DirectX to Include Real Time Voice Technology
Microsoft Corporation announced plans to incorporate real time voice technologies into the next version of DirectX. Entitled DirectPlay Voice, this newest API was adapted from the popular ShadowFactor Software, Inc. application called BattleCom, and will be optimized for multiplayer gaming. Paul Donlan, program manager for DirectX at Microsoft states, "With the addition of this technology to the DirectPlay API in DirectX, Microsoft will provide game developers with a powerful set of programming interfaces to cleanly integrate voice technology into their games." On February 18th, Microsoft plans to offer the BattleCom software for download from Shadow Factor until this summer, when the next version of DirectX, version 8.0, is scheduled for release.
