Electronic Arts admits to using AI voices in NHL 27: 'This process al…

Electronic Arts has copped to using "AI voice technology" in the upcoming NHL 27, saying that doing so will "bring more variety to the game" and allow it to react more quickly to changes and feedback.

The use of generative AI in NHL 27 was first reported by ESPN sportscaster John Buccigross, who also serves as the play-by-play man for EA's NHL series. "They're using some AI stuff now," he said on the Chirping Zebras Podcast last week (via IGN). "They played me some stuff back in my voice. It's like, wow, that's pretty good. If it means less work and the same check, I'll take it." hilogame.news

EA didn't respond to my inquiries about Buccigross' claim last week, but in a blog post shared today on the game's first update it confirmed that AI is in fact being used in the game.

"We’ve been following the discussion around the new commentary team and want to clarify our approach," EA wrote. "The broadcast is built on a direct and ongoing partnership with John Buccigross and Darren Pang. With their full consent and active collaboration, we are using AI voice technology to expand on the 50+ recording sessions they have already completed.

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"This process allows us to bring more variety to the game, react faster to league changes, and incorporate player feedback more quickly. Update 1 is our first step in an ongoing commitment to improve authenticity, with fixes for player-name pronunciations and repetitive lines. We will continue to expand player and city-name coverage in future updates."

The comment about fixes reflects something else Buccigross related about the process: The AI is sometimes off.

"They were playing me back some of my AI voice, and they're playing it like, 'Score! And the crowd gets out of their chairs!'" he said. "I was like, no, they're not chairs. I know, AI, they look like a chair, but we call them seats. Little things like that, you gotta go back and listen because those words matter in sports."

NHL 27 isn't coming to PC (at least, there are no announced plans in that regard, and according to Wikipedia the series hasn't appeared on PC since NHL 2009, when Dion Phaneuf was still with the Flames, so you can probably draw your own conclusions) but this is relevant nonetheless for the broader implications it reflects.

EA is fairly up-front about being pro-AI—Laura Miele, EA's president of enterprise development, said earlier this year that the advent of AI has enabled "a real rise of creativity" at the company—and there's an expectation that EA will lean into it even harder to help manage the massive debt load its taken on as a result of its acquisition by Saudi Arabia.

There's also none of the apologetic tone in this statement that so often accompanies 'yes, we used AI' admissions: Instead, the focus is entirely on the virtues of the technology, and that EA had permission from the nominal owners of the voices to use them. In other words, EA has decided that this is the way forward, and we can expect to see generative AI play an even bigger role in its games in the future.

Wardogs is pretty approachable for a milsim, but very complex for a military shooter. The 100-player king of the hill FPS is somewhere between Battlefield and Squad in terms of realism, but it's also got elements of Counter-Strike and extraction shooters. It's a weird game, but very fun.

If you have experience in both, you're already ahead of the game, but if you've never played an FPS with dedicated driver and logistic roles, then let me ease you into it. These are my best beginner tips for understanding Wardogs, including its unique economy systems and transportation.

When you're done reading them, it's also worth checking out my guide to making money fast in Wardogs.

Never leave spawn without these

If you're about to jump on a heli without any of these, turn around:

• Two extra magazines
• 3-5 bandages
• A dot sight (unless you really like iron sights)
• A class gadget, like binoculars, a hammer, or RPG

Yea, it all costs a few extra hundred bucks, but you'll make that back by simply standing in the zone for a few minutes. Better to be prepared.

Don't buy 5 magazines, buy loose ammo

Wardogs' streamlined vendor makes it easy to buy extra magazines, but it doesn't explain the value of loose ammo. Loose ammo can be purchased in stacks of 100 that only take up two inventory slots. When your magazines run empty, you can press C from the inventory screen to automatically replenish magazines from your stack of loose ammo. Filling magazines takes time, but the inventory and wallet savings are worth it.

Never drive to the zone if you don't have to

There are very few scenarios where it makes sense to drive from spawn to the zone. It's a 3km journey that can take 4-5 minutes depending on the car, so you're almost always better off waiting for a transport chopper. Typically, every team has volunteer helicopter pilots eager to ferry people back and forth to the action (the job pays pretty well). Even if you have to stand around in spawn for 30 seconds to a minute waiting for the next chopper, it's way faster than buying a set of wheels.

Hold Shift to steady aim

You can momentarily reduce aim sway with any gun by holding Shift while aiming. This will also slightly zoom in your view—great for firing in controlled bursts from dozens of meters away.

Use the rebuy button

If you want to buy the same loadout you had last time, press the "Re-buy Loadout" button in the bottom left of the vendor. You'll be shown a list of the gear and its total cost, and you can make last minute subtractions if desired. The button will go away if you purchase something before pressing it.

Don't just sit at your FOB (unless)

Helicopter pilots will often drop you off at the nearest friendly FOB (forward operating base) by default, but you shouldn't stick around there unless you have something to do, like build, snipe, or use artillery. Leave the FOB and go do something productive, like capture the Hot Zone (yellow circle), disrupt enemy FOBs, capture towers, blow up enemy vehicles, whatever really. The FOB is a safe place to get your bearings, but you don't need to stand around and defend it constantly (unless there's an active siege, of course).

Loot bodies

You can loot any dead body and pilfer all of its gear. You should do this constantly to replenish ammo, bandages, and swap out your banged-up armor for a fresher set. Bodies themselves will disappear once the player "gives up," but a lootable backpack will remain for several minutes.

Don't snitch on your medic

If you go down around enemies, read the room before calling for help. Enemies can hear every word you're saying over mic. If you can see a teammate is nearby, assume they're coming for you but don't want to reveal their position by running straight toward you. Calling out their name or even saying "thanks" as they're reviving you could tip off nearby enemies. Play it cool and make sure the coast is clear. If you want to tell nearby friendlies where enemies are, use the team text channel.

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Target the enemy APC

Each team gets one boxy, rectangular APC painted the color of their team (red, blue, or green). This is a mobile spawn point for that entire team, and blowing it up is both strategically helpful and very profitable. If you see one, pelt it with RPGs, IEDs, or C4.

When in doubt, bring binoculars

If you don't have any other class gadgets unlocked and don't want to build FOBs, just buy binoculars. They're cheap and incredibly powerful: Looking through them makes it easy to spot enemy players, and holding LMB over them will reveal their position to the whole team. This earns you a bunch of XP, money, and extra assist cash when spotted targets are killed. This is one of the easiest ways to help the team by far.