Splatoon 2 actually has built in VOIP when playing in LAN mode

[Master Disaster]

Sorry this is a few days old, I intended to post it on Wednesday but completely forgot to do so...

 

So Splatoon 2s voice chat system launched with the game and as expected, is terrible and plagued with issues. Well now users on NeoGaf are reporting that not only is it bad but its also redundant. Turns out the game has built in VOIP which can be enabled when users are connected to the same network

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From the start, Splatoon 2 fans were perplexed by the game's voice chat option through the Nintendo Switch Online mobile app. And after players found the game supports voice chat in LAN mode, fans are even more confused why the game doesn't natively support in-game communication.

 

Over at NeoGAF, user PetrCobra was playing with friends when their group accidentally stumbled across the feature. One player had a microphone attached to his headphones, so once the group entered a LAN lobby, his fellow players heard sound broadcast loudly into the lobby.

Further investigation revealed the system was somewhat fleshed out, in Lobby all users can talk, in non team based games all users can talk but in team based games users can only talk to members of their own team., all you need is a microphone connected to your Switch

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Splatoon 2 players have since tested out the game's voice chat feature, confirming that the game has voice chat support for LAN games. No special setup is required to get voice chat working, either. Players simply need to plug a mobile headset into the earphone jack and they can immediately begin using their microphone, according to Reddit user SareturuWeststar.

 

Another NeoGAF user, eRonin, reported back on the LAN mode's voice chat features in one-on-one play and Salmon Run. LAN mode allows players to hear each other in the lobby, regardless of their team affiliation. Things become more complicated between modes. Players can always communicate with each other during Salmon Run, Splatoon 2's co-op mode. But during player-vs-player modes, players can only hear their own teammates in-game.

Now fans are confused why Nintendo removed VOIP from online and decided to use a non free and needlessly complicated system to achieve the same thing

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But fans are confused why Nintendo downplayed LAN mode's voice chat features. Since the game natively supports voice chat, and Nintendo Switch Online needlessly complicates online communication in Splatoon 2, fans are curious why Nintendo decided to remove voice chat from the game's online modes in the first place. Some point to business decisions from above. Others suggest that Nintendo simply wanted to minimize online harassment for the game's playerbase. For the time being, it remains unclear.

https://dotesports.com/general/splatoon-voice-chat-feature-16978

 

Lol, Nintendo being Nintendo again. They have a working, easy to use system already in place and they decide to charge customers to use a complicated and unreliable system instead.  GG Nintendo, GG.

[Guest]

Wow. Can't wait to talk to my friend who's 5 feet from with me with a crappy mic... gg nintendo... gg

[goodtofufriday]

Because they dont have the infrastructure to host voice in their online services globally.

[mynameisjuan]

This make no fucking sense. You are literally in the same room as the people you are talking to....

[Master Disaster]

1 minute ago, mynameisjuan said:

This make no fucking sense. You are literally in the same room as the people you are talking to....

LAN Party/E Sports Convention Center. The bigger question is why they didn't just use this system instead of the god aweful phone app system they chose for multiplayer.

[CyanideInsanity]

18 minutes ago, goodtofufriday said:

Because they dont have the infrastructure to host voice in their online services globally.

But they have the infrastructure to host voice via a smartphone app? As someone with very limited networking knowledge can you explain how its any different?

[goodtofufriday]

8 minutes ago, CyanideInsanity said:

But they have the infrastructure to host voice via phones? As someone with very limited networking knowledge can you explain how its any different?

What ever servers they are using for the phone app are independent of their game online play servers. Heck the phone app might even be rented or a basic calling type application instead. 

Having online play for games allows for a certain amount of leniency on latency or lost packets, as splatoon really isnt a twitch gameplay game. However the same isnt true of voice as you will always be able to tell when there are hickups in the voice.

So rather than upgrade their online services, they opened a smaller service, or rented it, just for voice via android. This is a MUCH cheaper option for nintendo over upgrading their existing platform.

 

There are many corporate officies that opt to have two ISP connections, one thats very low speed, but low latency, just for voice. And another thats high speed for regular internet activities. its cheaper than having one very fast, low latency connection.   

 

PS Note: This is OFC all guesswork, but this kind of work is my Job, and its the only logical reason from a networking standpoint for what Nintendo has done.