Nintendo: Wii voice chat possible, no VC online

Nintendo's Wii console may eventually get some form of voice chat, the company's American president says. Speaking during a conference call today, Reggie Fils-Aime explained that there is nothing technically stopping the Wii from doing voice in online play; it is only a matter of Nintendo mustering the will and money to support it. "...what it comes down to is finalizing the peripheral," he noted. "I would not be surprised to see that capability come to this system." Voice chat is one current advantage of Microsoft's Xbox 360, which comes bundled with a headset and allows sending delayed messages in addition to in-game conversation.

Film-Aime shut down speculation, however, that the Wii's Virtual Console could be enhanced with online multiplayer. The Virtual Console currently lets gamers play classic NES, SNES and N64 titles on their Wiis, but any multiplayer must be set up locally. "We do not anticipate making online gameplay for Virtual Console games," Fils-Aime stated bluntly. [via Kotaku]

Filed under: gaming, gadgets
Other story tags: Nintendo, Wii, voice, Virtual Console