Hi Nintendo
Regarding the Wii Speak/Headbanger Headset
I am a loyal Nintendo gamer. I have bought your systems and played your games ever since the Nes days. But recent business decisions have made me question my loyalty. The issue: Wii Speak and the Headbanger Headset.
Today, the 17. November, 2010, I read on a respected gaming site (Europgamer), that the Wii Speak peripheral has been discontinued. At the same time, developers of The Conduit 2 were told, by Nintendo, not to support Wii Speak for their upcoming game. Instead they should support the Headbanger Headset.
Link:
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2010-11-16-nintendo-discontinues-wii-speak
A quick google search told me the following:
* Old games do not work with the Headset, since it needs a driver on from the disc
* The Headset is fully licenced by Nintendo
Link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PDP's_Headbanger_Headset
Lets face it. Wii Speak was not your best peripheral. The sound quality was terrible, and half the time playing online was spent yelling “WHAT?”.
This seems to change with the Headbanger Headset, so I am all for the initiative on fully supporting it by Nintendo. After all, the headset it is the best device of the two.
I am fully aware that I will still be able to use Wii Speak in my old games.
My problem lays elsewhere: Why do I have to pay for the new device? Why do I have to pay for your mistakes? Let me narrow it down:
I bought the Wii Speak. But you no longer support it.
You support a new device (Headbanger Headset), that I have to pay to buy.
My old games wont work with the Headbanger Headset.
My new games wont work with Wii Speak.
All of this, my dear Nintendo, could have been fixed with a “Headbanger Headset patch” for the old games. Heck, you would have gotten away with it. But for some reason, unknown to mankind, you cant patch games on the Wii.
As a loyal consumer, I feel cheated. Even though I questioned your online communication device, I bought it. And so did many other gamers.
And how do you thank us? You discontinued the device, and no longer encourage developers to incorporate it in upcoming games.
Again; I support the Headbanger Headset initiative, but I still feel cheated.
This is an open e-mail. I have posted it on numerous websites, and I will be posting your reply to the issue, to fellow Nintendo gamers.
Regards
Martin Hultquist