Gamin Realm is reporting that “Mario Kart 8” does not support voice chat. They came to this conclusion when looking at details for “Mario Kart 8” on Nintendo’s eShop.
Heading over to the Wii U eShop, Nintendo has already put Mario Kart 8 up and all the information about it is listed. Clicking on the game and scrolling down the page, you’ll see the section titled “Compatible Features/Accessories”. Under the “Supports Online Play” sub-category, online multiplayer, leaderboards, and Miiverse are listed.
This is the section where “Game Chat” is listed if a game supports voice chat, but it’s missing from Mario Kart 8′s features list.
While this may seem as something that could destroy the brand, I don’t believe it will completely unravel what is happening with WiiU. It will, however, degrade the name which is already in need of some heavy boost. “Mario Kart” will still sell feverishly on both systems, most likely doubling output on the 3DS. The concern is, once again that Nintendo hasn’t changed their tune, or isn’t prepared to give gamers the full experience they ask for. Visuals on the game still look stunning, so not all is lost. It is only one feature after all, does it make or break for you?