There has been much talk about the use of Xbox Live as a VoIP platform, such as this article from C|Net News back in February 2004 (Playing Games with VoIP). Today, there are a number of interesting articles concerning gaming consoles and VoIP.

Jeff Pulver, the dean of VoIP, has an interesting speculation about who will dominate the VoIP space in 2005 (Nintendo and Sony May Dominate the Consumer VoIP Marketplace in 2005):

Both Nintendo and Sony are now leveraging the power of IP communications to incorporate both IP Voice and IP Video inside of their products, without directly marketing these products as VoIP devices on their own. Both the DS and PSP are well positioned to be living examples of “killer applications” for IP Communications. So while these companies won’t be calling their platforms powered by: “VoIP Inside”, we just need to smile when we read about the buzz surrounding these really cool consumer products.

Details regarding the DS and PSP has been written about in countless gaming magazines over the past few months but it was only recently that my kids connected the dots and told me about these new products that are well positioned to redefine gaming amongst the 10 year-old set (and their parents.)

It may be just a matter of time before some of the more creative forces within the VoIP industry start to announce the availability of commercial VoIP communication services associated with these really cool devices.

In its Electronic Entertainment Industry Update released today, TNI Securities reports that the recently revealed headset port on the Nintendo DS will be used in conjunction with the built-in wireless 802.11b networking capabilities to offer voice-over-IP chat--in effect, allowing gamers to use the DS to make free phone calls at wireless network hotspots.

What is most interesting to me is the WiFi capability. Many people dismiss WiFi as a VoIP platform due to coverage issues and what not. However, I think there is a lot more potential than most people realize. Coverage doesn't have to be perfect if the connectivity is free and the capability is built into a device you have already. Instead of cameraphones, phonecameras. You use it mostly as a camera, but it has limited phone capabilities when you need that, too.

This won't happen overnight, but Nintendo has sold an awful lot of GameBoys ...

UPDATE 1845 PT

Slashdot has more (Nintendo DS To Allow Free VoIP Calls).