NL:
"Nintendo caused quite a bit of heated discussion when it confirmed that online shooter Splatoon would lack voice chat. The ability to communicate with fellow players is a staple of other online shooters, but Nintendo decided against including it in this ink-covered offering. Critics immediately started sharpening their knives, accusing the Japanese company of being over-cautious on the matter."
Nintendo has recently restored Wii U Mario Kart 8 and Splatoon online after five months of being offline.
Game Rant Writes "Mar10 Day is a fun yearly celebration of the Super Mario series, and Splatoon may warrant a fan-designated day of celebration in its own right."
How, exactly, did Splatoon reach heights rivalled only by Pokémon in Japan? New IPs from the House of Mario appear as often as shiny Pocket Monsters, yet typically move comparatively mediocre numbers or fall into relative obscurity behind the premium marques of Mario, Animal Crossing, Zelda, and Pokémon. Take Pikmin and ARMS, for example, which we adore but struggle to compete with the tentpole franchises when it comes to sales numbers or mainstream mindshare.
So, again, how has Splatoon risen to become one of Nintendo's most important series in Japan?
...The reasons are obvious.
The staggered content exists because Nintendo has a very weak Summer lineup. By staggering content they get to release a big game earlier and provide a steady stream of new content to consumers.
Lack of voice chat exists because Nintendo wants everyone to be able to enjoy their games, instead of only emotionally and mentally stunted tweens.