Some of gaming's most cunning foes have been computers. Think
GlaDOS from Portal, or Shodan from System Shock 2. At least part
of what makes them so memorable is that their artificial
intelligence is brought to life by a cold, calculating, female
voice. Friendly artificial intelligence usually skews female as
well. Anyone who's played Deus Ex: Human Revolution will know
this, while Halo and Mass Effect are two other big franchises
with prominent computers voiced by female actors. Actually, when
you think about it, a lot of real fake robot voices sound like
fake women as well. Apple's new Siri, for one (at least she is
for American users). Or just about any automated subway
announcement system. Or default GPS navigator. Ever wonder why
this is? Why designers and engineers the world over choose a
woman's voice for their systems and not a man's? A great piece
on CNN seeks to answer this question for the ages. Stanford
University Professor Clifford Nass has an idea. "It's much
easier to find a female voice that e