VOICE CHAT SYSTEM

An object of the present invention is to present a voice chat system suitable for networked games. The voice chat system of the present invention comprises a plurality of game apparatuses connected to a communications network and a server apparatus that manages voice chat between the game apparatuses. The server apparatus obtains from a game apparatus the IP address of the game apparatus which is to be the partner for the voice chat. The voice information inputted into the game apparatus is relayed over the IP network as a VoIP packet and is delivered to the chat partner's game apparatus via the server apparatus. Through this configuration, chat sounds are not outputted to all game apparatuses connected to the network but, instead, are outputted only to the game apparatuses specified by a player, so the object can be achieved without an increase in network traffic above what is necessary.