It doesn't seem to bother most of you

Just two days ago, I asked readers if the lack of voice chat in Splatoon, among other issues, really bothered you that much. Only 6.5% of you answered "yes" as of the time of this writing, and most people were more bothered by a lack of content or matchmaking with friends. Nintendo Life had a chance to speak to the game's producer, Hisashi Nogami, and tackle the voice issue head-on.

Speaking to Nintendo Life, Nogami stated, "We want everyone to play this game from the same point, so that all players – those who haven't played shooters before, as well as those who have – can enjoy the game. We think there are two reasons for wanting to use [voice]: to play strategically, and to know what you opponent is feeling. We designed the game so that it's still possible to play strategically, while also giving due consideration so that there is no extreme advantage one way or the other. In terms of knowing what your opponent is feeling, we really do understand the fun that can be had with this, but we hope that you will also understand that it can also have a negative effect too."

Basically, Nogami notes that voice chat can be a positive element in online games, but for Splatoon, they mostly wanted to eliminate negative experiences. It sounds fair, but if Nintendo is going to put up tents in this arena more often in the future and possibly further this franchise (or others) as an eSport, it will likely need to address voice chat.

Splatoon Producer Inks Out Reasons For Lack Of Voice Chat And Staggered Content Roll-Out [Nintendo Life]