Nintendo doesn't want to sit still. At least according to Nintendo's Satoru Iwata. Animal Crossing: City Folk, on the Wii later this year, expands beyond the Gamecube game by giving you a bigger world to explore -- more specifically, a city with a variety of stores (like a stylist to make your character look like your Mii) and ways to interact with other players. Send letters to other players via in-game mail and that can go to other players in the game, to the Wii community boards, to a cell phone text message or email. But the other big way to communicate in the game is through a new speakerphone peripheral for the Wii.
WiiSpeak looks to have the same stylings as the Wii and we'll have to check it out later, but for now the premise is interesting. No need to strap on headsets, everyone in the room is in on the conversation. The big question, if you ask me is how well it'll pick up sound in different room conditions. We have a separate meeting scheduled with Nintendo later today and will update this story -- hopefully with a more hands-on perspective.
