For fans of the Grand Theft Auto series of games, the upcoming MMO All Points Bulletin looks like a perfect mesh of online gaming and the crime lifestyle. And with the help of Vivox, the game will now feature integrated voice chat along with the other communication standards already developed for the game. This seems like an obvious fit, since shooting and type just don't go well together.

Here's the official release:

Vivox, Inc., the market leader in voice services for games and virtual worlds, today announced an agreement with Realtime Worlds to provide voice chat for players in their upcoming title, All Points Bulletin (APB).

Through this agreement, the APB player community will get high quality, feature rich voice chat from Vivox. Players will be able to communicate one-to-one or in groups in 3D voice via the proven Vivox Network. In addition, players can customize the voice of their avatars with voice fonts, further immersing themselves into the game experience. All of these Vivox voice services will be integrated with the APB game code to maintain the game’s fast-paced environment that the Realtime Worlds team is known for.

“We decided early on that integrated voice chat was a must for APB,” remarked Ray Miller, vice president of business development for Realtime Worlds. “We do everything best of breed and we knew we needed the best voice chat available. We evaluated all of the alternatives, and in the end it was clear that Vivox is the best and most cost-effective solution in the industry. Not only will we deliver a first-rate communications experience to our players, but we will also minimize our technical and business risks with Vivox.”

Rob Seaver, CEO of Vivox commented, “The developers at Realtime Worlds are renowned for creating a compelling game experience that engages players. Always pushing the norms of game design, they appreciate how voice will add an additional element of community and intensity to the game. We are excited to work with these industry pioneers and to add them to the growing Vivox Network.”

For more information, check out our Realtime Worlds APB Q&A!