Hiii! Demonstrating the Wii Speak Channel voice message process [update]
by JC Fletcher 
{ Dec 5th 2008 at 6:15PM }
The Wii Speak Channel is out in Europe today, as is the actual WiiSpeak microphone. A helpful early adopter named Butulino has taken video footage of the "Canale Wii Speak" in action, so the rest of us can see what we have to look forward to
This video shows the channel's voice message capability, through which short (10 seconds or less) clips can be recorded and sent to Wii friends' Message Boards. Cleverly, the Channel allows you to bundle a picture with a message, so you can take a picture of that stringfish you caught in Animal Crossing and send it with a taunting message about, you know, how your friend has yet to catch a stringfish.
The Channel also allows users to warp their voices, in a feature similar to one found in the DSi's sound functionality -- which further cements the connection between the DSi's features and UI design and the Wii Menu.
[Update: it's up in North America! Nintendo almost succeeded in completely suppressing news of an available service, but not quite!]
[Via GoNintendo]
Ever since it was revealed back at E3, WiiSpeak has been the talk (both good and bad) of the town. Check out our hands-on time with the device, as well as the details you may have missed on the WiiSpeak Channel. Plan on picking one up? Then you might want to check out Game Night, where you'll surely be able to chat with your fellow Wii lovers in the future.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Darkzero @ Dec 5th 2008 6:28PM
Not to burst your bubble, But the channel was released already. :S
abandonedgarbage @ Dec 5th 2008 7:16PM
i got the wii speak channel on monday but it said the service would be active today.
fishyfood @ Dec 5th 2008 11:14PM
That was cute. I don't necessarily need the Wii Speak Channel, nor do I even own a Wii Speak. It is welcome, but the whole idea of Ninty trying so hard to satisfy gamers who think that the 360 and PS3 are fine examples of gaming consoles is disturbing. So what if you can flame preteens in Halo, I don't want to do the same on my Wii. Then again, It's not mandatory I have this service anyway, so I should watch how I complain. There has to be someone else here who agrees that Nintendo should not be trying so hard to make the Wii into some souped up media hub, DVD player or anything else not related to gaming at its purest. I like how simple the ii is. I don't even own a HD TV. I live in the Caribbean, so I can say I have lived a live more underprivileged than an American or European citizen.
But one thing I've learned in my life is that all this 'HD" bull isn't necessary. People still enjoy the old NES Super Mario Bros. a lot. Doesn't mean that Ninty should make a HD remake for anybody. Surely if Nintendo were to make a new HD system that at least matches the competition in graphical capabilities (although the Wii can pack a punch depending on who's developing games for it), but costs slightly more than what the Wii costs now, I will not hesitate to purchase it. Though if I wanted a gaming system with a HDD, I'll just build another PC and wait a year for the good 3rd party titles to get ported. I never owned any other system than Nintendo systems; Gameboys, NES, SNES, N64, Cube and Wii. I never had the luxury of storing streamable video on a built-in HDD, or voice-chatting with other people over a heated battle with a system made by Nintendo, and I don't need to.
Still, it is good that the Wii Speak channel came out because it does post some great features. I have a friend in New York who I rarely get to keep in contact with. I am more than sure we can chat with each other on a Friday afternoon at least every month if he has time. I can even send him voicemail to keep him informed on what's going on in my neck of the woods. Seeing as they decided to deliver these features of voicechat to the Wii rather than just using it in online gaming for nonconstructive flaming purposes is a good thing in my book. And they keep their place in providing friendly and safe products and features. But I bet Fox News is gonna pull some crap about child predators using Wii Speak to trap your children or something. That's why I don't trust the media... crackpot newscasts like that make me sick.
Ferco @ Dec 6th 2008 3:04AM
Voice chat isn't just for flaming. I played Brawl against a friend online and if I didn't know I was playing against a living human being I would have thought I was playing against a bot.
And Nintendo doesn't have to make the Wii more like the PS360. If I wanted a system with Xbox Live functionalities I should have bought an Xbox 360. But I think you should be able to demand that Nintendo tries it's hardest to improve their system and to correct the Wiis flaws.
Bowser Rogozhin @ Dec 6th 2008 6:16AM
"I live in the Caribbean, so I can say I have lived a life more underprivileged than an American or European citizen. "
This really peeved me.
SoshiKitai @ Dec 6th 2008 3:31PM
If Nintendo really was trying to be like Xbox 360 and PS3, they'd actually have taken out friend codes and several parental control options.
One HUGE thing that divides the Wii and the other two, is that the Wii is extremely family friendly.
In Nintendo's eyes, the world of online gaming isn't necessary - but it is a form of entertainment that has become solidified in this gaming society. Many perks are in it, and Nintendo wants to put their essence in it... but due to how much freedom you gain in online gaming, Nintendo's family-friendly appearance of "you'd be fine if you left your kids with us" can't fully be realized until they do a complete face-lift to their side of online gaming...
... so as annoying as it is that voice-chat is limited in many things, how even text chat is near impossible to find, and how a game without friend codes is like a once-in-a-lifetime experience -- that's all Nintendo could come up with temporarily until they could truly make the "online world" safe for kiddies. :P
So no, I don't agree with ya', fishy.
TheOverlord#2(AC FC: 1161-3212-7729 Pre-Game Night: Wednesday 7pm) @ Dec 6th 2008 10:52AM
They had a info ticker on the preview channel saying it "will be released for download on 12/5!"
Spideyman @ Dec 6th 2008 7:23PM
I wish Nintendo would focus on getting more good games on the Wii rather than junk like this.
$Enrique$ @ Dec 7th 2008 5:59PM
well fishfood on my opinon it is better to have wii speak because you could actually talk to ur friends in messages instead of wasting all ur time writing (even though its only 10 second clips wat a meltdown for me)but still it will be pretty kool,And u know wat else?maybe we could all talk to each other live on other games.
well thatz all i have to say
P.S. can u talk to eachother live on the wiispeak channel?????????