Voice Chat: The Scary Truth

SEGA Superstar Tennis, the upcoming multiplatform game, will have it. Just not on the Wii. In fact, you know that whole online multiplayer aspect that those other systems seem to have embraced with open arms? Yeah, the Wii won’t have that either. But, that aside (and trust me, pushing that mountain aside is no easy task), why has Nintendo stripped the ability to voice chat from the Wii? It’s not like it’s a new concept for Nintendo (see Advanced Wars: Days of Ruin for the DS). However, when it comes to implementing voice chat with the home console, the scary truth is this: Nintendo just doesn’t care.

A recent article over at Gamepro lists a few things that the XBOX 360 does best. It’s no surprise that the robust communication aspect of the system is among those “good things”. And, far be it for me to agree wholeheartedly with any XBOX 360 fanboy, but it isn’t far from the truth when the article succinctly describes the Wii’s communication ability as “cave-man like”.

Hey Nintendo, even cave men could grunt.

And it isn’t like Nintendo isn’t aware of the mass appeal for its gaming system. But, maybe, just maybe, that’s the whole reason why Nintendo is so afraid to open the door to voice chat and other online communication abilities. Let’s be honest: Nintendo has that whole “good kid” feel about it. There’s no way around that. No matter how many “hardcore” games you bring to Nintendo, it’s hard to shake the feeling that the little white box with the cool calming blue light really isn’t a hardcore blood thirsty FPS gaming monster. It just isn’t. And that isn’t a bad thing either. However, what Nintendo seems to not understand is that there comes a point where the gamers should decide the level of “hardcore” that the system should be. In other words, let those who don’t want to experience the rants of 15 year olds as they endlessly teabag each other–turn off and block communication. It’s not as if Nintendo doesn’t know how to use Parental Locks.

ds headset

This Just In: DS tells Wii, “I’m Cooler Than You”.

Nintendo, when given the time, has come up with a decent add-ons to the Wii. Of course, the most notable add-on I’m talking about is the Wii Zapper. While not the most revolutionary step for Nintendo to make, it does indicate that Nintendo is willing to branch out a bit when it comes to adding to the experience of gaming with the Wii. (Yes, yes. I know. It’s just a plastic mold.) And, Good God, man! Look at the little DS. Sitting there all pretty. Sporting all different colors. Allowing all kinds of online activity.

It’s as if Nintendo has been testing the waters with all these “add ons” and “color schemes” with its smaller counterpart. Well, memo to Nintendo: The modifications have been well received.

ssbb
Let’s Hope Opportunity Keeps Knocking

Perhaps Nintendo missed the biggest most bad-ass boat ever with the recent launch of SupPre-set text. Awesome if I was back in the early 90s playing Scorched Earth (even then I could manipulate the file to add my own text), but just an ugly slap in the face playing one of Nintendo’s most hyped up online games this side of Mario Kart.

Concluding Thoughts

If we are to believe Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime, “In terms of voice chat… certainly our system has the capability for online voice chat, what it comes down to is finalizing the peripheral… I would not be surprised to see that capability come to this system.” There is still hope. But that statement is was made in early December, where are we now?

Solutions? Well, I suppose Nintendo fans could barrage Nintendo headquarters in Washington with tons of peanuts and petitions—but, somehow I don’t think the folks over there would share the Jericho love. The harsh truth to this whole voice chat debacle is this: There really isn’t anything gamers can do to get Nintendo to include voice chat (or any other sort of online communication system) with their console. Okay, the Wii Message Board is not even close to that kind of implementation. When it comes to having the ability to chat while running through war torn cities in Medal of Honor or jamming out online with GH: III—for Nintendo, they are quite happy to keep the mute button on. For the rest of us, for the gamers, we are left wondering why.



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  • http://goodgoober123.tripod.com goodgoober

    yeah, it’ll take years for nitendo to come out with a voice chat peripheral.

  • Shimoru

    I think SSBB is fine without voice chat. You would hear nothing but little kids complaining and crying or immature adults and teenagers cursing about something being cheap or unfair. I guess it could work with the “With Friends” mode, but either way, I’m just happy that there is online.

  • IntheFace

    I have always been extremely upset with the choices nintendo has made for online abilities. It’s a pain in the ass to have to give a 16 digit friend code to someone and have them give theirs to you to be able to be connected through the Address book in the Wii menu. The same about all other online games for the Wii. The only one that does not require any friend codes is Medal of Honor, and that does extremely well online. Maybe Nintendo should get the hint and eliminate friend codes altogether. And another thing, if Nintendo would get voicechat, so many more people would buy their games, and it would be a lot easier to play game like Medal of Honor to strategize attacks and where to go, instead of just running around like fools shooting people. Now I am not extremely unhappy for the lack of voicechat in games like Super Smash Bros because you can’t really trash talk people as much when they’re watching the entire thing happen, unlike having voicechat for Medal of Honor, when sniping someone in the head from across the map is when you just wanna scream “OWNED!” but then realize there’s no one there to hear it. Overall, I am an extremely large supporter of Nintendo, but if I do not see voicechat in the future, they have lost me as a customer.

  • http://fadecy.deviantart.com fadecy

    voicechat is all well and good when the people are nice. But what happens when you run in to some bad eggs? It can ruin the experience completely. I don’t care too much for it.

  • http://www.videogamedc.com Potatoman

    Yah Your Right fadecy I Mean do you really wanna hear some stupid spoiled little 12-year old screaming “I F%$#ING HATE THIS CHEAP A#@ GAME” And Swearing His little head off?

    Although With Friends voice Chat Would be a great idea =]

  • Dylan

    IGN had an article saying what will be released this year for wii, one of those things is a headset, it will have an add on so a parent or gaurdian will be able to listen while you are talking. They also said 3rd party companies will be quick to realease thier own headset

  • http://WiiNintendo.net FlamingSquirrel

    VERY good article. well written, good job!

  • Onikokoro

    I hate when people say that they don’t want the Voice chat on SSBB because they will hear 13 year olds complaining

    The Voice Chat we all should know would have been an option only on Friend Codes anyway

    If they won’t let you see the names of the “anyone” matches they won’t let you talk to them

    I would love to Chat with my friends while playing SSBB.

    On SSBB right now It feels like your playing Either a really good CPU or a really bad CPU. And the wait is Hidous so i rarely Bother playing Online with Anyone anyway (yes i have the japanese version)

    I need Voice Chat Damn it

  • Canaroo

    Thanks for the read guys! It’s one of my first “posts” but I hope I can add some more to the Wii conversation as I continue here…

  • http://forums.wiinintendo.net/ SirVenom

    Superb post, we need more like this… I wish I had the time to make such contributions.

    I agree with everything in the article…. but I must ask: You also have Scorched Earth? :P Someone needs to implement online onto it.

  • http://www.myspace.com/tuggy24g Coop

    I think it would make online gaming better know dough, but sometimes it is good not to have it. I do someone hate it when little 12 year olds play online and scream bc they lost or they got shot. I mean it is get really annoying. They could have type of system were you can block or mute some kids/person voice chat. There are different ways they can still make it family oriented, but I do not think voice chat will happen or not for a while :(

  • yamiseto

    Not to forget but you can also killed because of voice chat. I heard several teens in germany got killed cause of beating a team on online with voice chat. The other team wanted to meet the other team in person and they beat them up than killed them. I like voice chat for the wii yeah. Just got to be VERY careful.

  • http://wiinintendo.net Canaroo

    SirVenom: Ask, and you shall receive: http://www.scorch2000.com/

  • Joe

    Yea… I think that voicechat would be a fantastic addition to Brawl. I’ve seen some gameplay vids, and I see messages appearing above the characters’ heads. I would find it a HUGE inconvenience to stop playing, click in a message in letter by letter just to have your ass handed to you because you were trying to spell out “wait.” They managed to make one for the DS which relies on either a short range communication zone or a possibly un-reliable wireless connection.

    I believe that the headset would be nice, but Nintendo would have to (possibly) remake the disc. I say this because I wanted to use the wireless router on my GBA for my Mario kart game, but it failed to work. Nintendo would have to already prepare for this or be able to update whole GAMES from the wii update thing.

    Overall, I think voice chat with friends from your Wii (or the game itself) as an OPTION would be fantastic; however, Nintendo would have to be open to updating a game, or quite possibly making money off the headsets.

    Idea nintendo… USB Headsets…

  • http://WiiNintendo.net Wishale

    Someone set up a DIG button, this post is great :)

  • Corey

    I think another great update would be an online indicator so you will know when your friends are on, and to send voice chat invites on the message board!

  • teddybeer

    @Joe

    those messages – you can have 4 different & they will appear when you click the Cross up down right or left (GCContr.)