14 DAY TRIAL // Video game hardware maker Nintendo states that gamers who are interested in using in-game voice chat on the upcoming Wii U home console will have to keep a headset plugged into their GamePad controller even if they are not actually using it.
Speaking to Kotaku, the company revealed that a number of upcoming games will support the new feature, including – but not limited to – Mass Effect 3, Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 and Assassin’s Creed III.
The GamePad does have a built-in microphone, but Nintendo has chosen not to use for in-game chat, probably because the quality it delivers might be too limited for serious gamers.
Licensed headsets for the Wii U home console will be offered when the game launches, by companies like Mad Catz and Turtle Beach.
In-game chat on the new Nintendo console is not universally implemented and it is up to individual game developers to create support for the feature.
Nintendo has not offered a headset jack for the Pro Controller, which presumably most serious games will use to control games like Black Ops 2, Assassin’s Creed III and Mass Effect 3.
At some point, the Wii U might get a wireless headset, either from Nintendo or another company, which might make it easier for those who need in-game chat.
Nintendo, as a company, is known for the fact that it tends to limit interaction options between gamers, and this approach is clearly seen when it comes to chat support, even if the company claims that it wants the Wii U to be more open and social.
The new device will offer more computing power than the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3 and a new experience via the GamePad controller.
The device will be launched in North America on November 18, in Europe on November 30 and 8 days later in Japan.