What I like about Cross-Game-Chats (especially XBox Live-Parties) is the possibility to go online, see if a friend is online, too, and discuss/plan what we could play together. Sometimes I/they just want to kill some hours by playing various arcade titles. We would then just mention some games we are in the mood of playing and then play something that would comfort both of us. Sure, you could just exchange messages, but I actually like talking to my friends. Should I mention that I know the people I play with in person but can not see them as they live hundreds of kilometres away? With XBox-Live-Parties its like having them sitting next to you.
Furthermore it depends on what you play; I don't like talking when there are cutscenes running or I don't like a third person disturbing me e.g. when I solve problems in Portal 2 with a coop-partner. But playing a Racing Game or a Multiplayershooter, I really enjoy talking to my friends.
In the end it is not a dealbreaker that the WiiU missed the opportunity and I have hopes that they deliver Cross-Game-Chat with a firmware-update.
bizarre-galaxy.de - My Browsergame, but sadly only in german :(
You can play as an octopus, though!
