Nintendo announces WiiSpeak microphone for Animal Crossing

It looks like the new Animal Crossing game for the Wii has brought a bit of a surprise with it: a new microphone add-on dubbed WiiSpeak. It's described as a "community microphone" that will let a player or group of players in one room chat with another group in a room anywhere else in the world. No word on how much of a premium it'll add to the game (if any), but you can apparently look for it to be available sometime before the end of the year. Head on past the break for another pic of the device.

Update: According to Nintendo's E3 press release, Animal Crossing: City Folk will be released on November 16th, and the WiiSpeak microphone will be available separately for $29.99.

[Alex @ Jul 15th 2008 12:33PM]

sweet another wii peripheral to add to the party!

[Hold McGroin @ Jul 15th 2008 12:35PM]

....that only works with one game.

[Alex @ Jul 15th 2008 12:41PM]

@ Hold: (from another Alex) One game for now. So what? When the rumble pak first debuted, it only worked with Star Fox.

As long as they make the mic available for purchase separately, there's no reason publishers can't also use it for other games.

[jdmbo1 @ Jul 15th 2008 12:47PM]

I think I spent more on wii peripherals than I spent on their games.

[jeromey.shannon @ Jul 15th 2008 1:39PM]

3 extra remotes, 2 nunchucks, one extra racing wheel = $194.94
I could have bought more games with that money, but then I'd have to play them alone...

[John Russell @ Jul 16th 2008 2:26AM]

They obviously wouldn't make money off of it if it was all bundled in, but I've got to wonder, how long will it be until somebody makes a wiimote that does have this, the extra sensor, etc. bundled in? Or will Nintendo just kill it before they have a chance?

[ds @ Jul 15th 2008 12:54PM]

@ jdmbo1

I think you are doing it wrong then.

[ehisforadam @ Jul 15th 2008 1:09PM]

Commenting: Yer doin' it wrong.

[Exile @ Jul 15th 2008 1:18PM]

I HAVE spent more wii peripherals than I have spent on their games.

This might have something to do with the fact that my wii has a modchip in it!

seriously its not a bad way of combating piracy. Take the wii fit for example, why play a game like wii fit without the wii fit board???

It means people like me who have a modded wii's STILL go out and buy games for these damm peripherals!

[ds @ Jul 15th 2008 1:37PM]

I could sit here and write out the ridiculous amount of peripheral hardware for older consoles, but now that you are thinking about it I bet you realize the amount of Wii peripherals is not anything new. This about it -- that's the entire fucking point of the console. Changing the way we interact with the console which *requires* new input devices..

It was in the plan and the plan is working. My original comment was intended to be ironic for the people with lower IQs.

[DarkJesus @ Jul 15th 2008 1:05PM]

I can only see this plugging into the USB ports. If this is the case, wouldn't it be possible to plug in any type of microphone?

[J. Evans Turner @ Jul 15th 2008 2:30PM]

Let's see a replacement sensor [emitter] bar that powers from USB and has the mic built-in.

[Uchiha Sasuke @ Jul 15th 2008 1:20PM]

So now Nintendo is aiming for the Corporate gamers as well. Imagine making a conference call with your Animal Crossing character with your collegues from around the world. I think mine will look like a sheep. :(

[Dusty Nipples @ Jul 15th 2008 1:23PM]

"anywhere else in the world"

Is this devise from the future? I cannot believe this cutting edge technology Nintendo is laying on us!

[DeoWulf @ Jul 15th 2008 1:41PM]

Great, now everyone in the room can hear people calling you all sorts of names online.

This may turn into Xbox Live Speakerphone Edition depending on what games they add it to.

[Ray-- @ Jul 15th 2008 1:41PM]

they need to make this work with mario kart ASAP!

[eddy @ Jul 15th 2008 3:47PM]

I second that! Mario Kart's the one game I'd buy this for in a heartbeat.

[Geek45 @ Sep 30th 2008 10:12AM]

mario kart, and smash bros.

[Gee @ Oct 4th 2008 3:04PM]

I Agree, Mario Kart, Super smash bros, Mario Strikers and a crap load of other games should make us of this peripheral.
Why is Nintendo always dragging their butts on the competition?

I've been dieing to taunt my friends while im kicking them in the face in Smash bros, I cant stress the satisfaction of winning with the mediocre options that are built in.

C'mon Nintendo! Play your game right!

[eric @ Jul 15th 2008 2:23PM]

They had better be doing some serious background noise cancellation processing on the audio because otherwise the sound that would come from a microphone yards away from your mouth will just be a racket.

[craftsmantools @ Jul 15th 2008 2:46PM]

Hopefully this will work online with Medal of Honor 2!

[Peter @ Jul 15th 2008 2:54PM]

So you and the one other guy who plays that game can talk to each other? I'm still waiting to hear what type of technology they are going to use to censor the bad words. Because after all, this is nintendo we are talking about.

[Jagster @ Jul 15th 2008 9:42PM]

Great, horrible speakerphone noise for the masses (casual gamers).

"What? Can you repeat. Do you have me on speakerphone?"

[Rincewind @ Jul 16th 2008 4:02AM]

Why, why another piece of hardware? Why can't I use my normal bluetooth headset? Nintendo always does that and it pisses me off. Another 29,99 for a simple, boring (I really don't like animal crossing) game. Others games will probably use it, but...

IIRC, my Wii has only two usb ports... I guess it will run out of ports before something cool makes use of them.

[Clumpy @ Sep 13th 2008 3:17PM]

Yay for swearing in Animal Crossing!