Report: Wii Speak Channel limited to new purchases

The dearth of online voice chat is often cited as one of the shortcomings of Nintendo's massively popular Wii. A recognized problem, Nintendo moved to address this issue during its E3 2008 presence in July, revealing to the world the Wii Speak peripheral. The device is essentially a microphone that can be mounted to a TV set and will let rooms full of gamers communicate with one another online in-game.

Along with being integrated into games such as Animal Crossing: City Folk, the peripheral will also be used as part of the new Wii Speak Channel. The channel will let up to four people join a chatroom online, communicating by way of their Miis. As noted during Nintendo America president Reggie Fils-Aime during a press event last month, the device will come packed with a code that allows users to download the channel.

Unfortunately, that may present a problem for those who purchase the $29.99 peripheral secondhand. MTV reports today that the only way to get ahold of the unique Wii Speak Channel download code is to buy a new copy of the device. Citing a Nintendo representative, the news outlet reports that Wii owners will not be able to obtain a new code for a used microphone, and that the Wii Speak Channel will not be available for purchase through the Wii Shop Channel.

Nintendo had not responded to GameSpot's own requests for comment as to whether the publisher will be offering a solution for those who purchase a used Wii Speak peripheral.