A patent filed by Nintendo for a “messaging service” in the US was discovered yesterday, which may provide clues into what Nintendo may be up to with VoIP and messaging systems between their gaming consoles. The patent describes an IM type environment using presence information and user activity information, such as which game the user is currently playing. IGN writes: “Will we be sending messages and chatting during games of Bonk’s Adventure? Or more impressively, does this mean a DS user on the go could text- or voice-chat with a friend at home playing Wii? What about DS-to-DS communication? Nintendo seems to have wide ambitions here, and the possibilities are striking.” As with most new VoIP implementations the security implications should be interesting, especially considering that the Wii when connected to broadband Internet service will be “always on.”