E308: WiiSpeak to be sold separately for $29.99

by Eric Caoili { Jul 15th 2008 at 7:15PM }

We hope you didn't get your hopes up by thinking that the Wii's newly revealed "room-to-room" microphone peripheral, WiiSpeak, would be bundled with copies of Animal Crossing: City Folk! No, Nintendo loves making money much too much, and they have to pay for that 800-foot wire somehow.

According to a press release put out by Nintendo earlier today, the WiiSpeak microphone will be sold separately for $29.99. You could buy a DS game for that kind of cash! Maybe even two DS games, if you follow our sales posts!

If that price point is too rich for your blood, you need not worry about missing out on City Folk's voice communication features, as we're sure several dozen Chinese accessory manufacturers will step up and release a slew of cheaper, ridiculously shaped microphone solutions soon enough.

For comparison, Microsoft's MSRP for its official Xbox 360 Wireless Headset is $59.99, and Sony's official Bluetooth PS3 Headset (bundled with SOCOM: Confrontation) is rumored to be $49.99 as a standalone product. Of course, both of those accessories boast more advanced technology than WiiSpeak, and both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 have much cheaper third-party solutions.

[Thanks, Kongo!]

Tags: e3-2008, e308, wii-speak, wiispeak

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

iambob98 @ Jul 15th 2008 7:19PM

I will definentaly buy it if voice chat can be put in with the conduit. If there is voice chat online for that game then I would get this whatever the cost...as long as it wasnt too high. :)

daniel =] @ Jul 15th 2008 7:21PM

Hopefully its possible for a 3rd party to create a headset. Not this stupidly designed microphone...

Shogan @ Jul 15th 2008 7:32PM

Not paying a dime for this abomination. I want a headset, not something that broadcasts everything going on in my living room.

Co @ Jul 20th 2008 6:43PM

Do you live with your parents or something?

I'm sorry, but living by myself, I don't see what the big deal is with this. Even if people are over, there's nothing that I wouldn't want them to hear, it's voice chat during the playing of a video game, not a meeting with the mob.

Kongo @ Jul 15th 2008 7:43PM

Glad to help out. Ill probably buy this but if there's a way to create something like the 360 headset and nintendo and/or a 3rd party create one, no doubt in my mind i would get that.

Ethan @ Jul 15th 2008 7:50PM

Cmon, logitech.

NutMac @ Jul 15th 2008 7:52PM

The recommended placement of the device (on top of Wii Sensor Bar) seems a bit strange to me. Wouldn't it pick up too much ambiance noise, not to mention sound coming out from Wii games? And it probably won't be of much use for Rock Band type of games either (unless the player holds Wii Speak in awkward manner).

Sonic_13 @ Jul 15th 2008 10:58PM

I'm sure it really doesn't matter where you place it. It's a microphone, so it's going to pick up sounds basically anywhere you put it.

On top the sensor bar is probably just a convenient place since you already have a something there.

TheOverlord#2 can has Animals Crossing? @ Jul 15th 2008 8:20PM

$50 for ACCF(maybe $40)...then this for $30? Shouldn't cost $80 for the full online experience. Hopefully by November either High Voltage will confirm The Conduit using this or some other big game/games confirm having this. Otherwise it's too expensive for one game.
Hopefully E3 will announce some games that support this, though I don't know if Nintendo has only used this on ACCF or if it has given developers a chance to implement this already.

gameyeeeah @ Jul 15th 2008 9:45PM

$29.99?oh,my!

gameyeeeah @ Jul 15th 2008 9:47PM

$29.99?Oh,my!Maybe I can buy one or two nds games with that money.Only for one game,and you have to buy this mess peripheral?

How can we use it?With USB port plug?Or ohter brisk-like case and you insert your usb cable to it?Looks like my wii will turn to a scientific instrument with this so-call Wiispeak.

Anyway,I prefer to use it on My pc game-half life.

Sonic_13 @ Jul 15th 2008 9:54PM

This is sweet. I can't wait to see what other games support this.

The functionality of this really isn't any different than headset, except it can pick up the voices of several people. I would be willing to bet that the box you see is not a power converter (after all why would a simply USB microphone need one? I would be willing to bet that it is something that filters out background noise providing just crisp voices.