Voice chat is needed, badly.

Speaking as a guy who has played TF2 on live, the voice chat immediately enables so much to happen. You can tell your teammates that they have someone attacking them from behind, that you dropped the flag in a certain location, that you need help in the flag room, etc. The game would be a shadow without it and frankly, I didn't get any of the xbox kiddies which are so damn irritating. I only ever got those while playing Halo 3.

Yeah, and honestly, I wish Nintendo would realize I want to chat with people that aren't my friends as well. That's how you make online friends, and random people playing with you need to chat for help as well. Individual blocking could be possible...but I understand that Nintendo's uber-careful...and only chatting with my friends would be satisfactory.

That is what I want to hear. That Nintendo is putting effort into this highly missed feature. However, it should have come out with Battalion Wars 2 or at least with SSBB and Mario Kart Wii.

Yes, I agree with the rest of you, it should be mute-able to people who are just stupid. That is a major issue with Xbox Live. However, you can mute individuals there. Or by default make it so you can only talk to friends, not forced this way though...I want the freedom to choose to talk to everyone if I wish. Better be in a parental tools section.

It has to come with universal friends which can be added with the click of a button.

Otherwise, it really doesn't matter.

Dude to mute someone on Xbox Live, just highlight there name and on there profile you just click mute and you don't have to hear there nonsense. 

But I forgot you have a Wii, so you wouldn't know :P 

While I don't think its a essential feature for online gamings, it's a good addition.

My guess is that, first of all, a function to the Parental Control will be added to allow it. Then it will ask if you want to allow it with strangers too. Not that bad I guess, but I really don't care if its not allowed with strangers.

I expect EA or other 3rd parties would allow you to talk to anyone, but can't see Nintendo doing it themselves - they're just to conservative. And since Nintendo doesn't make any FPS I think that's just fine.

And I am sure they will package that with a game : ),
They have been doing that alot lately

Why doesn't Nintendo at least include voice chat in all mature (M) rated and teen (T) rated games? Most kids by middle school and high school have already been exposed to vulgar language anyway.

I honestly think that Nintendo should have had a friend-code per system, and that the level of interaction with non-friends should be dependant on the ESRB of the game; teen+ games could have voice chat online without friend codes. This would provide a safe environment for children while still producing an adequate online service for adults who are interested.