Much like pinball wizard Tommy, the Wiimote hears but cannot answer to your call, according to a new CNN feature. The interesting piece includes a mention of an “audio translator” that “converts analog data such as human speech into a digital data stream.” That may sound like a microphone, but it’s really more of a microphone’s brain … and it’s not being used. What makes this especially unusual is that the thing apparently costs $2. When you multiply that times

the 2.5 million Wiis that have already been sold (not to mention separate Wiimotes) it equals well over one-hundred-thousand dollars … or something.

Although they could probably blow that sort of coin if they wanted to, it doesn’t seem likely. We’d expect to see some major usage of some sort of microphone attachment during the console’s lifespan, surprising no one.

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