNexus: Where do you see the VOIP market going in 5 years? In 10 years?
Voice will become a pervasive part of the online experience. You will no longer be tied to discrete networks and devices (regular phones, cell phones, etc.), but instead high-quality, immersive communication will be part of your normal online activities. For game developers and publishers, this will open up a host of ways to improve immersion, the player experience, strengthen community, create additional revenue and drive their brand across platforms and modes of interaction.
GamingNexus: Is there anything I missed that you would like to talk about?
Thank you for giving us the opportunity to reach your readers. We are thrilled with the reception we have received from the gaming community and look forward to bringing better communications to gamers.
We'd like to thank Rob for taking the time to answer our questions as well as to Doug for helping to coordinate this interview.
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