Communication is important in multiplayer video games – But not just to win in competitive matches, but also to have more fun over time. This was explained to us by the voice provider Vivox at Unity Unite 2019.
What does communication mean in games? Most online games support some form of communication, whether it is:
- Text chat
- Voice chat
- Emotes, gestures, or ping systems
Some games even allow you to speak through sign language with mute players. This allows players to coordinate better while playing together, set goals, or distribute tasks.
Communication is important to understand each other and make progress. Statistics from a voice provider also show: Those who can communicate in a game play longer.
More Talking = Longer Gaming
How important is communication? Players who talk to others are 5 times more likely to still be playing their game after 5 weeks compared to silent players. This was found by the big voice provider Vivox.
We attended the corresponding lecture at Unity Unite 2019, where we also discovered “the technology of tomorrow“. Vivox presented a number of interesting facts about voice chats and features that help with communication and are being worked on:
- Players using Vivox tools spend twice as much time in games as players without them
- Cross-platform communication allows console and PC players to talk to each other
- Sound quality is important so that many people can communicate at the same time
- Features like text-to-speech, speech-to-text, and mute options ensure good interaction
Who is Vivox? Vivox is the market leader and the leading provider of communication services in video games. Many of you probably use their services in games like:
- Fortnite
- World of Warcraft
- PUBG
- World of Warcraft
- Fallout 76
- Conan Exiles
- League of Legends and more
Vivox also collaborates with major companies like Riot Games, Activision Blizzard, Ubisoft, Tencent, Bethesda, and Epic. Since Vivox works with the Unity engine, it is likely that some future games will also access their chat features.
Talking in Video Games is Important and Helps
Benefits of Gaming: Many video games, especially MMOs, rely on you talking with your teammates to progress:
- In shooters, short “callouts” are important to defeat the enemy
- Dungeons and raids in MMORPGs require coordination
- Construction and strategy games are easier when players assign tasks and communicate
It is important not to become toxic and insulting, but to play together instead. Even communication can decide over victory and defeat:
In a match between two equal teams, the team with better communication always wins.
via On-Winning.com
Learning for Life: As studies at the University of Glasgow showed back in 2017, video games even help to significantly improve general communication skills (via Science News for Students and phys.org).
Especially among young adults, such communication during games and video games helps to develop important skills for the future. This can even happen in a “relatively short time”.
How much do you communicate?
We now ask you: How good is your communication in games? Do you talk a lot or have you disabled voice chat right away? Do you feel that communication helps you or does it bother you more? If you don’t see anything, you can participate in the survey through this link.
Let us know in the comments how you voted and why – And if you think communication really has such a big impact on video games as studies and Vivox claim.
