WiiSpeak Channel

**IceMan** · Subject: WiiSpeak Channel Thu Oct 02, 2008 8:07 pm

Nintendo will be offering a WiiSpeak channel as a free download after the release of the WiiSpeak peripheral. The peripheral will be bundled with the upcoming Animal Crossing: City Folk and also sold separately. Users will have to unlock the download by submitting a code that will be included with the WiiSpeak peripheral. Up to four groups can chat at once through the channel, with each group represented by a Mii, and the Mii's mouth will move when that group is speaking to indicate who is talking. The peripheral can also be used to capture speech for audio messages and for audio captions for images.

WiiSpeak peripheral:

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**Sam Dalton** · Subject: Re: WiiSpeak Channel Fri Oct 03, 2008 10:36 pm

Well, I guess Nintendo is on the right track. They're doing more with online multiplayer and online downloads, and now voice chat. Hopefully Nintendo continues this march of progress.

Clan Jade Falcon · Subject: Re: WiiSpeak Channel Sat Oct 04, 2008 7:07 pm

Sounds like a pain in the butt. I hate addons because they are always an extra pain to mess with and most companies don't do anything with them when we get them. I would like to have just seen a headset come with Wii like 360 has. Maybe the Wii 2 will have a headset in every box.

**IceMan** · Subject: Re: WiiSpeak Channel Sun Oct 05, 2008 12:55 am

Clan Jade Falcon wrote:

Sounds like a pain in the butt. I hate addons because they are always an extra pain to mess with and most companies don't do anything with them when we get them. I would like to have just seen a headset come with Wii like 360 has. Maybe the Wii 2 will have a headset in every box.

Unfortunately, you're pretty accurate. Peripherals generally don't do so well and generally don't see a lot of third-party support, and you're also right about it being an added pain in the posterior, though a minor one and one that should be a one-time deal. However, as a 360 owner with the 360 headset, I suppose having to hook up the headset every time you want to use it and having to keep track of the headset(s) is probably more of a chore than the one-time setup of the WiiSpeak device, which you just leave permanently sitting there.

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boomheadshot · Subject: Re: WiiSpeak Channel Mon Oct 06, 2008 10:47 pm

ninty should just have give there customers a head set like xbox 360 does. that would be easeir and much better then messing with this crap.

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**IceMan** · Subject: Re: WiiSpeak Channel Mon Oct 06, 2008 11:02 pm

boomheadshot wrote:

ninty should just have give there customers a head set like xbox 360 does. that would be easeir and much better then messing with this crap.

1) Headsets haven't really been standard in gaming. Yes, Xbox 360 ships with them, but even then that depends on what SKU you pick up, as the cheaper SKUs don't have them in the box, but rather they are then bought separately. The day may come that headsets are standard, but thus far they haven't been, so we can't really fault Nintendo for not fooling with them.

2) Adding a headset adds to the cost of every unit sold, and that kind of cost is what's been hurting Sony so much. Nintendo probably didn't expect headsets to be used by too many of their customers, so it would be an extra expense that may have went largely unappreciated.

3) Headsets are something that hardcore gamers enjoy, but so many Wii owners aren't hardcore gamers. If grandpa or a soccer mom opens her Wii box and finds a headset, it would just be something to confuse and alienate.

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