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Nintendo's Wii may get early launch
Industry observers expect company's new video game machine to launch before the PlayStation 3 - perhaps by a month or more.
Game Over is a weekly column by Chris Morris
July 5 2006: 11:32 AM EDT


NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Nintendo has stated numerous times that its next generation video game machine will be less expensive than the competition. Now it appears that it might be on store shelves considerably earlier than many were expecting as well.

While Nintendo has not made any formal announcements about the launch date for the Wii, most of the industry has expected the machine to hit retail at approximately the same time as Sony's PlayStation 3 (which is set for November 17). Now, industry observers - and insiders - say they expect the system to be available in October, with late September a dark horse candidate.

Indeed, the company appears to be already manufacturing final retail units of the Wii, according to a June 21st analyst's note from P.J. McNealy of American Technology Research. That would give it a significant head start over Sony (Charts), which has yet to begin final manufacturing of the PlayStation 3. Microsoft's first Xbox 360 did not roll off the assembly line last year until 69 days before the on sale date of Nov. 22. (That late start in production is the root cause behind last holiday's shortages.)

"October is a reasonable timeframe," wrote McNealy.

Nintendo has downplayed any suggested dates. Other industry insiders, who asked not to be named, though, said they, too, are expecting a September or October launch for the Wii.

Early manufacturing will certainly help Nintendo do a better job of meeting consumer demand. New console launches traditionally sell out fast. Because of manufacturing problems, Microsoft (Charts) was not able to come anywhere close to meeting worldwide demand. Widespread shortages of the PlayStation 3 are also expected. Nintendo, like Sony, has given guidance that it expects to ship 6 million units by March 2007.

A pre-November launch wouldn't be an unusual move for the company. In fact, it was only with the GameCube that the company opted for a November release for a home system. The NES, which established the company as a force in the gaming space, was released in the U.S. on Oct. 18, 1985. The Nintendo 64 dropped on Sept. 29, 1996.

Pricing for the Wii remains a question mark, but the most likely price points are $199 or $249. That would put it considerably below the PS3, which will sell two versions for $499 and $599. Microsoft is not expected to cut the prices of the two versions of the Xbox 360, which currently cost $299 and $399.

That price would also be closer to the sweet spot for mainstream consumers, which the company has said is its primary target this generation. The Wii breaks many of the video game industry's traditional rules for a "next generation" console. Graphics on games that have been shown to media are not dramatically better than those found on GameCube games - and the system will not support high definition video, unlike its competitors who are using the move to HDTVs as a major part of their system. Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has also vowed to keep game prices lower than the $60 price tag for many Xbox 360 games (a price that's expected to be mirrored for many PS3 titles).

The most unusual aspect of the Wii, however, is its controller, which resembles a television remote-control. Instead of worrying about which button or which thumbstick corresponds to which action, Wii players will simply move their hands and wrists. That movement is then translated into onscreen movements. The remote also features two prominent buttons where the player's thumb and forefinger will rest.

Nintendo also has yet to announce the full list of games that will launch alongside the Wii, though it has confirmed "The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess" and "Metroid Prime 3: Corruption" - the latest installments in two of the company's premier franchises - will be available on day one. A new Mario game - "Super Mario Galaxy" - is deep in development, but will most likely come out after the Wii has launched.

InnocentBystander wrote:When is the PS3 slated to be released, and what are the chances it will acutally make it..?

InnocentBystander wrote:When is the PS3 slated to be released, and what are the chances it will acutally make it..?

DEATH wrote:October? That would make an excellent Birthday present for myself .

Stark wrote:Yeah, the continued lack of interesting X360 games and the general train-accident nature of the PS3 is pushing me towards a Wii.

SAMAS wrote:You don't see any upcoming 360 games you like? Or are you talking about the ones that are out now?

Stark wrote:

SAMAS wrote:You don't see any upcoming 360 games you like? Or are you talking about the ones that are out now?

I've not done any research aside from looking around EB (so I guess that's current plus whatever they've got on 'coming soon') and none of them really impress me.

Stark wrote:

SAMAS wrote:You don't see any upcoming 360 games you like? Or are you talking about the ones that are out now?

I've not done any research aside from looking around EB (so I guess that's current plus whatever they've got on 'coming soon') and none of them really impress me.

Icehawk wrote:Gears of War, Lost Planet, Dead Rising just to name a few are all top notch exclusive titles coming to 360 this year. The Lost Planet demo from the Live marketplace was amazingly fun and addictive not to mention drop dead gorgeous looking.

Stark wrote:

SAMAS wrote:You don't see any upcoming 360 games you like? Or are you talking about the ones that are out now?

I've not done any research aside from looking around EB (so I guess that's current plus whatever they've got on 'coming soon') and none of them really impress me.

Stark wrote:

Icehawk wrote:Gears of War, Lost Planet, Dead Rising just to name a few are all top notch exclusive titles coming to 360 this year. The Lost Planet demo from the Live marketplace was amazingly fun and addictive not to mention drop dead gorgeous looking.

Yeah I've seen those, and aside from Lost Planet they look pretty bog-standard. It's not a knock to the X360, but the sort of game I want to play these days just isn't on a console. PS I'm an Australian and X360 isn't going to look that great on my CRT television.

KrauserKrauser wrote:I think the best move Microsoft can make is to announce a massive price drop in te 360 coinciding with the release of the PS3, that would so fucking kick Sony square in the testicles.

Also, I might get a Wii, just to download the old games for it, and for the funky controller, this news just means that might come a bit sooner.

Lost Soal wrote:Microsoft have announced that there is deffinately NOT going to be a drop in price for a while yet, and certainly not when the PS3 is released. They don't see the point.

Nintendo responds to Wii release rumors
Flurry of prognostications doesn't deter Wii-maker from its course; company says big announcement now coming in September.
By Tim Surette, GameSpot
Posted Jul 6, 2006 7:47 pm GMT

An avalanche of Wii news hit the Web yesterday, sending Nintendophiles into a frenzy. The topic was one of the most highly guarded secrets in the industry--the release date of the Wii.

Early in the morning, an article in (no joke) Sports Illustrated for Kids showed the release date of the console as November 6. Nintendo claimed the date was purely speculation by the magazine.

A few hours later, CNN/Money's Chris Morris revealed some info that he received while talking to analysts and industry insiders. Among the insights were that the Wii may already be in production, and that the console could launch as early as late September.

Nintendo's PR people were hard at work again today, and gave few clues as to whether any of the rumors are true. A spokesperson for the news service Bloomberg said, "There's no change in our plan to release the console in the last quarter of this year. We are planning an announcement in September and it may be causing some confusion."

Nintendo's reassurance that the console would launch in the fourth quarter does dispel the thought that the Wii could launch in late September, as the fourth quarter begins in October.

The choice of the words "in September" vary slightly from a previous statement from Nintendo, which said that the release date and price would be available by September. Nintendo fans, it sounds like the newswires may be a little quiet until then.