So Mario Kart 8 has no voice chat feature. Let me be the first to say that this kind of sucks for Wii U players (and technically for me when I get the thing in the future). A lot of people seem pretty upset by this news, and rightfully so. Some people really want to be able to talk to the people they are playing with and that's a perfectly fine criticism. Although, I do feel like some of the criticism is a little overblown. Let's start from the beginning.
So Mario Kart 8 has been listed on the Wii U eShop and the confirmation about no voice chat comes from the spot that usually lists that feature as blank on the MK8 eShop page. Well that stinks. We can hope that voice chat is present in some capacity, but sadly it's more than likely not there at all. And why not? Nintendo's foray into online with Mario Kart 7 was actually really good. They introduced a community feature that made it a lot easier for friends to play together. The next logical step would be to let those communities, well, communicate! Well, it seems that wasn't a high priority for Nintendo on this one.
And you know what? I'm both okay and not okay with it. Here's why!
Why it's okay - Mario Kart 8 is gorgeous and looks like a very fun improvement over its predecessor. I don't think there's anyone who can argue that the game looks uninteresting. Furthermore, it's probably the first Wii U game to boast a graphical art style that makes you say, "Wow, these graphics look great!" Basically, the game is going to be awesome regardless. And if it's any saving grace, Mario Kart does not have any cooperative modes as far as I know, so voice chat would not really have the same sort of efficiency that it would in a game of Left 4 Dead or Call of Duty. And is smack-talking people online in Mario Kart really all that it's cracked up to be?
And now why it's not okay - Unfortunately this is also a showcase of how Nintendo still seems stubbornly apprehensive about online gaming in general. Nintendo Land and all of their cooperative Mario games have had 'NES-like' game experiences that don't utilize the internet in any way other than Miiverse. This doesn't hurt the game's overall quality necessarily, but it prevents fans from connecting together who don't have the option of local multiplayer (like myself). While this game DOES have online, the lack of voice chat means there's still another barrier between me and the friends I'm playing with. It certainly leaves me concerned for what happens with Smash Bros., a game that needs online and DOES have cooperative gaming.
I personally am not entirely affected by this however. When playing Mario Kart 7, my friends and I would always use Skype to communicate with each other and using the devices in tandem worked very well. My friends and I always anticipated we would have to do the same in Mario Kart 8 and unfortunately our prediction was correct. I don't like speaking in public chats anyway. People tend to say annoying things in public game chats, so I would rather just talk to my friends and Skype is a perfect tool for that.
All is not lost though! If you feel Nintendo should have had voice chat in Mario Kart 8, then you should probably take to Nintendo customer service or Miiverse and ask for universal party chat for Wii U. That would fix this entire issue altogether. And the reason why I encourage you to do that is because while this issue won't affect me, there are plenty of fans who probably really wanted this feature who do not have access to Skype and their game consoles at the same time.
So all in all, I think there is some need for some concern over this issue. People really need to buckle down and tell Nintendo they want something better if they expect this to change (and Nintendo fans need to acknowledge that the lack of a basic online feature is indeed a viable criticism). That all being said, Mario Kart 8 looks amazing regardless and I am pretty sure that many of the people complaining would love it if they played it anyway. Who knows?
Anyways, these have been my three cents. Happy gaming!
Dear team,
Xbox has always been different.
We started with a simple idea. Games should bring people together through shared experiences. That led to the first Xbox in 2001, Xbox Live in 2002, and new ways to connect, from friends lists and achievements to parties and play across devices. Today, Xbox reaches over 500 million players around the world, with some of the most important franchises in entertainment.
re-evaluating exclusivity 💀
PS players will need to go back to pretending to dislike Xbox games
Or meaning since it’s doing so good they might just do everything day 1.
They didnt say re-evaluating their multiplatform approach.
🤣🤣🤣 Xbox is so dead. I know you scared🤣🫵ӿ 97;
Even when the topic is strictly Xbox he can't stop talking about PlayStation. Xbox has basically become the hate of PlayStation... and not much else.
Hurt over video games 🤣🤣
Lmao we all grew and got jobs but apparently you stayed home broke 🤣🤣.
Man I love loyal dogs like you. MS kicked Spit and slapped you around but you still come back on all 4s.
Good little boy 🤣🤣
My only question is what games are PlayStation gamers gonna play now? They don’t really come out with new games anymore. I’m looking forward to wolverine, but after that then what?
Lmao
There’s no way after everything it’s going back, the damage is done
What you are seeing now is the new management telling what the core fanbase (aka…you) want to hear so they are pumped full of hope and are more likely to invest in the next Xbox console
When Phil took over after the awful Xbox One reveal he did the same thing, he told people what they wanted to hear for damage control.
It’s crazy people are getting suckered into this again.
And you'll now go back to again thinking exclusives suddenly matter, that multiplatform is no longer the future, or that revenue from multiplatforms doesn't matter, like all you flop flopping xbox grifters lol.
The whole post just sounds like the previous phil corpo slop talk to me, whole thing reads like a nothing burger lol.
“re-evaluating exclusivity”
She also said this.
“The model that got us here won’t be the one that takes us forward.”
I don't know if they have a model anymore it's flipped so many times since the xbox one reveal
There's a bunch just like him but that's what happens when some rely on dreams, hope and wishful thinking. lol
"pretending"? Bro gears hasnt broke 1mil on ps5, and starfield hasn't passed 200k, Hellblade 2 was even stated to be a financial disappointment in sales on its own console, let alone ps5. Im not saying people don't like them, but they certainly aren't setting the community on fire, Forza may be different tho
Xbawx is ''re-evaluating exclusivity''... Translation: After throwing all sort of crap to the wall to see if something sticks but clearly nothing worked, we, including our lord ''in charge'' Phil came to the conclusion that exclusives indeed do matter so please forget if we ever said otherwise.
Yup, I feel it in my gut, next gen belongs to xbox, PS6 is cooked...
Someone can’t sleep after those 5 million forza games PURCHASED by PlayStation owners🤣 🧌 💥
Well with the decreased price of gamespass even with cod off it there is no way it is profitable given the cost of making their 1st party games (not if you actually include that cost in gamespass costs which they typically dont but should) they will just make a loss without the sales on
If they go back to exclusive games it at least shows that they are finally getting it. They would be turning down immediate money for something that will potentially workout in the long term.
Only issue is they've already opened Pandora's box. A lot of their base has moved to PC or jumped to PS. So will be a long road to get back on track.
We have been saying this from day one exclusives are a must if you are going to be selling hardware look at Nintendo and Sony before Jim Ryan. That's the proven formula. You had some that were deluded and blinded by loyalty accepting that multiplat was the future and that MS was merely getting ahead of where the industry was headed, but at least they can finally see the light and agree with what everyone has been saying for a decade+
True, blame it on the rabid fanboys. MS can do no wrong and spinner this multiplatform move. While the actual fans moved on.
I feel like with the new Xbox coming they are hoping to bring back those old fans and then if it goes well. Bring back exclusives.
If the new console is performing like series x and one. Naw they staying multiplatform.
Funny world where Sony is pro consumer and Xbox is not? At least according to what you loyalists have been saying all this time 🤭
@itveds For how many years have you been doing this sad stuff? For how many years have you been creating fake accounts to troll? For how many years have you always been cl vnn
Pathetic incels with nothing better to do than argue over a box... Because they don't have any good games to play on theirs, obviously. If your precious box is so special, why don't you shut the fuck up and go play it?
I think it's too late, xbox sales were diving even before ABK, they got even worse since then even long before the full multiplatform push. I'd be surprised if they even went back to timed exclusivity at this point, Helix is basically a PC and is going to be expensive, they already struggle to sell cheaper xbox consoles, it will be low volume and they'll have a very small 'console' base to sell to, which has already been conditioned to just play via gamepass anyway.
I don't see them removing PC from the equation. Considering MS has a heavy enough investment in the PC market, it would be foolish to abandon them. I could see them taking away games from PlayStation or ensuring they are timed exclusives at the very least. Say what you will but if Call of Duty ends up becoming a timed exclusive to Xbox machines, that would hurt PlayStation, don't pretend like those games don't sell millions.
They would lose out on a lot of CoD sales tho. Doesn't PS make up most of the sales?
Their lifeline of solely the Xbox consoles is dry. Good-Great games on a 1st party scale can't be made at a loss so willingly - sent to the Xbox to only sell limited copies.
They invested billions scooping up studios and need to start making returns.
Sucks that nearly every company is publicly traded and have to be so shareholder biased but that's how it is.
Their words are strong but it'll take time to see what their actions accomplish. Lowering the cost of Game Pass and taking CoD off of it was a good clear start.
Despite all of that, it's clear that Microsoft's Xbox division is broken beyond repair.
PlayStation is currently draining money on flop after flop. It's Sony that needs to re-evaluate their strategy
Wonder how much money was lost on perfect dark, hellbalde 2, 300 million lost revenue
by putting cod on gamepass. The recent Jason schrier news that Xbox has cancelled dozens of projects, spent 70 billion just to see Xbox sales further collapse and gamepass see little growth.
The fact is this has been PlayStation's most profitable generation and they are making loads of money and selling plenty of consoles and games. While MS won't give you any sales figures or profit numbers for Xbox, says it all really.
It isnt. But I dont think they mean in 'games', rather, footprint.
They own the OS but as far as gaming is concerned, Steam dominate. I imagine the VAST majority of people who use the Xbox app/launcher are PC gamepass subs. No ones buying their 3rd party PC games through Xbox PC.
Insider Gaming writes: "Marathon was one of the best-selling video games in March 2026 in the United States. On Wednesday, Circna released the best-selling games of the month, and it featured six new releases along with two games returning to the top 20 after previously falling out."
Is it April fools day again?
The game is dead.
EDIT: the numbers are fudged. “digital sales on Nintendo and Xbox weren’t included in the data”
well it's not on Switch / Switch 2.. so their number would be zero.
The game had a decent launch however the userbase numbers are dwindling on Steam.
“ Is it April fools day again?
The game is dead.
EDIT: the numbers are fudged. “digital sales on Nintendo and Xbox weren’t included in the data”
Does it hurt you to hear a SONY game was BEST selling ?
You gotta let go of those OBCURED feelings 🤷🏿
I mean the only reason MLB was the best selling title was because it was multi-platform. Likewise with Marathon. Will ring true for MS games. Only Nintendo titles are truly flexing their muscles when they chart as they are only to be found there.
It's kinda funny how this Obscure guy lives rent-free in your head. lol
Does Phil also live there?
It's kinda funny how this Obscure guy lives rent-free in your head. lol
Does Phil also live there?
I’m sorry did you wrote something smart ?
Or are you trying to to be funny because you failed at both
Now kid run to mommy legs the grown ups are talking.
Don’t bother writing anything I will not respond to a bratty child like you
Yeah sure, yet the player count is no where near what they want for a AAA game with so much money behind it
Why people are trying to spin this game like it’s done overly amazing is baffling to me.
It won’t even be a blip on peoples radars by the end of the year .
You must me typically wrong cuz those Steam chart numbers (AKA where the game sold the MOST) is less than what Hunt has, and Hunt didn't cost $500 million to make lol
The release on Steam of the anime-style gacha-less open-world RPG DragonSword: Awakening is facing a legal challenge from its gacha publisher.
Nintendo has been very vocal (irony) about not allowing voice chat. Their reasoning is sound: they want anyone - from a 4 year old kid to a grandmother in her 70s - to be able to play with others online in a "clean" environment. While it's annoying, it is also something that sets them apart from other companies. I'm not saying it's right or wrong, but we all know that when voice chat is involved, you're going to have those people who mess it up for everyone.
With that said, Mario Kart is all about the local MP in my opinion.
im seeing allthese mariokart 8 stories n its making me want this bad boy even more i can't wait to play this game
A good way to solve this would be for Nintendo to implement party chat (if they don't have it already, I don't have a Wii-U so I'm not 100% on that). This way you are only really talking to the people you want to talk to, and the games are free of obnoxious asshats.
I am sorry but I can't seem to agree with most the comments here saying it is Nintendo's job to look after kids.. No, it is not. They are a gaming company, not a day care.
I feel that is one of Nintendo's problems is over zealously monitoring everything we do on their systems. For things like Miiverse I can understand but certain things you just can't avoid. It isn't their job to parent children.
One example is them removing swapnote which still has me bit peeved, sure there will always be bad apples in a bunch but what about all the responsible individuals who can use features like that without causing trouble? I guess we are just screwed and must be punished with the others who did abuse it.
I notice most people don't talk too much anyway in games that aren't FPS. So I am pretty sure the valguarity in MK8 would be very minimal.. There is also this thing called muting a person.
I also don't understand why Nintendo acts like they have more kids on their systems more than anyone else these days either because I honestly don't see it, I see kids with all types of things. Anyone who has played CoD knows there are tons of little ass clowns on it.
There are also many ways they could easily implement chat so people can "cleanly" chat with one another, they allow typing in games like Animal Crossing, it gives you a warning not to be a jerk beforehand, what is so bad about that? How can a game like Animal Crossing allow some type of chatting but MK8 doesn't at all?
I could understand if literally only children played their games and literally every game they made was made for children but that isn't the case, is it? Nintendo even has some more adult games but that doesn't stop them from selling them either.
Sometimes I really don't understand Nintendo's stance on this, as I said they allow communication in more childish games (don't get me wrong, I love some Animal Crossing) but then they limit it in games like this? Just doesn't make much sense to me. If you are going to go full throttle, why not limit everything then?
I also don't understand how they didn't expect people to misuse swapnote every now and then.. This just comes with communicating. It just isn't Nintendo's job to raise kids for their parents let alone monitor what they do, that is their parents job bottomline. It really is that simple.
It also drives me a bit nuts because Nintendo's system have the most child protection I have ever seen on any device in my life yet they still feel the need to take it further and further.. What is the point of even having child protection on things like the 3DS at all anymore considering they removed every way you could communicate with anyone?
They also heavily underestimate children these days, like the whole swapnote situation. Did it not occur to them these children where on online forums through the internet already talking to these adults? Do you seriously think removing swapnote somehow stopped pedophiles from finding ways to talk to children online? Of course not and those same troubled kids who want to act like adults will easily find ways to keep talking even if you take everything away from them.
I'm disappointed but nobody talks online anyway. I remember when Xbox Live first started and it was a social experience, those days are sadly long gone.