Is online gaming with the Wii unacceptable?

[Half Japanese]

Everyone already knows how inconvenient friend codes are for Nintendo's online titles, but I just read this brief article that confirms that Mario Kart for the Wii will be limited to text chat only. To me, it's bad enough that the ps3 didn't come with a headset (meaning over half of the people playing games online haven't bothered with buying one seperately, myself included), but at least the functionality's still there.

Is it just me, or is online console gaming without voice chat capabilities pretty much a joke? I know Nintendo isn't targeting the same market that the ps3 and 360 are, but I have to wonder why even bother at all if you can't toss the fans a bone with voice chat. Understand that I don't own a Wii myself and have no plans to get one in the near future, but even as someone who has long tired of Nintendo's relentless recycling of their franchises I'll admit that Mario Kart and Smash Bros. seem like a great time online. Before anyone chimes in about how many rotten-mouthed brats play Halo 3, realize that you have the option to mute them and ideally the Wii should be no different. Why punish those who enjoy the social aspects of online gaming?

[Rob2600]

Is it just me, or is online console gaming without voice chat capabilities pretty much a joke?

It used to be that men complained about their wives blabbing with their girlfriends too much on the telephone. Now, grown men whine about not being able to blab with their boyfriends while they play fake army man video games. What happened?

All joking aside, I don't mind at all.

[Snapple]

In all honesty, I don't like voice chat. I'm there to play, not chat. And it's tough sometimes going online with, say, sports games, because most of the people there don't seem to want to play with guys who don't have headsets.

[Ponyone]

You mean I don't have to hear morons talk about raping me, my mother, my brother, my dog, and my kart? I don't have to hear about newbz and noobs and noobz? I don't have to hear a 13 year old test out his vulgcabulary without his parents knowing?

Sign me up.

[norkusa]

Even in the last generation of consoles, online games without voice chat was a joke (remember RE:Outbreak?). Doesn't make sense why Nintendo would want to do it with the Wii after seeing how annoying it was on the PS2. What are they afraid of?

[Rob2600]

Even in the last generation of consoles, online games without voice chat was a joke (remember RE:Outbreak?). Doesn't make sense why Nintendo would want to do it with the Wii after seeing how annoying it was on the PS2. What are they afraid of?

See all of the replies above.

[Half Japanese]

In all honesty, I don't like voice chat. I'm there to play, not chat. And it's tough sometimes going online with, say, sports games, because most of the people there don't seem to want to play with guys who don't have headsets.

I used to play Team Fortress 2 on XBL a fair amount and many hosts (the good ones by no mere coincidence) would often boot players without mics because they were unable to communicate, which was vital for helping the team win. Of course, this could arguably be apples to oranges as the 360 includes a headset and not having it in a team game that requires strategy implies laziness.

You mean I don't have to hear morons talk about raping me, my mother, my brother, my dog, and my kart? I don't have to hear about newbz and noobs and noobz? I don't have to hear a 13 year old test out his vulgcabulary without his parents knowing?

Sign me up.

Here's the thing: if a voice system were implemented, why couldn't they just include the option to mute other people or even have a setting where you have a symbol (or lack thereof) beside your name indicating that you aren't participating in voice chat? If that were the case, you'd please both parties and ultimately expand and strengthen the already-strong communities for Nintendo's first-party titles.

[Ponyone]

The mute option would be nice

[blissfulnoise]

The real irony is that Nintendo IS supporting voice chat in their DS games (Pokemon, Metroid Prime Hunters).

It doesn't have anything to do with Nintendo's stance on objectionable online activity, it has to do with their lack of any sort of long-term plan for online play.

Personally, I'm not much of a chatter either, but online gaming in something like Catan without voice chat is pretty much impossible. And, having played many puzzle/fighting games online, really offensive players are pretty much non-existant. The majority of these horror stories come from whatever FPS game is popular that month, and it's not even really that common in those games. And even when it does happen, all bullshit pretty much stops as soon as the game begins because most people prefer winning over losing.

Personally, I'm disappointed that Brawl won't feature any sort of voice chat. But so long as the online play is lag free, I'm willing to hold it up as a compromise.

[Neil Koch]

It would be nice to have, but it's not a necessity for me.

I used it quite a bit on Xbox1 games to talk with friends long-distance (much cheaper than a phone call), and there were some fun times late at night when I would just be chatting with some random person from a foreign country.

But at the same time, the level of stupid crap spouted on most any open game is just mind boggling, and caused me to just unplug my headset.

For the Wii itself, my online play has been limited (kinda got burned out on it during Xbox1) but I haven't missed the voice chat.

I will say though, if Nintendo puts in pay-to-play for online games, they'd better have voice chat in there. The Wii has USB ports, so I wouldn't think it's be a huge problem to support headsets.

[FantasiaWHT]

The presence or lack of voice chat makes absolutely zero difference to me. I honestly couldn't care one way or the other. It has no impact on whether or not I buy a game or even whether I play it online.

[digitalpress]

Hmm. Fascinating to see the response here. I thought I was the only one playing online without a headset. The only time I use one is when it's a "friends only" game (and that is rare). I just can't take the foul-mouthed adolescents. In fact, I'd like to see gaming in general get away from games where you have to voice chat. Just give me a player 2, 3, or 64. I don't want to know them. I sure as hell don't want to talk to them.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

I'm absolutely in the camp of not being able to STAND listening to other people chatter on open-channel microphone situations...

...this stems from the fact that in games like, say, for instance: Warhawk, where team based communication is essential to effectively communicate with a 10-15 person team in massive environments ... yet even when mic chatter is limited to people on the SAME team I still have to put up with people calling each other names and making prolonged random "noises" into their mics.

Mic communication is the great double edged sword of online gaming. It's a perfect idea that can and has been implemented well, but will NEVER be effectively utilized due to the following equation:

disposition for acting immature + microphone + anonymity + online networking = annoying asshole

While I really disagree with what Nintendo is doing with friend codes ... I'm not too pissed over their mic situation ... because, frankly, I have multiple microphone situations on both 360 and PS3 and I rarely put myself in a situation where I make use of them.

[BHvrd]

Hmm. Fascinating to see the response here. I thought I was the only one playing online without a headset. The only time I use one is when it's a "friends only" game (and that is rare). I just can't take the foul-mouthed adolescents. In fact, I'd like to see gaming in general get away from games where you have to voice chat. Just give me a player 2, 3, or 64. I don't want to know them. I sure as hell don't want to talk to them.

Couldn't agree more.

More often than not I will quit matches because of the idiocy that is described as chatting. Nothing is worse than the bored teenager who just wants to start trouble cause he is bored and then once all hell breaks loose and people split he starts asking about algebra or something similar that I try to escape from by playing games.

I have been involved in some "role playing" guilds that were very fun on the other hand and in general if this rule is understood "even across voice chat" it can make voice chatting much more enjoyable.

Leave your problems "girls, homework, car trouble, rebuilding a house" at the fucking door!


Back on topic "kinda off, lol":

Yes. Wii should be rolling out the voice chat for sure, it's unacceptable imo. Even if it's "proximity banter" as someone passes you to add a distinct flair as Nintendo likes to do they could have incorporated it somehow.

Voice chat can be a good and bad thing but that isn't at question, in this generation most games should include the option, though in some ways I do still prefer text chat, but a game like Mario Kart would benefit from voice imho.

[Leo_A]

Online gaming didn't have voice chat for many years, its only been the last 5 years or so where its became more common in PC titles and been integrated into some classic titles like Half-Life 1 derived titles like Counterstrike.

I almost never use a headset when I'm playing in Xbox Live. I'm playing online for the competition, not to listen to idiots or to be ridiculed. So unless theres a friend joining me, the headset is kept off.

People can socialize anytime, they should be urged to go beyond Counterstrike, Xbox Live, and Mario Kart to do it if you ask me. So I think its good news.

[UK Collector]

The text only route could allow for a PSO style translation system, as I suppose the whole point of online play is playing people around the world who may not speak the same language as you. Perhaps Nintendo will go down that route?? It is possible.

[Half Japanese]

Online gaming didn't have voice chat for many years, its only been the last 5 years or so where its became more common in PC titles and been integrated into some classic titles like Half-Life 1 derived titles like Counterstrike.

Keyboard chatting on PC games is still perfectly acceptable (though not as fluid) due to the implication that most PC gamers are playing at a desk and aren't having to have a keyboard lying across their lap. As someone who put more than their fair share of time into Unreal Tournament for the DC as part of a clan, I can tell you that it isn't ideal.

That said, I'm really surprised at all of the 'silent types' that not only don't want voice chat, but seem openly hostile to the idea. Do you guys ever play team games or with a clan, or is mostly just 1 on 1 and free-for-all deathmatch gametypes? Personally I can't imagine playing team games without a headset (having gone so far as to wear a tight beanie had with a broke-ass Xbox mic barely clinging to the space between it and my ear), but I understand how you're not really missing much without one in free-for-all gametypes.

[s1lence]

I like voice chat if I'm playing with friends, thats about it. I don't like the idle chatter and the screaming, music, and other noises that you get to hear.

That being said, I'm still glad its there so I can talk with friends that I give a damn about.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

Keyboard chatting on PC games is still perfectly acceptable (though not as fluid) due to the implication that most PC gamers are playing at a desk and aren't having to have a keyboard lying across their lap. As someone who put more than their fair share of time into Unreal Tournament for the DC as part of a clan, I can tell you that it isn't ideal.

That said, I'm really surprised at all of the 'silent types' that not only don't want voice chat, but seem openly hostile to the idea. Do you guys ever play team games or with a clan, or is mostly just 1 on 1 and free-for-all deathmatch gametypes? Personally I can't imagine playing team games without a headset (having gone so far as to wear a tight beanie had with a broke-ass Xbox mic barely clinging to the space between it and my ear), but I understand how you're not really missing much without one in free-for-all gametypes.

Well, like I said, I have a love/hate relationship with it.

I think it's somewhat essential to certain types of team-based gaming models, but even in the case of clan/team same-team-only communication you still more often than not wind up with jackasses chattering on incessantly.

And it shouldn't at all be surprising that a company as trepedatious (some would even say xenophobic) as Nintendo in getting involved in the social aspects of gaming is keeping the microphones off for the time being.

I've played Metroid Prime Hunters online with a microphone ... and a part of me thinks that Nintendo has payed CLOSE attention to how 13 year olds talk to each other online in that game ... and are basing this decision squarely on that research.

Unacceptable for us? Sure.

Unacceptable for Nintendo, who is currently sitting on the biggest console success they've had since the NES? Well, why should they gamble with anything that could land them in hot water with the press ... where they've been critical darlings for well over a year now?

[zektor]

Hmm. Fascinating to see the response here. I thought I was the only one playing online without a headset. The only time I use one is when it's a "friends only" game (and that is rare). I just can't take the foul-mouthed adolescents. In fact, I'd like to see gaming in general get away from games where you have to voice chat. Just give me a player 2, 3, or 64. I don't want to know them. I sure as hell don't want to talk to them.

I couldn't have said it any better.

I tried voice chat ONCE in my entire life, and this is the exact type of crap I dealt with. I wouldn't mind so much maybe playing a private game with a few friends via voice chat I suppose, but talking (or listening) to the general population is something I only *have* to do at work. I'm sure as hell not bringing that to my pastime ever again.