Report Puts Date and Price on Wii

Meanwhile, a tired Nintendo resorts to blanket no-comments in the face of massive speculation.

Rumours about upcoming hardware are nothing new, but when a rumour-filled article is pulled by a publisher and then later republished, people pay more attention. And so it is that a new piece at IGN is getting Wii fans excited.

Nintendo's official line on the console is that it will be out this year, and it will cost less than $250 in the US and ¥25,000 in Japan. The company also says it will reveal all by September. Buy why wait?

According to sources close to IGN, the Wii will sell for $229 (£120) in the US, and it will launch in two colours: black and white.

The report says the Wii will use region restrictions, unlike the DS, which plays games from any region. This is apparently being done in software and could be changed if Nintendo decided to - a highly unlikely scenario.

Nintendo is also working hard to make sure it has enough Wiis to go around; more than five million will be ready by the end of the year, say IGN's sources.

The launch date is still up in the air, but the article says the Wii will be out on either 2 November or a few days later, on 12 November. Both dates jibe with hints and comments Nintendo has made, and neither would be much of a surprise if confirmed.

But confirmation is one thing the article does not have. Nintendo refused to comment to IGN, and when approached, British representatives for the company did likewise. In fact, the company has taken to issuing a blanket statement in all Wii matters.

Until Nintendo says anything on the record, the only official response to the persistent rumours will be: "We know that everyone is as excited as we are about the pending launch of Wii and as a result there is a lot of speculation online. We ask people to be patient as all will be revealed in due course."

Curses.

Alex Wollenschlaeger
Editor, Kikizo Games