I completely agree with you, it's very dumb that we have to resort to using skype just to talk to our friends while playing.

I don't think Nintendo has any clue as to what they're doing.

I feel like it's more so them being stubborn and choosing to move at their own pace rather than follow industry standards. This sort of thing can be traced back to the 90s with them.

yup  skype teamspeak etc

Does WiiU support Skype?

I'm a little tired of all the people saying Nintendo is stupid for doing this. It's not stupid, people who say it's stupid simply don't understand the choice at all. Obviously there are many reasons why voice chat is important for online games like this, you guys seem to not understand why Nintendo does these things. It's not because "they're stupid." You're letting your emotions get in the way of logic.

Now, think about what Nintendo's image is in general. People tend to associate Nintendo with kids. Why do you think that is? It can't simply be the kinds of games they make, because Nintendo makes games like Fire Emblem and Metroid, and games like Fatal Frame, Xenoblade, and Bayonetta 2 are heavily related to them. So, maybe it has more to do with who you actually see owning many of these games and consoles. If a lot of kids own Nintendo games and consoles, then it is only natural to believe that parents are the ones who buy them. If a game like Splatoon, clearly targeted to this audience as well, had voice chat and something bad was said over it to their child, those parents would possibly stop buying Nintendo consoles and games for their kid. If they did that, Nintendo would lose out on business that they rely on. It wouldn't just harm Splatoon, but Nintendo as a whole. The whole incident with Swapnote made this point very clear.

Whether or not that would actually happen, it can be argued. However, it's not stupid for Nintendo to believe this. Nintendo is a business, and they make decisions based off of what they believe is good for their business.

As far as Im aware, no. My PC is close to my couch so I hook up a headset, start a skype call with friends and go sit at the couch.

so to hell with anyone over the age of 17 that would want to get this game for themselves? no options for them because the precious children? I hope the kids really want this game then. 

And there image doesnt need protecting because there image sucks right now. I'm saying it, and sales back it up. Why keep up something that CLEARLY isnt working? People are barely buying Ninty home consoles now. 

It is stupid to not have options.

I feel like you aren't quite getting what I'm saying.  Nintendo's image helps their consoles sell at least what they do.  Nintendo is more afraid that changing that image to what you think would give them more sales would backfire and not work at all, and instead alienate the regular customers that are there.  Whether that fear is unfounded or not none of us actually know.  I'm just saying that there's real reason for this decision.  

I'm with you. I would like to have it if my friends are in the game with me, but with randoms, no need. after HOURS of warhawk, fighting games, last of us, etc, never made a friend or had a good clear chat with anyone online, and if there ever was, people don't listen anyway, and lets not even talk about the bad class of online chatters (facepalm).

let it be said by thus: "a good team needs not to communicate to victory"