Mass Effect 3 gets Kinect support with voice recognition

by Ben Gilbert on Jun 6th 2011 12:52PM

Mass Effect 3 will allow you to choose whether various characters live or die, BioWare announced this morning during Microsoft's E3 2011 press conference. CEO Ray Muzyka took to the stage to reveal the added functionality -- rumored just this past week -- detailing the functionality as voice commands for various effect.

Choosing whether characters live or die (by voice) and ordering around your squad around the battlefield were both shown off, though it's possible more features will be added before the game's planned early 2012 launch. We're not exactly sure why Kinect is required for this functionality where an Xbox 360 headset would work (a la Ruse), but it sure is neat being able to command someone's death with nothing more than the sound of our voice.

Tags: bioware, e3-2011, kinect, mass-effect-3, microsoft, ray-muzyka, voice-commands, voice-recognition, xbox

Reader Comments (49)

did they say why you couldn't just use, oh i dont know, a freaking mic to do it?

But they can't sell a mic for $150, duh.

I used to think Kinect was stupid, now I realize it's the icon for all that's wrong with gaming.

@jsx

I don't know...

Tony Hawk Shred is a pretty damn good icon too, and its peripheral is what, $200?

@jsx

Go troll somewhere else, loser.

@Cleric

I'll continue to use the much quicker and much less room-for-error method of:

Pressing the correct button!

Ta-daa!

@pradius Actually he makes a valid point. its true some interesting games are coming out of kinect but i dont think it can justify its $150 price tag quite yet. It seems senseless to call him a loser for voicing his opinion.

This feature seems interesting but having a headset do this same function would be nice. Im sure its going to be added somewhere along development line.

Well, it's pretty cool for those who have it I guess.

Though, I already find myself talking to the characters...

You:
"My name is Commander Shepard and Kinect is my favorite mic on the Citadel."

Game:
"My name is Commander Shepard and Kinect is my favorite mic on the Citadel."

You:
"Is there an echo in here?"

I'm.....impressed!
Managed to put it in the game without it being needed for just some minigame. If this works as well as it looks they have actualy managed to make me interested in kinect.

It's impressive, as is the new Ghost Recon with Kinect support. I am sold.

i thought the punch was cooler than the voice activated stuff. So damn excited for this game.

I was thinking that Kinect would be awesome to use for the hacking minigames from ME2 (if those come back).

Imagine dragging the line from one dot to the other. Totally out of Minority Report.

Oh god that footage is sick........soooo stoked for this release

@YoungCardinals
What footage?

@Timerider

I was watching it being streamed live at the time

Well, clearly I will be getting Kinect now...

This actually seems pretty cool. I'm surprised. Now I'm going to have to remember the names of all the abilities I can use.

i just replayed Mass Effect 2 last week.... i had about enough of friggen companions and loyalty quests... next time i will try to kill them ALL in the suicide mission, go in completely unprepared and with low skill... that should do the trick...

@Z3R0B4NG

A word of advice, if you want to carry that save file over you have to keep at least 2 squad mates alive!

Hmm..if Kinect is coming to Windows...

I wonder if the Windows version will have Kinect support.....

I REFUSE TO USE KINECT FOR ANY GAME, THIS HAD BETTER BE JUST A STUPID OPTION THAT YOU CAN TURN OFF AND JUST PLAY THE GAME THE WAY IT WAS MEANT TO BE PLAYED WITH A MOUSE AND KEYBOARD OR A CONTROLER

@possdoom

I hope your use of all caps really gets to them. Really. I do.

/sarcasm

@possdoom
Cruise control for cool!

@electriceye
still have to steer etc.

@Its The Rocketeer well im the kind of gamer that thinks the Kinect, Move and since the Wii all Nintendo products are the death of video games

@possdoom

Oh, so an idiot.

@mrmojoz motion control has no bizness being in a established games that have had MAJOR success without it, if you and motion control in games put it in new series (which i will not play) not in the dramatic and epic conclusion to one of the best scifi games series of the of the decade

@possdoom Spelling business as "bizness" has no business being in an established language.

@theAscetic i b lev that wen on the intrnet usin leters 2 pronounc the soundz that colecton ov leters maks IS an established language when it's on the internet that is as it is quicker that spelling out the word properly just so ya knw

hai guyz

didnt the original socom do this too

and better?

I wonder who is going to get more bells & whistles...? MS or Sony? ;P

Interesting idea

too bad I have no interest in ME3

Those romance options are going to be reeeaaally awkward with kinect...

@Ospov

*crosses fingers*
I hope they are adding Legion!

/s

Garrus and Mordin! PUMPED! New melee!? PUMPED! I'm gonna laugh in a few months when they say the PS3 Eye can do those mic functions or just all mics on all platforms in general.

Oh, If only the Mass Effect universe had choppers that teammates could be told to get to.

Hell yes!! I was already going to get ME3, but this is just freaking awesome!!!

Biggest point to this, was the female krogan in the trailer. A FEMALE KROGAN!

My only question now is...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5O_rXZ381vo

I'm hoping the answer is yes!

That melee move was the best part.

oh boy now they wanna sell us the 150$ casual toy for the included mic so we can chat with the team
and ME3 keeps getting better and better

@bonkbonks

Kinect control is OPTIONAL. Troll harder.

@Odog4ever where did you hears that cuz if thats true i will no longer be mad at bioware and want to destroy the reapers again

Why do I have a feeling that ME3 was delayed just for this? So the PS3 and PC gamers also have to suffer getting a delayed game just so the 360 could get Kinect? You know they wouldn't delay the 360 version only, they have to delay all of them. > : (

Do you have proof? ME2 game out around the same time of year and it didn't have to worry about any real competition from Q4 releases. Thinking they want to repeat history.

Also do you think that Bioware is not just going to polish all aspects of this game with the extra time they are taking? Are they really going to finish the game , let it sit on the shelf for other platfroms, so they can take months to implement voice control? Does it even take that many extra months to implement voice control?

GEEZUS THAT LOOKED GREAT.

Finally big games having Kinect support, and looking GOOD with it too.

But I did just upgrade my computer... hopefully, they give voice recognition for PC as well.

Sweet a less effect control system!

@F1shBone

And half of joystiq finds it AMAZING. So this garbage will sell and gaming goes down the drain little by little.

"there's and idiot born every minute"

"We're not exactly sure why Kinect is required for this functionality where an Xbox 360 headset would work (a la Ruse)"

So they can try to sell more kinects? I'm sure that they would say that it can only be done with kinect, but I doubt it. It's just something to show off as an exclusive feature. Maybe if enough fans ask, they'll enable it for headsets (which could then be done on both systems), but I doubt it.

...ok...so how about the actual game itself?

Mass Effect 3

Mass Effect 3 gets Kinect support with voice recognition

Reader Comments (49)

Posted: Jun 6th 2011 12:57PM Cleric said

Posted: Jun 6th 2011 1:08PM jsx said

Posted: Jun 6th 2011 1:19PM DevilSei said

Posted: Jun 6th 2011 2:29PM pradius said

Posted: Jun 6th 2011 5:20PM imurray said

Posted: Jun 6th 2011 6:36PM skelbono said

Posted: Jun 6th 2011 12:58PM Crimsic said

Posted: Jun 6th 2011 1:01PM Wiizer said

Posted: Jun 6th 2011 1:01PM shruikan said

Posted: Jun 6th 2011 1:02PM Emmenthal said

Posted: Jun 6th 2011 1:04PM dtrain1183 said

Posted: Jun 6th 2011 1:05PM Its The Rocketeer said

Posted: Jun 6th 2011 1:05PM YoungCardinals said

Posted: Jun 6th 2011 2:20PM Timerider said

Posted: Jun 6th 2011 5:12PM YoungCardinals said

Posted: Jun 6th 2011 1:05PM Rocket Raccoon said

Posted: Jun 6th 2011 1:07PM BananaBoat said

Posted: Jun 6th 2011 1:10PM Z3R0B4NG said

Posted: Jun 6th 2011 2:48PM Rocket Raccoon said

Posted: Jun 6th 2011 1:13PM Timjoy said

Posted: Jun 6th 2011 1:18PM possdoom said

Posted: Jun 6th 2011 1:38PM Its The Rocketeer said

Posted: Jun 6th 2011 2:05PM electriceye said

Posted: Jun 6th 2011 2:16PM original fred said

Posted: Jun 6th 2011 2:56PM possdoom said

Posted: Jun 6th 2011 3:10PM mrmojoz said

Posted: Jun 6th 2011 5:19PM possdoom said

Posted: Jun 6th 2011 10:45PM theAscetic said

Posted: Jun 7th 2011 1:10AM possdoom said

Posted: Jun 6th 2011 1:31PM Syntih said

Posted: Jun 6th 2011 1:42PM feedingblasphemy said

Posted: Jun 6th 2011 1:47PM Vuvuzelas said

Posted: Jun 6th 2011 1:51PM Ospov said

Posted: Jun 6th 2011 2:08PM Daverator said

Posted: Jun 6th 2011 2:01PM PlagueDoctor357 said

Posted: Jun 6th 2011 2:05PM cficare said

Posted: Jun 6th 2011 2:16PM pradius said

Posted: Jun 6th 2011 2:17PM DevilSei said

Posted: Jun 6th 2011 2:19PM Truant said

Posted: Jun 6th 2011 2:43PM bonkbonks said

Posted: Jun 6th 2011 2:52PM Odog4ever said

Posted: Jun 7th 2011 1:12AM possdoom said

Posted: Jun 6th 2011 2:48PM nerdydesi1 said

Posted: Jun 6th 2011 2:58PM Odog4ever said

Posted: Jun 6th 2011 3:06PM Misguided Terran said

Posted: Jun 6th 2011 3:14PM F1shBone said

Posted: Jun 6th 2011 5:11PM CrabBattle said

Posted: Jun 6th 2011 10:56PM Covnam said

Posted: Jun 7th 2011 1:56AM ShadowXIII said

Mass Effect 3 Info

Description

MSRP

Release Date

Genre

Developer

Publisher

Rating

Breaking News

WB conjures up Harry Potter for Kinect this fall

Featured Stories

Weekly Webcomic Wrapup is a stranger in a strange land

Silver Lining: I Am Alive's unfeeling world

Game Of Thrones and the paradoxes of adaptation

Engadget

TUAW

Massively

WoW