The concept refers to the omission of vocal acting within a gaming context. This could manifest as the utilization of text-based dialogue, ambient sounds, or other non-vocal cues to convey narrative or character expression, rather than employing voice actors to deliver spoken lines.
Circumventing traditional voice work can offer several advantages. It can significantly reduce production costs, particularly for projects with extensive dialogue or a large cast of characters. Additionally, it may facilitate easier localization across diverse linguistic markets, eliminating the need for multiple voice-over recordings. Historically, limitations in technology and budgets often necessitated this approach, but it remains a deliberate design choice in some modern games for artistic or practical reasons.