I've got literally zero proof - this is just a theory, and probably a theory somebody's come up with on the forums before. But when I read the GI article the description seemed to strongly suggest this mechanic.

For example, Howard uses this language when he introduced the dragon shout concept:


But the big hints are here:


and here


So we know that the dragon shouts are simple, made up of three words which (at least in the paragraph describing them in-game) are short and monosyllabic (FUS, RO, DAH!) - and therefore, would be easy to remember. We know that that certain shouts must be spoken in a certain way, and Howard also suggests the importance of proper diction to the success of the shouts. Those latter two details seem particularly irrelevant if the dragon shouts are simply activated with a button press like any normal spell. My theory, then, is that the player himself will be speaking these words of power to form the dragon shouts, through a headset or a microphone connected to their gaming device.

I don't think this will be the only way to activate the shouts. There will almost certainly be some backup method using button presses, for the sake of the hearing impaired and those who'd feel too self-conscious yelling dragon language at their televisions. Alternatively, they may use some sort of unique in-game activation method, something like the Legend of Zelda series uses for the ocarina or Wind Waker baton. And of course I could be way off and the shouts are just assigned a button like any spell or attack.


The question I'd like to ask, though, is how you'd feel about using your voice to empower your character. Do you think such a feature would be beneficial to immersion, or too jarring and would pull you out of the experience? And there's the fear that, if not implemented properly, shouts could be frustrating and difficult to pull off. Or, if the game doesn't actually have this feature, would you be interested in a mod that added it?

Share your thoughts, denounce me as a fool, whatever you want. Speculation is fun

You have a cool idea there, but I suspect it will be carried out via some sort of mini-game or dialog menu.

Yeah cool idea but the chances of something like this being in game is slight to none. And personally I would prefer it if it wasn't done like that.

WHOA. You, sir, are awesome, and I think this would be a very cool thing to have in game... isn't that voice recognition software called dragon? LOL.

I hope this is one of those things where you just ruined the reveal for it due to your utter brilliance. I guess I never caught what Todd said about the dragon shouts. Where is that from?

My guess is they're likely scripted spells you learn by doing ________. They probably function just like casting any other spell.
I believe similar things have happened in TES, before. Blessings of gods and whatnot.

There have already been threads about this, and I still refuse to accept the possibility.

What is it exactly the dragon shout that is I have not recieved my gameinformer yet???

Not everyone has a headset or whatever may be used. I think your taking Todd Howards words a bit too literally right there. He probably ment in the context of the character learning the abilities. If given a chance to guess maybe the dragon shouts can be messed up and have little to no effect. Think spell mishaps. Don't sweat it, but its kind of like taking Todd's other comment of how when Skyrim was unannounced he mentioned it was like playing on a whole new console. I'm sure Skyrim is improved even though we've seen distant screenshots from the GI mag and haven't seen game play. But I doubt Skyrim graphically can par up to whatever the next Microsoft/Sony console can do at its max most likely 3-5 years in their own respective hardware cycles.

Or maybe that was a horrible example I randomly thought off the top of my head. You get the point.

I'm not sure...I mean, with my minesota accent getting some of that dragon tounge out without the game thinking I was saying something else might be hard. It would have to be pretty forgiving.

I still think I'd be surprised if this ended up happening, it's simply what first popped into my head when I read the article.

Little to no chance of this happening.

Maybe you live alone, but my family would give me some very weird looks if I started yelling at my TV...

My family would be sorely disappointed in me if they found me yelling at my TV in Dragon tonque. Besides, I can only play at night

He did say that it would be an optional feature.

We'll learn single words and then have a menu where we can combine three of them into a shout.

It will allow for some discovery as we expiriment with different word combinations. The order of the words will matter.

Something new to find in caves/ruins will be writing carved into the walls in dragon tongue, from which we will gain new words to expiriment with.

Voice recognition will not happen, since it presents both a new challenge technically and from a gameplay perspective (what happens if you shout a word before discovering it in-game? If the spell still works, it could be game breaking. If it doesn't, it's immersion breaking. Lose-lose scenario)

I'd be [censored] to shout out some words when playing a game.As a part of the play I mean.

Betting 20 bucks this won't happen.

this would be a BAD idea. i personally want to be able to be in a party on XBL or PSN and be able to talk to my friends while playing this game. making players yell into their mics wouldnt allow you even to be in a private chat.

they tried doing this in End War. It failed. and i also dont want to sound like an idiot when im inevitably going to be locked in my room playing this game

far too many problems with this...

1. not everyone owns or likes to use headphones and microphones... im one of them.
2. as you said, the hearing impaired would be at a huge disadvantage against the dragons... not to mention MUTE people! :slap:
3. also as you said, some people arent the types to scream at their games, even to use features in the games.

i highly doubt it'll be voice-activated, because these few problems here are too huge to ignore.

Yeah, very unlikely but I can shed some light on how you will get those words. In the mag, there was a little narrative that ended with the dovahkiin getting a word of power. I think it is more likely that you might have to click a right series of words in like a mechanic added similar to how a new system was given for lock picking and speechcraft.

Nah, i dont think beth would do this,i mean,they would have to include a voice recognition software and everything just for the sake of a minority of players ( not everyone owns mics or likes to scream at the monitor/tv screen)

Yep. Would sure be nice screaming dragon shouts in my dorm so everyone gives me strange looks... Not going to happen.

You know where i saw this at? Nintendo DSi. Took me forever to figure out that I had to blow into the microphone. It was a cool novelty and even then I said to myself that i hope this never comes to my desktop. Still feel that way.

A well written idea. You actually had me thinking about it for a while BUT then i thought some more and realised that this is a really really bad idea and would age terribly. Novelty stuff like this doesn't really belong in such a well built franchise as the Elder Scrolls.

You have taken Todd's words WAY too literally sorry.

I'm thinking something like the spell system of Eternal Darkness:

They cast lots of spells in this video. There are spells with more than three words in that game, but most of the spells used in this video only have three words. In Eternal Darkness you find words to use and then can make spells out of them, which you then remember:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mx5PDtht1Uw

Early in this video they learn a spell:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rszOYiPllM

I'm imagining Dragon Shouts will be something like that, but more powerful and not just normal spells like in this game.

I just hope the fights with the dragons aren't lame.