Editing Microsoft SideWinder (section)

=== Game Voice ===
The Game Voice is an early [[voice chat]] device. It was shaped like a hockey puck, with four channel buttons that allowed the user to speak to individual teammates. It could also be set to communicate with the entire team, or globally to all players. The driver software also allowed it to function as a [[voice command device]] using programmable macros. The package included a headset with an attached microphone, though these could be substituted with any other PC headset/microphone. The puck acted as an intermediary between the sound card and the sound input/output devices. The headset, along with the system speakers, plugged into the puck, where a switch could be used to set whether sound would be output from the speakers or the headset. The puck also had its own volume control. To provide power for the puck LEDs and drive the voice command and channel functions, a USB connection was also required. Microsoft recommended Game Voice as a microphone for use with the [[speech recognition]] feature of [[Microsoft Office XP]].<ref name="AboutMicrophones">{{cite web |url=http://office.microsoft.com:80/assistance/2002/articles/oAboutSpeechMicrophones.aspx |title=About Speech Recognition Microphones for Use in Office XP |publisher=[[Microsoft]] |work=Office Assistance Center |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021216092125/http://office.microsoft.com/assistance/2002/articles/oAboutSpeechMicrophones.aspx |archive-date=December 16, 2002 |access-date=September 30, 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Microsoft discontinued the product in 2003. By then, the market for voice chat had seen intense competition from downloadable and free-to-use software like [[Ventrilo]] and [[TeamSpeak]], among others. These software packages only charge the host or server, whereas each person would have to own a Game Voice in order to use the hardware and software. As a result, the Game Voice ultimately lost that market. However, these competing software packages do not offer voice command systems.

Microsoft has not released the hardware specifications so that an open source driver could be developed. The device is supported under Windows XP, but no new driver is planned for Windows Vista. Despite this, [[Linux]] based operating systems can use this device using various third party applets (i.e. Kamevoice)