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[MrPanic]

They could have set it to mute for default.

What is up with the text in your spoiler tags?

My point is that voice chat is a tactical advantage, so by default everyone not using it is at a disadvantage. That's why I like the lack of voice chat since it balances it out for people that don't use it. The option to turn it on would kill that idea.

The spoiler is my promise to put something related to shades in every post I make in this thread, primary to keep myself from taking this discussion too seriously, just ignore it.

Spoiler

Dem shades though.

 

[Apathy]

Okay, look. I have following three examples:

• Bridge (regular card game)
• Hanabi (special card game)
• Journey (PS3(/4?) game)

These were all designed specifically without voice chat or its RL equivalent, and were succesful to some degree. Yet for Splatoon, it's apparently a definitive flaw without a possible valid reason.

I understand you may not be familiar with examples I presented, but I'd like you to explain to me why is lack of direct communication so bad in Splatoon while these games have proved it can be liked.

This will go down as possibly one of the worst examples to try and make a point post ever.

Competitive online team based shooter should have a default to off voice chat that when turned on you can then hear and be heard.

An artistic linear game that is mostly single player and your way of playing had no effect on the other players that may or may not join you does not need any sort of voice chat.

I don't see why this option for Splatoon is even being argued by people who want to defend Nintendo. There is zero downside for an opt in voice chat option. Hell, hide it behind the parental control and there, it's done.

 

[Overside]

I don't get why people are still arguing that Splatoon having voice chat has strategic benefit when voice chat is by far, one of the most inefficient tools to give out anything serious.
Okay, in the simplest sense, voice chat would be a very useful, if everyone was completely focused on winning and spoke the same language and were not social awkward.
However, that isn't true. Some just want to play for fun. Hell, lots of people have different interpretations of winning. Some think its getting ink on the ground, others think its camping on a box and getting the most kills, others think its getting the opposing team's ink off. While they are all contributing, the playstyle is different. Even if they can easily reach a consensus of victory objectives, talking about locations often becomes befuddled especially if they sound similar. What's the difference between this platform and that platform? for a crude instance. Taking too long to call out an enemy attack will just be inaccurate and mess up your team. It's not too effective in fast pace shooters.
I recall playing MAG(a more tactical team-based shooter) and even though I had a headset when playing, it didn't get much done. A lot of times, only a few talked and we still got pinned down by the bunker or helicopter turrets. What got stuff done was using the ingame commander powers to set objectives.
Honestly, a better solution is a ping system where a player taps on the map to get the team to head towards that objective better than any voice chat could.
Also, I would still welcome voice chat as it's a tool for socializing. It fosters a community and helps break the platitude of the matches over time

This is generally why an actual team chooses pre plotted points on each map and gives them target reference point names before hand.

But yeah, this is spot on for me.

 

[MatrixMan.EXE]

That about sums it up.

That doesn't explain where there isn't at least an OS level party chat function. Parents won't have to worry about their kids talking with random strangers and people who want to chat with their friends can.

 

[KazenY2J]

I always think when it comes to this sort of stuff where strangers can communicate with your kids, Nintendo plays it safe and doesn't allow it or minimizes it so they can maintain that family friendly image that sets them apart.

Yet Bayo 2 is one of their big exclusives and is rated M.

 

[Prototype]

The option should be there. It is strange that it's not.

 

[Diffense]

Really, other than the ribs on Overside here and there and the first few pages, the people who are actually discussing why they think the lack of voice chat hurts the game right now haven't been too irrational.

And honestly, I do believe the bolded. It's ironic when Nintendo is actually trying to get with the times, they do questionable things or leave out common features that gets them in neverending cases of two steps forward and one step back.


They could have set it to mute for default.

What is up with the text in your spoiler tags?

I found many of the posts hyberbolic. But then voice chat isn't a huge deal to me.

 

[Kyzer]

I always think when it comes to this sort of stuff where strangers can communicate with your kids, Nintendo plays it safe and doesn't allow it or minimizes it so they can maintain that family friendly image that sets them apart.

OK so explain Pokemon on the DS having voice chat or Animal Crossing on the Wii? The flaw in your argument is that strangers talking to your kids doesn't mean never having voice chat for anyone ever. You should be able to talk to your friends and have the OSlevel parentol controls apply

 

[edornob]

My point is that voice chat is a tactical advantage, so by default everyone not using it is at a disadvantage. That's why I like the lack of voice chat since it balances it out for people that don't use it. The option to turn it on would kill that idea.

The spoiler is my promise to put something related to shades in every post I make in this thread, primary to keep myself from taking this discussion too seriously, just ignore it.

Spoiler

Dem shades though.

There's already going to be competitive groups that'll find a way to communicate with each other, that will immediately put them at an advantage over people like yourself.

 

[spindashing]

My point is that voice chat is a tactical advantage, so by default everyone not using it is at a disadvantage. That's why I like the lack of voice chat since it balances it out for people that don't use it. The option to turn it on would kill that idea.

The spoiler is my promise to put something related to shades in every post I make in this thread, primary to keep myself from taking this discussion too seriously, just ignore it.

Spoiler

Dem shades though.

Well, since the game doesn't include voice chat, the people who want to talk to their buddies while playing and choose to actually buy the game will most likely, if they can, go to Skype or other chat programs and you'll run into the same problem.

I found many of the posts hyberbolic. But then voice chat isn't a huge deal to me.

And I find the posts that defend not having voice chat to be silly. We're still posting on a discussion board and they are free to have that opinion nonetheless.

 

[Simbabbad]

I remember when IGN was whining about no voice acting for Paper Mario 2 and no skins for karts in Mario Kart. And when they bashed New Super Mario Bros. Wii for no online play when Rayman Legends and Rayman Origins didn't have online play either, for obvious technical reasons.

They're doing it again, nothing to see here. Missing the point for more than a decade.

 

[Diffense]

OK so explain Pokemon on the DS having voice chat or Animal Crossing on the Wii? The flaw in your argument is that strangers talking to your kids doesn't mean never having voice chat for anyone ever. You should be able to talk to your friends and have the OSlevel parentol controls apply

I think these only allow voice chat after friend code exchange. This is why I believe that it might be possible with the Splatoon update that allows friends to battle online.

And I find the posts that defend not having voice chat to be silly. We're still posting on a discussion board and they are free to have that opinion nonetheless.

I never claimed they aren't free to have them.

I'm also free to consider them stupid and hyperbolic.

And I do.

 

[Moosehole]

I understand both sides of the argument. I just wish there were a solution so that we could have voice chat, but at the same time kids can be protected.

It's just mind-blowingly dumb to have a team shooter in 2015 with no voice chat.

 

[TemplaerDude]

Wow, 25 pages eh? Guess this is a big deal!

 

[Huff]

That about sums it up.

Sure it's an excuse. Doesn't mean it isn't the lazy solution or the correct one.

 

[Skyzard]

Yet Bayo 2 is one of their big exclusives and is rated M.

A few mature titles aren't going to ruin an image that they've spent decades and millions advertising and designing their games around. They're appropriately labeled and you can easily tell from the boxart if it's suitable. Their core audience really wanted it too.

That doesn't explain where there isn't at least an OS level party chat function. Parents won't have to worry about their kids talking with random strangers and people who want to chat with their friends can.

I'm not saying it'd be impossible to do, it'd just be a hassle to implement and possibly still be a risk, unless you've got a system thought out? -is it disabled by default? Can a kid enable it himself?

Most parents don't want to bother with the nitty and gritty of console setups, it's plug and play. Sometimes even the kid will set up the wifi themselves. The parents don't want to come back from work and hear someone talking to their kid on the tv through their family safe nintendo. Or perhaps their own kid screaming profanities at others.

OK so explain Pokemon on the DS having voice chat or Animal Crossing on the Wii? The flaw in your argument is that strangers talking to your kids doesn't mean never having voice chat for anyone ever. You should be able to talk to your friends and have the OSlevel parentol controls apply

I didn't know they could...perhaps something to do with how you're introduced to people online being less limited in splatoon? Not sure.

 

[Dion Blaster]

I understand both sides of the argument. I just wish there were a solution so that we could have voice chat, but at the same time kids can be protected.

It's just mind-blowingly dumb to have a team shooter in 2015 with no voice chat.

Voice chat defaulted to off, dilemma solved.

 

[nampad]

BTW, as some arguments are going into the protect kids direction. From my anecdotal experience, kids also prefer voice chat.

 

[spindashing]

I never claimed they aren't free to have them.

I'm also free to consider them stupid and hyperbolic.

And I do.

Never said otherwise, friend. Honestly, I want to only voice chat with friends and you seem to like the idea of voice chat with the friend lobbies in the August update so if anything we're on the same side.

 

[Seth Enosh]

There's already going to be competitive groups that'll find a way to communicate with each other, that will immediately put them at an advantage over people like yourself.

Nope, because in Splatoon the competitive group will have its players randomly shuffled between teams every 3 minutes. Even if 4 Clan members join each other through the menu it may very well end up 2 clan members on each side, or 3 and 1. It's going to be hard to steamroll through the playlist like that and even your own team member on the other team would probably be able to hear your voice chat and use it to counter your moves (with games being 3 minutes it's going to be a huge pain for the clan to constantly block and unblock players in their Skype call who are on the other team).

 

[Moosehole]

Voice chat defaulted to off, dilemma solved.

Except they could just turn it on. That doesn't really solve anything.

 

[spindashing]

Nope, because in Splatoon the competitive group will have its players randomly shuffled between teams every 3 minutes. Even if 4 Clan members join each other through the menu it may very well end up 2 clan members on each side, or 3 and 1. It's going to be hard to steamroll through the playlist like that and even your own team member on the other team would probably be able to hear your voice chat and use it to counter your moves (with games being 3 minutes it's going to be a huge pain for the clan to constantly block and unblock players in their Skype call who are on the other team).

The clan members may be shuffled around eventually but they can still use teamwork when they do happen to be on the same team.

Except they could just turn it on. That doesn't really solve anything.

If you have a seething hatred for voice chat and you turn the optional voice chat on: that's on you, though. As far as kids go... I mean, they're all over the place on XBL and PSN.

 

[Vena]

The clan members may be shuffled around eventually but they can still use teamwork when they do happen to be on the same team.

I think he means that since the teams are shuffled in the two and a half launch modes, using party/clan chat is rather pointless because you have no idea whose going to be on what team and the matches are incredibly short for Turf War. Splat Zones would be longer and are where actual communication would be useful but even then at launch it will still shuffle the teams around.

In August, when team-matchmaking launches, that is when you'd really have a hard time discounting party chat options from a competitive argument point of view.

 

[AyaisMUsikWhore]

After a couple of hours, I have come to the realization that maybe it should be accepted and that's that.

I still don't agree with it but I put it like this, if all you have to sacrifice is voice chat so a bunch of kids can play then so be it. Even though I'm not team "Oh think of the children" I feel like this game is their playground to do whatever they can with others who they may not be aware of - that are bigger than them and have fun.

Like, I still think having the option is and should be something that should have been in the final product but at the same time, it's whatever for this game. At this point, I think adults have an over abundance of games that do require and have voice chat in them so I think letting the kids have just one is okay.

So basically..... Yes, think about the children. The game was meant for them, so we should respect the decision objectively because of them, imo. If we are going to play on their turf, we have to follow their rules. I guess....

 

[MatrixMan.EXE]

A few mature titles aren't going to ruin an image that they've spent decades and millions advertising and designing their games around. They're appropriately labeled and you can easily tell from the boxart if it's suitable. Their core audience really wanted it too.



I'm not saying it'd be impossible to do, it'd just be a hassle to implement and possibly still be a risk, unless you've got a system thought out? -is it disabled by default? Can a kid enable it himself?

Most parents don't want to bother with the nitty and gritty of console setups, it's plug and play. Sometimes even the kid will set up the wifi themselves. The parents don't want to come back from work and hear someone talking to their kid on the tv through their family safe nintendo. Or perhaps their own kid screaming profanities at others.



I didn't know they could...perhaps something to do with how you're introduced to people online being less limited in splatoon? Not sure.

Why would it be a hassle to implement. Mobiles, Vita, PS4, 360, Tablet, Xbox One, PC....they can all do it. Why can't Nintendo?

 

[Overside]

The clan members may be shuffled around eventually but they can still use teamwork when they do happen to be on the same team.


If you have a seething hatred for voice chat and you turn the optional voice chat on: that's on you, though. As far as kids go... I mean, they're all over the place on XBL and PSN.

I think he means the kids. His previous post was asking for a solution for voice chat along with protection for kids (Which seems to me would be parental control options)

I dont think trying to be a nanny for kids is why Nintendo decided against voice chat, the iwata asks made the reasoning pretty clear.

 

[Diffense]

Never said otherwise, friend. Honestly, I want to only voice chat with friends and you seem to like the idea of voice chat with the friend lobbies in the August update so if anything we're on the same side.

IMO, it should be allowed with friends. The gamepad has both a microphone and camera and every Wii U has one. I expect it TBH. IIRC, Nintendo has almost always locked voice chat features behind friend codes. But this game is launching without the friend lobby features.

I don't think voice chat is needed in random mode with people who might be speaking different languages, are anonymous and sometimes on their worst behavior. IMO, being able to communicate isn't essential to Splatoon but I'm not going to say it won't be fun to talk when playing and beating people you know. A local multiplayer mode would have been nice.

(Fun, if only slightly related, trivia: there was a time you couldn't use the Pokemon Cofagrigus online because it triggered the censor)

 

[spindashing]

I think he means that since the teams are shuffled in the two and a half launch modes, using party/clan chat is rather pointless because you have no idea whose going to be on what team and the matches are incredibly short for Turf War. Splat Zones would be longer and are where actual communication would be useful but even then at launch it will still shuffle the teams around.

In August, when team-matchmaking launches, that is when you'd really have a hard time discounting party chat options from a competitive argument point of view.

I mean, when you put it like that I'm sure clans would love to just shoot the shit and have fun when they are pit against each other due to the shuffle.

But, I do understand that shuffling will make strategies harder.

After a couple of hours, I have come to the realization that maybe it should be accepted and that's that.

I still don't agree with it but I put it like this, if all you have to sacrifice is voice chat so a bunch of kids can play then so be it. Even though I'm not team "Oh think of the children" I feel like this game is their playground to do whatever they can with others who they may not be aware of - that are bigger than them and have fun.

Like, I still think having the option is and should be something that should have been in the final product but at the same time, it's whatever for this game. At this point, I think adults have an over abundance of games that do require and have voice chat in them so I think letting the kids have just one is okay.

So basically..... Yes, think about the children. The game was meant for them, so we should respect the decision objectively because of them, imo. If we are going to play on their turf, we have to follow their rules. I guess....

I mean, we're ultimately here discussing. None of this will somehow change Nintendo's mind.

The people buying the game yet wanting voice chat do have to just deal with it. There are alternatives out there and it's been discussed already.

I think he means the kids. His previous post was asking for a solution for voice chat along with protection for kids (Which seems to me would be parental control options)

I dont think trying to be a nanny for kids is why Nintendo decided against voice chat, the iwata asks made the reasoning pretty clear.

Yeah, I figured. Parental controls could keep kids from chatting with creepers, or at least they should. I can't speak from experience because I've never had to dabble with them.

IMO, it should be allowed with friends. The gamepad has both a microphone and camera and every Wii U has one. I expect it TBH. IIRC, Nintendo has almost always locked voice chat features behind friend codes. But this game is launching without the friend lobby features.

I don't think voice chat is needed in random mode with people who might be speaking different languages, are anonymous and sometimes on their worst behavior.

(Fun, if only slightly related, trivia: there was a time you couldn't use the Pokemon Cofagrigus online because it triggered the censor)

I feel the exact same way.

And on another related note, Swap Note was stopped by Nintendo because of questionable content. I miss Swap Note with friends offline and online. :{

 

[MrPanic]

There's already going to be competitive groups that'll find a way to communicate with each other, that will immediately put them at an advantage over people like yourself.

Well, since the game doesn't include voice chat, the people who want to talk to their buddies while playing and choose to actually buy the game will most likely, if they can, go to Skype or other chat programs and you'll run into the same problem.

Except for the matchmaking purposefully mixing up the teams every round so that kind of teamwork is minimalized in how often it's actually viable.

It's not a problem for me btw, been in clan gaming for over 6 years so I know how it works. I just like that this game is trying to deliver us a different experience and does it so throughly, until the August update anyway.

Spoiler

Then I'll be putting those shades on like everybody else, I'll even join your cause if those new modes don't support voice chat.

 

[Skyzard]

Why would it be a hassle to implement. Mobiles, Vita, PS4, 360, Tablet, Xbox One, PC....they can all do it. Why can't Nintendo?

Nintendo has to do it an a way so that the parent has agreed to it, so it protects their brand. Kids don't use voice chat for planning. They use it for voicing grief mostly, often in unpleasant ways that would cause negative attention (as would their kids hearing older dudes voices from their tv) for Nintendo, in the way it currently separates itself from similar devices that cover slightly different audiences.

That's parental controls. Some kids get the password to buy games. A lot of parents don't set them because they aren't warned about voice chat, which could worry them about their new device and games with multiplayer.

Either way, they didn't have any voice chat at a system level by default [let me just check actually - they don't have any mic setting in parental controls, they could implement it with a firmware update for splatoon and have it disabled by default for those who have parental controls but what about those that dont?]. So software wise what are they supposed to do? Disable by default? A kid could just enable it and a parent would have to worry about it.

 

[Vena]

I mean, when you put it like that I'm sure clans would love to just shoot the shit and have fun when they are pit against each other due to the shuffle.

But, I do understand that shuffling will make strategies harder.

No argument there, I am saying from a [purely competitive angle] the shuffling undermines the concept until August. For the purposes of shooting the shit, you don't care who's on what team and party chat would be great.

 

[Terrell]

1)It's kinda a standard, it's fine to list games online , but i honnestly cannot recall an online Fps being made on consoles without voice chat in the last 6 years.

Splatoon isn't an FPS. It's a 3rd-person territory control game that happens to have a gun-like device in it.

2) I believe that mario kart is on his 4th online game ( Ds, Wii, 3DS, Wii U ) and part of a franchise that has many more included, the online community between mario kart and splatoon , a new IP that has everything to prove in term of sales and longevity is NOT the same thing.

But that's never been part of the argument you're quoting. It's always been that chat is required to build a community. That there is an online community without it at all proves that false, regardless of the situation. Voice chat isn't going to magically make people buy a game they hate, so it will sell and develop a community within those people regardless of the feature's presence. Events and other things will engage a community, as well, and Nintendo's already all over that. So the assertion that it's required to build and engage a community is bunk, from where I sit.
And again, Clash of Clans has quite the community as well, all without voice chat options in the game. So you can tear down one example and another one that disproves the assertion is ready and waiting.

3) NIntendo is behind teh times on many things , and that is being discussed when a topic relevant appears. Should we not talk , because there was a discussion last week ? Is things going to change because we talk ? maybe . Is thing goind to changewhen we don't talk ? heck no.

I'm not saying not to. But talk to the right fucking people. It's quite obvious, considering how much we discuss it here, that it's not being discussed to Nintendo in any meaningful way. If it were, we would not still be having this discussion yet again. THAT was the point. And if you're going to discuss it here, be honest about why. Why raise a pitchfork against people here who can't do anything to fix it?

4) About the conclusion
So you're telling us to do something about it ? But many people in this very thread have said that they are going to vote with their wallet. Other have said that they will play the game and give feedback to nintendo ( how ? i dunno , on miiverse maybe ? )

So thanks for your rant i guess ?

And there's more that can be done. For all the energy spent discussing it here, it would be better served pointing it towards productive action. I've seen people lobby harder for characters in Smash Bros than I have seen action taken for this apparently-necessary feature of gaming.

And as I said, voting with the wallet is bullshit. Great, you didn't give them your money. How are they going to know WHY? Nintendo doesn't survey every person who didn't buy something they make. If that isn't followed with direct communication to them, they're left guessing why it didn't sell to those people. And there could be any number of reasons that they come up with for why, but do you really want them to GUESS why? Or do you want them to KNOW why? That's why voting with the wallet is bullshit with video games and entertainment in general: you want them to "take the hint", more passive-aggressive crap that gets nothing done and can lead to wrong assumptions that don't fix the problem anyways.

Well I'll do what I can, I'll vote with my walle-



....?

OK so should I break into Nintendo and recode the game or...? I just have no idea whatsoever as to what you are talking about. I can't even guess.

I'm at a loss here, throw me a bone.

Communicate with the people making the fucking game, maybe? Especially if it means as much to people as they make it seem that they do.

I'm not sure why this is a foreign concept. Screaming into the air is about as effective of changing something as talking on/to GAF is. Want it changed? Talk to the people who CAN change it.

 

[Zombie James]

Nintendo has to do it an a way so that the parent has agreed to it, so it protects their brand. Kids don't use voice chat for planning. They use it for voicing grief mostly, often in unpleasant ways that would cause negative attention for Nintendo, in the way it currently separates itself from similar devices that cover slightly different audiences.

That's parental controls. Some kids get the password to buy games. A lot of parents don't set them because they aren't warned about voice chat, which could worry them about their new device and games with multiplayer.

Either way, they didn't have any voice chat at a system level by default. So software wise what are they supposed to do? Disable by default? A kid could just enable it.

But don't you dare call Nintendo a kiddy brand, though.

 

[Sushigod7]

If it was there I wouldn't use it unless playing with a group I know which is not very often. Even in MK in lobbies we didn't use it then. I can see why it bothers people but won't stop me from having a blast with it.

 

[Steel]

I always think when it comes to this sort of stuff where strangers can communicate with your kids, Nintendo plays it safe and doesn't allow it or minimizes it so they can maintain that family friendly image that sets them apart.

I really wonder if the demographics actually pan out for that though. Kids today are mostly playing mobile games, minecraft, skylanders, or COD none of which are on wii u.

 

[Nesther]

Sometimes the damage is already done though and irreversible...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uZr5C0KsQg

This just cements my idea that Splatoon voice chat with built in voice squidifier would be amazing.

 

[Fantastical]

I really wonder if the demographics actually pan out for that though. Kids today are mostly playing mobile games, minecraft, skylanders, or COD none of which are on wii u.

Yeah I'm willing to bet more kids are playing CoD than Spatoon.

 

[Crimson_Gold]

This just cements my idea that Splatoon voice chat with built in voice squidifier would be amazing.

I second this post.

Having the option to chat and chat as a squid would be too awesome

 

[Overside]

But don't you dare call Nintendo a kiddy brand, though.

Michael Katz is a God among men.

 

[Skyzard]

But don't you dare call Nintendo a kiddy brand, though.

Saying it covers a different audience more than other home consoles and that Nintendo have a family friendly reputation doesn't mean their products don't also appeal to a lot of older people with nostalgia and genuine appreciation. Nor that Nintendo don't know about those fans and cater to them in some ways. But they have something that sets them apart and is pretty renewable every few years and they've spent a lot to get that across.

 

[Steel]

Yeah I'm willing to bet more kids are playing CoD than Spatoon.

Well considering Spaltoon's not out yet... But yeah i get your point.

 

[AyaisMUsikWhore]

I mean, we're ultimately here discussing. None of this will somehow change Nintendo's mind.

The people buying the game yet wanting voice chat do have to just deal with it. There are alternatives out there and it's been discussed already.

I was high and mighty about making it known I was not okay with the decision (which I still am not) but I think from another perspective....

Children don't really have much to play in this time. Besides minecraft which isn't a shooter, but can become one, it's still something that's mostly popular amongst kids and the one game that kids just latched on to.

Splatoon is a game that, on the other hand, is strictly catered to kids. So I think if Nintendo wanted it to be non toxic then taking away is better than giving the option. I think the thought behind it was, they either:

A) Don't trust parents to fix parental settings - and -

B) They also expect that the community for this game will still be grown adults and teenagers.

So to kill two birds with one stone, they just decided not to include it. Fine, they want to protect the kids.

I still don't think they should ever have to think of things like that but it is what it is. If it's a kids game, let it be a kids game.

I think what I really learned from all of this is, at least there is no mistaken Nintendo as nothing more than a kids brand.. And that's regardless of all strategic M rated approved games.....

 

[mrlion]

How are people going to queue up solo/duo/triple and tell the person not in your party that he/she/they need to get on Skype and call you/your group?

We're talking two different languages...I'm talking about competitive Splatoon where you have a team and need communication against another competitive team. For casual pugs you don't need to talk to anyone

 

[Reebot]

Communicate with the people making the fucking game, maybe? Especially if it means as much to people as they make it seem that they do.

I'm not sure why this is a foreign concept. Screaming into the air is about as effective of changing something as talking on/to GAF is. Want it changed? Talk to the people who CAN change it.

Dude, seriously, calm down. You're coming off ridiculous.

While you're calming down, have a thought about what a video game discussion message board is, and what people do on it.

 

[MatrixMan.EXE]

Nintendo has to do it an a way so that the parent has agreed to it, so it protects their brand. Kids don't use voice chat for planning. They use it for voicing grief mostly, often in unpleasant ways that would cause negative attention (as would their kids hearing older dudes voices from their tv) for Nintendo, in the way it currently separates itself from similar devices that cover slightly different audiences.

That's parental controls. Some kids get the password to buy games. A lot of parents don't set them because they aren't warned about voice chat, which could worry them about their new device and games with multiplayer.

Either way, they didn't have any voice chat at a system level by default [let me just check actually]. So software wise what are they supposed to do? Disable by default? A kid could just enable it and a parent would have to worry about it.

I'm sorry, but this idea that Nintendo caters to children first and foremost is absurd, especially when in regards to Wii U, especially when, not only do 24-35 year olds take up nearly 50% of those making transactions on the Wii U e-shop, but Miyamoto himself has stressed that Nintendo wants to refocus on the hardcore demographic with their Wii U software.

Sure their titles might be child friendly, but it doesn't mean that's their main focus. If they're serious about targeting enthusiast gamers then offer features that enthusiast gamers have become accustomed to on competing platforms over the past decade.

For reference - http://www.escapistmagazine.com/new...-Drive-to-Focus-on-Hardcore-Demographic-Again

Nintendo is often criticized for not catering to the hardcore demographic, and Shigeru Miyamoto, beloved game designer and General Manager of Nintendo EAD, agrees the company should focus on dedicated fans. In an Edge magazine interview Miyamoto expresses his dissatisfaction with the average mindset of the passive gamer.

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=884312

* 90+% of Wii U consoles online
* 70+% of connected users (i.e. 63% overall) visit eShop on a "regular basis. Many of those people are repeat."
* Wii U eShop demographics
0-12 - 1%
13-17 - 5%
18-24 - 33%
25-34 - 46%
35+ - 14%
M/F - 93/7

 

[Zombie James]

Michael Katz is a God among men.

Who?

 

[Shmuely Bully]

But don't you dare call Nintendo a kiddy brand, though.

Pretty much.

I also love all of the brilliant people using Journey as an example of why voice chat isn't necessary given that, a) It's in an entirely different genre. b) There is no need to play with anyone else at all. c) If you do play with someone else, the emotional impact revolves to a large extent around sharing and bonding without words.

But sure, lets take a game that is all about stripping things down to the basics to tell an abstract story and compare that to a shooter. Great idea.

 

[Skyzard]

I really wonder if the demographics actually pan out for that though. Kids today are mostly playing mobile games, minecraft, skylanders, or COD none of which are on wii u.

It's not going great but why would they switch it up? It's what separates them marketing wise from the other platforms. They'll have to come up with something even better.

I'm sorry, but this idea that Nintendo caters to children first and foremost is absurd, especially when in regards to Wii U, especially when, not only do 24-35 year olds take up nearly 50% of those making transactions on the Wii U e-shop, but Miyamoto himself has stressed that Nintendo wants to refocus on the hardcore demographic with their Wii U software.

Sure their titles might be child friendly, but it doesn't mean that's their main focus. If they're serious about targeting enthusiast gamers then offer features that enthusiast gamers have become accustomed to on competing platforms over the past decade.

For reference - http://www.escapistmagazine.com/new...-Drive-to-Focus-on-Hardcore-Demographic-Again



http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=884312

Sure they now want to focus some more on their older fans. Could be a side-effect of the above poster I quoted, or maybe that the Wii is quite good already and the games are cheaper and the WiiU not separating itself enough.

But they're not going to throw away or risk tarnishing their bread and butter and an image they've invested a lot over the years cultivating.

 

[Overside]

Who?

Dont even worry about it man.

 

[MatrixMan.EXE]

It's not going great but why would they switch it up? It's what separates them marketing wise.

It doesn't separate them. Have you seen how well Minecraft is selling on consoles? Kids are buying Xbox consoles and PlayStation consoles for Minecraft etc as much as, if not more than they are buying Wii U's for Mario and Splatoon.