14 DAY TRIAL // We've already covered the Nintendo press event which revealed the new Nintendo Dsi, with its improved storage options (an SD card could be a winning solution), its camera support, and a fresh games lineup (I am pretty interested in the new Punchout game). But one of the most interesting additions to the Nintendo Wii might have actually slipped under the radar.
The already expanding library of Wii services will receive a Wii Speak Channel, which is supposed to allow the users of the gaming console to communicate while using the Nintendo made product. The new service is said to use the Wii Speak microphone, which is set to be included in the fresh Animal Crossing: City Folk. Up to four consoles can be linked at a time, via voice communication, allowing each player to use the Mii avatar as the communication goes back and forth and also offering the possibility to transfer content like text messages and photos.
At the moment, the service and the microphone will be available only by getting the new Animal Crossing: City Folk bundle, which is set to cost the equivalent of 70 dollars. After the game launches, with a code which allows you to get the Wii Speak service, the microphone will probably also be released as a standalone product.
Nintendo needs to beef up the social aspect of the Wii as it begins to face stiff competition from Microsoft's Xbox 360 Arcade, which recently received a price drop. The Xbox Live service is set to get a new face this November with an improved interface and with more social options like Avatars and Live Parties. Some analysts think that the fresh interface, combined with the price reduction, could mean that the Xbox 360 Arcade will really give the Nintendo Wii, with or without Wii Speak, a run for its money as the Christmas shopping season begins.