Nintendo drops more Wii Speak details

We've been anxiously anticipating Nintendo's next big peripheral since it was unveiled at their mind-blowing E3 2008 showcase -- a groundbreaking, futuristic device that actually allows you to speak with your online gaming cohorts. However, we've had a lot of questions concerning the price and release date of the cutting edge technology known as Wii Speak (and its companion software, the Wii Speak Channel) -- questions that were recently answered in a press release from the money-printing company.

You can get your hands on Nintendo's talkin' puck on Nov. 16, either bundled with Animal Crossing: City Folk for $69.99, or by its lonesome for $29.99. The accessory comes with a coupon which allows you to download the Wii Speak Channel for free (we're unclear whether City Folk includes said coupon), which will be available for download sometime in December -- and yes, you can only chat with those whose unwieldy friend codes you've already acquired. Sure, it's a minor inconvenience -- but considering the social gaming revolution this peripheral will initiate, it's a hoop we're certain you'll be willing to jump through.

Reader Comments (82)

HINT:

You can use ANY wired cell phone headset with the 360 controller.

$30 bucks really isn't too bad for a USB noise canceling microphone. They tend to range in price from about $22-$40.

Go on, Killjebus - look around online. We'll wait. And then you can come back and apologize for making an ass of yourself again.

Sorry, Killjebus, your comment just carries no weight.

Considering you have to pay 100 bucks for WiFi or 160 bucks for a 120 gig hard drive on your 360...

Or 15 bucks for a Memory Card Adapter for PS2 games on the PS3 given that you HAVE a backwards compatible PS3...

When Nintendo gave you all of those things for free? Sorry, your post fails.

Well, now MY post is total fail. I meant Nintendo giving you the WiFi and the TRUE Backwards compatibility for free, not the hard drive.

Slime:
"Why can't MS just let me pull a out any BT headset and use that?"
Because 360 doesn't have a Bluetooth receiver built in. Wii and PS3 do, though.

jchesnor:
"Sorry, Killjebus, your comment just carries no weight."
They rarely do. He just loves to come into every Nintendo thread and crap all over it. And the fact that trolls like him aren't banned is why I hate Joystiq.
The way he acts towards Nintendo is as if Iwata killed his father, Fils-Aime raped his mom, and Miyamoto kicked his puppy (sure, he may have created Nintendogs, but you'd be surprised how hostile he actually can be).

Accessories are overpriced. What else is new? Wii Remotes are $40, Nunchuks and Classics are $20. Wired 360 controllers are $40, and wireless are $50. Sixaxis are $50, and DualShock 3s are $55. They're businesses, not charities. Don't like the price tag? Buy used. You can save quite a bit if you shop around (check game shops that AREN'T owned by GameStop, or pawn shops).

My sarcasm meter just exploded.

So is anyone actually buying this thing?

:raises hand:

Possibly, if they manage to allow the Wii Speak channel to run in the background it would make other online games more fun. But that would make too much sense for Nintendo to do that... ugh. I love Nintendo's games but they can't make system software to save their lives.

Would the power of Wii be able to run it in the background, even?

I couldn't imagine

Khan was that a Resident Evil joke? lol

haha, talkin' puck. brilliant

Alright, conference calls!

Welcome to 2001 Wii fans!

Serious question: What's with the power-supply-ish box?

360 headset (the wired one anyway) has one too, smaller, but only proportionally so

It holds noise cancelation stuff in it. The console sends one type of sound, and WiiSpeak another. They reverse each other and WiiSpeak picks up the voice and drops the game's sounds. Mostly for people who might have their speakers near WiiSpeak.

Khan

There is really no comparison to the 360 headset that plugs into the bottom of the controller and this mic thingy. I like using the PS3 eye as my mic so this could work. Just wish it had more functionality or was at least fairly priced. The Nintendo accessories are very expensive (classic controller, nunchuck & wii-mote).

Yeah, the asking price for this is pretty stupid. I thought the PSEye had noise cancellation as well, but it doesn't have a box attached to it. I've never actually used it as such, so maybe I'm wrong there.

Noise cancellation doesn't require a damn brick like that. It's usually handled with a small, jelly-bean part in the mic itself.

My first guess was a recoil unit (I hope).

Wow, with advancements like these, maybe my poor Wii will actually get some gameplay. Seriously, I am glad that they're adding this capability, but like HD and Dolby Digital, it is something that should have been designed into the box to start with.

If the Wii were HD, it'd be just as costly as 360/PS3 were at their launches. Who really wants that?

Is anyone surprised? This is Nintendo, for crisps' sake. They love their peripherals.

I literally LOL'd when I read "their mindblowing E3"
P.S. I havent read the comments yet, but im guessing somewhere in here, Mr.Khan is despretely attempting to defend his wii wii

I aim to please

Even if Mr. Khan had a Wii shrine in his closet he'd still be less of a tool than you, Brodo

I'm confused - will the Wii Speak channel allow you to voice chat in ANY online game or just on the Wii menu?
If it's any online game, I may as well buy it, even though I likely won't use it much.
But then, I DO hate having money and like to get rid of it whenever possible.

If it's a channel, it's a channel, which means a separate app altogether

Really, the only proper USE i could see coming from this thing would be for Wii Fanboy's Game Night, as it could serve as a pre-and-post-game lobby

Not ideal by a long margin, but a better experience

To all you wii people, stop letting Nintendo fooling in buying some of the most worthless peripherals on any system. C'mon their is like 15 peripherals already. Every time a new game comes out you gotta buy the peripherals to enjoy them. Nickle and dime.

Your post is so dumb, I don't know where to begin.

I've got a headache now... I need to go lie down...

The least you could do is use the correct term: microtransactions. We all know Nintendo's wonderful policy about that.

Just like DLC, you don't *need* to buy accessories, but if half the games require some kind of plastic hunk for the full "experience"...

Very interesting story. Thanks guys great job.

Previous 50 Comments

Nintendo drops more Wii Speak details

Reader Comments (82)

Posted: Nov 8th 2008 8:03PM WiNGSPANTT from TopTierTacticsco said

Posted: Nov 8th 2008 10:20PM samfish said

Posted: Nov 8th 2008 10:44PM (Unverified) said

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Posted: Nov 9th 2008 12:39AM BPMOmega XBL PSN Steam said

Posted: Nov 8th 2008 12:58PM heyo007 said

Posted: Nov 8th 2008 1:01PM ExMcCloud said

Posted: Nov 8th 2008 2:54PM OMGITSJAD said

Posted: Nov 8th 2008 3:25PM iofthestorm said

Posted: Nov 8th 2008 4:01PM Mr Khan said

Posted: Nov 8th 2008 6:04PM ExMcCloud said

Posted: Nov 8th 2008 1:20PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Nov 8th 2008 2:18PM Jacksons said

Posted: Nov 8th 2008 2:22PM horngreen said

Posted: Nov 8th 2008 2:26PM Tez said

Posted: Nov 8th 2008 2:49PM Mr Khan said

Posted: Nov 8th 2008 2:59PM OMGITSJAD said

Posted: Nov 8th 2008 3:18PM Johnnynumber5 is powered by cell said

Posted: Nov 8th 2008 4:11PM Tez said

Posted: Nov 9th 2008 1:19AM BurntMeatloaf said

Posted: Nov 8th 2008 3:03PM Ghoti said

Posted: Nov 9th 2008 12:43AM BPMOmega XBL PSN Steam said

Posted: Nov 8th 2008 4:36PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Nov 8th 2008 7:38PM Brodo said

Posted: Nov 8th 2008 8:13PM Mr Khan said

Posted: Nov 8th 2008 9:06PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Nov 8th 2008 10:10PM samfish said

Posted: Nov 8th 2008 10:59PM Mr Khan said

Posted: Nov 8th 2008 11:24PM pachi72 said

Posted: Nov 9th 2008 12:45AM BPMOmega XBL PSN Steam said

Posted: Nov 9th 2008 1:22AM BurntMeatloaf said

Posted: Nov 9th 2008 10:03PM (Unverified) said

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