Brain Training doesn't like Northern accents - bit-tech.net Forums

Tim S · 7th Feb 2008, 14:00

http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2008/02..._northerners/1

BBC consumer affairs programme, Watchdog, has claimed that Nintendo's Brain Training game cannot recognise Northern UK accents.

keir · 7th Feb 2008, 14:04

Blue was the ******* of that software

JADS · 7th Feb 2008, 14:08

I don't think there are enough super-computers in the world to correctly voice recognise a northern accent

badders · 7th Feb 2008, 14:10

EE - NUN - SEE - ATE

Blue was a bugger, even with my slight essex twang, but you can't expect a Â£20 (?) Game to have top-of the range voice recognition.

I wonder how it copes with Glaswiegan docker's accents?

Johnny Bravo · 7th Feb 2008, 14:23

Is she sure she wasn't just getting the wrong answer?

HugoB · 7th Feb 2008, 14:40

Uh! Mah! Gud! Diiis iz redikulus mon innit, like how iz we sopposed to play uh game wen we iz talkin narmal like and it iz sayin we iz no speek proper?

I don't see how people can be so indignant that a game can't tell that 'bloo' and 'bluh' or 'yell-oh' and 'yell-uh' are the same thing when it's been programmed to understand the 'correct' way to speak the language.

p3n · 7th Feb 2008, 14:41

All the more reason to chop off the north and set it a drift... we could call it the 'northern rock'!

steveo_mcg · 7th Feb 2008, 14:45

oi i've a good mind to attach you to France for that comment. Don't worry wales we wouldn't do that to you.

Omnituens · 7th Feb 2008, 15:05

notice they are both women - in the manual it does state that someone with a higher-pitch voice might have difficulty with some of the voice recognition words.

Personally, ive not had any issues with the game - except i ran out of sodoku.

Tomm · 7th Feb 2008, 15:15

This new article really comes to life if you read it aloud in a proper Manc accent.

It's little steps like this that are needed to rid the world of horrible accents like the Mancunian one. Scottish / Irish / Welsh are fine for me, but I think the world could do without Manc and Brummie accents. IMO of course.

liratheal · 7th Feb 2008, 16:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by p3n

All the more reason to chop off the north and set it a drift... we could call it the 'northern rock'!

Yeah, and then it'd sink.. That's not an issue, is it?

specofdust · 7th Feb 2008, 16:22

Just a quick correction, it's northern English people that are having trouble with accents, not northern UK. Northern UK would be roughly where I live, and up here we can actually speak the language... I mean, sure, weegies won't get on well but most Scots will do fine.

I'm never really sure what goes through southern English people's heads when they refer to the north of England as "The North" - what does that make Scotland, ultra-north? Or are we so far north we're south? :P

Tim S · 7th Feb 2008, 16:28

Uber North, of course

Demon Cleaner · 7th Feb 2008, 17:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by Omnituens

notice they are both women - in the manual it does state that someone with a higher-pitch voice might have difficulty with some of the voice recognition words.

As I said on another forum that led with this story, Watchdog concluded that it wasn't the accent that causes problem (they went all over England), it was the pitch of the user's voice. Women were told to speaker in a deeper tone. Does no one actually listen to the whole story any more??

Edit - To be fair that bbc link doesn't mention that, but that is how they concluded on the programme itself.

Veles · 7th Feb 2008, 17:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by specofdust

I'm never really sure what goes through southern English people's heads when they refer to the north of England as "The North" - what does that make Scotland, ultra-north? Or are we so far north we're south? :P

We call it Scotland

I'm sure when someone in China says "the north" they wouldn't mean Mongolia.

specofdust · 7th Feb 2008, 17:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by Veles

We call it Scotland

I'm sure when someone in China says "the north" they wouldn't mean Mongolia.

Yeah, but, me and you live in the same country mate

Tim S · 7th Feb 2008, 17:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by Demon Cleaner

Quote:

Originally Posted by Omnituens

notice they are both women - in the manual it does state that someone with a higher-pitch voice might have difficulty with some of the voice recognition words.

As I said on another forum that led with this story, Watchdog concluded that it wasn't the accent that causes problem (they went all over England), it was the pitch of the user's voice. Women were told to speaker in a deeper tone. Does no one actually listen to the whole story any more??

Edit - To be fair that bbc link doesn't mention that, but that is how they concluded on the programme itself.

Does that mean that Brain Training is sexist instead?

Jamie · 7th Feb 2008, 17:57

The queens accent worked perfectly.

Cinnander · 7th Feb 2008, 18:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jamie

The queens accent worked perfectly.

What about Bronx?
*hides*

DLoney · 7th Feb 2008, 18:50

it hates southern accents. first hand experience right here.

7th Feb 2008, 14:00	#1
Tim S Pewlius Caesar bit-tech Staff Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Ascot, Berks Posts: 18,021	Brain Training doesn't like Northern accents http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2008/02..._northerners/1 BBC consumer affairs programme, Watchdog, has claimed that Nintendo's Brain Training game cannot recognise Northern UK accents. __________________ Tim on Twitter \| Tim's Blog \| Tim's Flickr The bit-tech Blog \| bit-tech on Twitter \| Join the bit-tech & Custom PC folding team (#35947)

7th Feb 2008, 14:04	#2
keir S p i t F i r e Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Middlesbrough \| UK Posts: 3,064	Blue was the ******* of that software __________________ Latest project ¦ Project \| Black-SpitFire ¦ 89% still Move house clear out, buy my stuff! 360 Games for sale UV . Silent . waterCooled - AMD 64 X2 4800+ . 2GB DDR400 . DFI SLi-dr . BFG 8800 GTX WC . Audigy2 ZS

7th Feb 2008, 14:08	#3
JADS Et arma et verba vulnerant Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Portsmouth, UK Posts: 2,919	I don't think there are enough super-computers in the world to correctly voice recognise a northern accent __________________ [AMD A64 2800+ + Zalman 7700][MSI K8N Neo Platinum][1GB Corsair PC3200][Leadtek Geforce 6600GT][Seagate Barracuda 7200.7 80GB + Maxtor Diamond Max Plus10 200GB + Maxtor Diamond Max16 120GB][Plextor PX-716 DVD-RW + 2x Plextor Premium 52x32x52 CD-RW + 16x Samsung DVD][Coolermaster ATC-201 BXT][Antec TruePower 430][Dell 2405FPW + Mitsubishi Diamond Pro 2070u][Logitech MX1000][Matias Tactile Pro][Griffin Technology PowerMate Black] Email Me

7th Feb 2008, 14:40	#6
HugoB H to the U to the G to the O to the B Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: ThrustingReviews HQ Posts: 1,194	Uh! Mah! Gud! Diiis iz redikulus mon innit, like how iz we sopposed to play uh game wen we iz talkin narmal like and it iz sayin we iz no speek proper? I don't see how people can be so indignant that a game can't tell that 'bloo' and 'bluh' or 'yell-oh' and 'yell-uh' are the same thing when it's been programmed to understand the 'correct' way to speak the language. __________________ TrustedReviews.com - things I write about for a job

7th Feb 2008, 14:45	#8
steveo_mcg What owl? Join Date: May 2005 Location: Edinburgh Posts: 3,975	oi i've a good mind to attach you to France for that comment. Don't worry wales we wouldn't do that to you. __________________ No boom today, boom tomorrow... there's always a boom tomorrow.

7th Feb 2008, 14:23	#5
Johnny Bravo Minimodder Join Date: May 2006 Location: Scottyland Posts: 21	Is she sure she wasn't just getting the wrong answer?

7th Feb 2008, 14:41	#7
p3n Hypermodder Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 731	All the more reason to chop off the north and set it a drift... we could call it the 'northern rock'!

7th Feb 2008, 15:05	#9
Omnituens Supermodder Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Stockport Posts: 405	notice they are both women - in the manual it does state that someone with a higher-pitch voice might have difficulty with some of the voice recognition words. Personally, ive not had any issues with the game - except i ran out of sodoku. __________________ Current Rig: i7 D0 2.66GHz, 6GB 1066MHz Corsair "Dominator", 285 GTX.

7th Feb 2008, 15:15	#10
Tomm I also ride trials :¬) Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Fallowfield, Manchester Posts: 2,233	This new article really comes to life if you read it aloud in a proper Manc accent. It's little steps like this that are needed to rid the world of horrible accents like the Mancunian one. Scottish / Irish / Welsh are fine for me, but I think the world could do without Manc and Brummie accents. IMO of course. __________________ Carrot cake cheesecake Shuttle SN85G4V2 \| A64 3200+ / Apple PowerBook 12

7th Feb 2008, 16:22	#12
specofdust Banned Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Aberdeen, UK, EU Posts: 7,607	Just a quick correction, it's northern English people that are having trouble with accents, not northern UK. Northern UK would be roughly where I live, and up here we can actually speak the language... I mean, sure, weegies won't get on well but most Scots will do fine. I'm never really sure what goes through southern English people's heads when they refer to the north of England as "The North" - what does that make Scotland, ultra-north? Or are we so far north we're south? :P __________________ Like marmite, only no-one hates it Mmm bop!

7th Feb 2008, 16:28	#13
Tim S Pewlius Caesar bit-tech Staff Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Ascot, Berks Posts: 18,021	Uber North, of course __________________ Tim on Twitter \| Tim's Blog \| Tim's Flickr The bit-tech Blog \| bit-tech on Twitter \| Join the bit-tech & Custom PC folding team (#35947)

7th Feb 2008, 17:57	#18
Jamie bit-tech Staff Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Oxford, UK Posts: 7,620	The queens accent worked perfectly. __________________ bit-tech hosted by tsohost.co.uk twitter \| flickr \| xbox live \| last.fm \| moot

7th Feb 2008, 18:50	#20
DLoney Multimodder Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: The Great State of TEXAS Posts: 208	it hates southern accents. first hand experience right here.