ShareThisOne of the innovations in recent years in the world of online gaming has been the MMOG or "massively multiplayer online game." These games, like the ever-popular EverQuest and World of Warcraft, have taken on lives of their own for many people, some of whom spend all of their waking hours online playing with and adding to their online characters.
As broadband connections became more ubiquitous the makers of MMOGs started adding chat capabilities to games so users could communicate in real time with teammates, collect team strategy, make some trash talk or just chat. Whole chat networks sprung up around gaming to avoid the long-distance fees associated with typical communications and another communications medium was born.
Trouble is, the 14-year-old boy who built up a character as a galactic warlord or something (okay, I know, don't write me letters, I don't play any of these games) didn't really want to log on and have his character sound like Jonny Quest.
Enter MorphVox Pro, a $39.95 software package designed to work with MMOGs and online chat software that will let your voice sound any way you want. Thanks to a bunch of free add-on packs, you too can log in and have your robotic voice you've always wanted (or sound like a duck on speed or dozens of other options.)
"There's always the teen-age boy who doesn't want his character to sound too wimpy," laughs Mark Ramirez, CEO of Screaming Bee, marker of MorphVox. "But it is much more powerful than just that. We have businesses using it for voice over work, we have people using it for all kinds of stuff. People like to think if of it as just a magic black box but it really is a fun to use tool."
It is designed for use with the Windows operating system now (32-bit or 64-bit) and basically sits as a software bridge between your microphone and your sound card and allows you to fiddle with your own voice to a certain extent. Downloadable add-on packs let you add pre-set voices and sound effects (you can make yourself sound like you are in certain situations like a crowded room or whatever) and there are enough variations within the software to drive yourself crazy playing with your own voice.
If you want to just play with the concept, the company offers a free "junior" version that offers a few options that you can download and try. It is not nearly as powerful as the full version but it will give you some idea of the software and its capabilities. Make sure your sound drivers are up to date if you have issues. There are a bunch of free tutorials out there, including some on YouTube, on how to get started and the company will help you get rolling with the paid version if you run into trouble.
Investing in a decent headset and microphone is not a bad idea, either, as trying to use the built-in microphone on a laptop for gaming is next to impossible.
To get the software and learn more, head to www.screamingbee.com.
(James Derk is owner of CyberDads, a computer repair firm and a tech columnist for Scripps Howard News Service. His e-mail address is jim(at)cyberdads.com)
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