WiiSpeak Channel: Time to Talk

WiiSpeak Channel: Time to Talk

Techtree News Staff, Oct 07, 2008 1149 hrs IST

More than just a chat

The current leader in consoles is way ahead of its competition in terms of numbers, but is still catching up on a few basics. The ability to chat with your friends is coming soon to Wii -- the 30+ million Wii fans can rejoice as the service will allow you to send and receive messages to friends in your list.

The Xbox 360 and PS3 already have this option and make communication very easy for users. The Xbox 360 uses a custom wired/wireless headset, while the PS3 is compatible with almost any Bluetooth headset. Wii on the other hand will use the Wii Speak peripheral, which will retail for about $30. The application of Wii Speak is more than just a chat, entire games will be designed using the Speak peripheral, Animal Crossing is one such example. The idea and execution seems great but the only problem -- the service isn't free. You will have to pay a small amount every month to use the WiiSpeak Channel.



Most gamers will probably hate the idea of paying for a service which is basically VoIP but in a prettier packaging, but Nintendo doesn't make its products for the hardcore gamer. The fact is that a chat service should be free, but Nintendo has other plans, and we are sure they will break new ground once again.

As per the official quote, "the Wii Speak lets people in up to four locations who have traded Friend Codes chat with one another at no extra cost. When you use Wii Speak in real time, your Mii appears on your TV screen and mimics your chat. You also can leave audio messages for your friends and family members or use Wii Speak to narrate captions for your photos". So are you ready to shell out money for this VoIP service?



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