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Joystiq

Nintendo announces Wii Speak Channel

by Ross Miller on Oct 2nd 2008 1:25PM

As one of the last two announcements for their fall media summit, Nintendo has announced the Wii Speak Channel for use with the Wii microphone (pictured, from E3 2008). According to Cammy Dunaway, up to four people can chat together, and the microphones will come with a coupon to download the channel.

Of course, this leads to a plethora of other questions, such as: release date, price (if not buying with the microphone), can a USB mic be substituted, what else can we do with the channel besides speak? We're not holding our breath waiting for answers anytime soon.

Tags: breakingnews, microphone, nintendo, Wii, wii-speak, wii-speak-channel, wiispeak, wiispeak-channel

Reader Comments (34)

I hope this mic is somehow able filter noise generated by the TV

There needs to be a Mii deathmatch game, called the "Everybody Dies Channel".

Looks like Donkey Kong font and colors in the background. That makes me want it more...

USB headset support > this

I think it depends on the application. I think in software like the "Wii Speak Channel" and games like "Animal Crossing Wii," a community speakerphone is fine (and even preferable). When you're talking about third-person shooters or just about any other way a 3rd party developer would use something like this (other than in party/board games), I think the headset would be a much better idea.

But since the Wii is about community involvement, playing together, and all of that hoopla, this is what we got. I'm just suprised there's not a webcam attached to it.

Yup

Nintendo ≠ Sony

I'm sure someone will rip it apart to make it a personal mic when it comes out, anyways.

Come on, if you had a headset you don't get to shout at your tv!

Anyone know what the box in the cable line is for?

Voice modulation?

Oh the box?? heehee thats simple...

When you enter into chat with 4 of your friends it stores a little bit of your soul as you speak. It is then transferred into your Mii. When Nintendo does come out with the true HOME, every Mii will have a little of us in it. The A.I. be amaazing.

@Well Fed Troll

WTF!

I could see this is better in some ways. After all, I don't really like putting a headset on, and having people scream directly into my inner ear.

That said, the whole Wii online philosophy pretty much kills practical applications for this.

That is one *tiny* TV.

Or one HUGE Wii.

WII HARDWARE REFRESH CONFIRMED

It's there to show the portability of the Wii.

It looks like it's hooked up to an iMac!

Anyway, they need to get some online chatting in-game going. It's nearly 2009!

His Wii is bigger than mine?

Why does it seem like they are trying reinvent the wheel and sell it to us?

If it's tied to your Console Friends list, and doesn't have its own set of Friend Codes, then it could be a workable substitute for a lobby. I mean, you would still (probably) have to contact your friends ahead of time to get them together on that channel, but then you could discuss what games you wanted to play and easily swap the Game-based friend codes

It'll really be a boon for Wii fanboy game night, at least.

yea that just seems kind of ridiculous, I have to call my friends on the phone and tell them to get on the wii chat channel... and that's after I emailed them my friend code.

This is seriously backward. Good luck with all that, Ill be video chating on either of my other consoles.. or you know... playing games online (with voice chat).

Sorry, Im a bit cranky from all this Nintendo news. Can a brother get some gears screen shots... or a dumb little big planet level.... something!!?

I didn't claim it was perfect: Far from it. But for a situation like, say, WiiFanboy Game Night, where you meet each other on a regular basis, you could at least hit up the friends you already have, then maybe make some more

Its better than what they had before, which was all of nothing.

Can I be in the Wii Speak channel and play a game at the same time?

What is this trash? More peripherals? More gimmicks?

"We haven't given up on the core gamer."

-Nintendo

If I click my heels 3 times, maybe things will be ok. Most likely not though.

This company has absolutely 0 idea of what longtime gamers care about. It was in the process of "denial" stage with the Gamecube's few shortcomings. They've skipped right along to "full on dementia" with the Wii, I'm afraid.

Well, looks like it's time to put mine up on eBay around Christmas, finally.

If you weren't impressed by what you saw today, then yeah, Wii definitely isn't for you.

I don't want to have my friends hear mom walking in and telling me embarrassing things

People complain about the kids on Live...I can not for the life of me imagine how horrible this would be. I would rather have my hair plucked out one by one, while sitting on a fire ant hill.

More like MEH

I love how you all act like this is the only thing nintendo's offering. it's not like they abandoned every other project to work on this.

Wii mic/camera 4-way videoconference CONFIRMED?

i hope u can get an updata or something for it to talk to people in ssbb or MK wii

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Breaking News

Nintendo announces Wii Speak Channel

Reader Comments (34)

Posted: Oct 2nd 2008 1:34PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Oct 2nd 2008 1:38PM CJ9X said

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Posted: Oct 2nd 2008 1:46PM BigD145 said

Posted: Oct 2nd 2008 1:53PM Jon A said

Posted: Oct 2nd 2008 1:54PM Dirty said

Posted: Oct 2nd 2008 1:56PM ZaxCG2 said

Posted: Oct 2nd 2008 1:57PM ZaxCG2 said

Posted: Oct 2nd 2008 2:34PM Tiptup300 said

Posted: Oct 2nd 2008 1:57PM Duke said

Posted: Oct 2nd 2008 2:19PM MowDownJoe said

Posted: Oct 2nd 2008 3:19PM Negatron said

Posted: Oct 2nd 2008 3:57PM Dirty said

Posted: Oct 2nd 2008 2:09PM WiNGSPANTT from TopTierTacticsco said

Posted: Oct 2nd 2008 2:19PM TangoCharlie said

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Posted: Oct 2nd 2008 5:06PM BigD145 said

Posted: Oct 2nd 2008 5:41PM hey buddy said

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Posted: Oct 2nd 2008 3:06PM Mr Khan said

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Posted: Oct 2nd 2008 4:31PM (Unverified) said

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