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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.

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.

220 Comments

  • papermario6528

    Posted Aug 30, 2006 5:30 pm GMT

    im geting Wii first then PS3 second when i price goes down YEAH I LIKE BOTH COMPANYS AND MICROSOFT WHAT YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT? lol im just playing around i cant wait for both nex-gen is going to be sweeeeeeeeeet

  • AlphonseElric23

    Posted Aug 10, 2006 6:46 pm GMT

    Wii wiill wiin!

  • alelric

    Posted Jul 31, 2006 1:55 pm GMT

    YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    I'm gonna get a Wii Wee! I'm gonna get a Wii Wee! If it comes out in at least mid October then I can get it for my B-Day. If I do, should I get either LoZ:TP or Metroid Prime 3?

  • magnolio369

    Posted Jul 17, 2006 3:50 pm GMT

    O.K. I DO CARE WHEN ITS COMING OUT!!!!!!!!

    I KNOW I'LL HIBERNATE UNTIL SEPTEMBER, ALL I NEED IS FOOD AND BLANKETS AND A TOILET.....HAHA THIS COULD WORK RIGHT!!!!

    RIGHT!!!!!

  • magnolio369

    Posted Jul 17, 2006 3:43 pm GMT

    i don't care when its out, as long as i get it!!!!

  • Sepchep

    Posted Jul 15, 2006 3:26 pm GMT

    Man, not in September, then it's not in time for my birthday, well at least it's coming out this year and it'll be here in time for christmas.

  • The_Souless_One

    Posted Jul 15, 2006 12:18 pm GMT

    I grew up with nintendo the first game i played was the legend of zelda and the duckhunt mario combo ive had every nintendo consle ever and NOBODY IS KEEPING ME FROM MY WII! and to all those who think THE P$3 is going to be better heres some rumors that may be true
    The P$3 caused a fire in testing (it overheatedand lit the wires on fire)
    Sony has put tech into the P$3 that dosent allow used rented or borrowed games on your P$3 ( lets say you borrow a game from a friend if you try to play it on your P$3 the disc wont read .
    And lets not forget 600+60$ tax +100$ game+10$ tax 0n game( Oh yeah games WILL cost 70$- 100$=770 Now will some body remind me why i want this?

  • imreallynotsoap

    Posted Jul 15, 2006 7:24 am GMT

    Hope it's out in october, i don't think i can wait any longer!

  • LinkChicky

    Posted Jul 15, 2006 12:26 am GMT

    Preach it, Samshel! I'm not generally a Nintendo fangirl, per se...more like an LoZ fangirl. I'm a casual gamer for the most part, but I'm finding myself actually getting excited for the Wii. I might even get one at launch instead of waiting like I usually do.

  • Haru2288

    Posted Jul 14, 2006 7:31 am GMT

    for the sake of keeping this
    from turning into yet another
    fight over which new console is the best,
    i would suggest that all you Wii fanatics
    [me included] completely ignore
    the kids that feel like bashing it.

    fine. it goes against all common sense
    to go to an article regarding the
    potential release date of the Wii
    only to put the system down.
    [especially when the article solely aims at
    informing consumers that are
    anticipating the release of the system
    and NOT at starting ANOTHER console war]
    but seriously. be the bigger person(s)
    and don't let their opinions
    [and ALLEGED statements] get to you.
    you KNOW the truth and have your opinions;
    if you voice them, be civil
    and don't stoop down to their level
    and mix INVALID facts with opinions.

    Some people could argue that
    the act of putting something down
    is a method of simply coping
    with present insecurities
    [not limited to confidence
    in their own consoles].

    Now, to get this and HOPEFULLY
    everyone else back on topic,
    I would like to say that
    I really hope the Wii comes in October.
    Then I'll have one for my birthday.

    //postscript.
    the SNES is still one of my favorite systems.
    SNES RPGs were amazing.

    ]

  • Samshel

    Posted Jul 14, 2006 2:17 am GMT

    To all of you tards who cant understand that "graphics" and "weird looking controllers" and "a stupid name" doesnt make the Wii any less awesome. You guys are doing something five year olds confused by library books do. THEY JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER. This is so immature, I pity those who were somehow raised to revolt against any progression in humankind, or videogame kind for that matter.

    "But the games are too kiddy! lolzorz!11!eleven"
    Get a grammar book, study it for three years, watch Barney for three months, play a Legend of Zelda game, play a Metroid game, then tell me what the hell is kiddy.

    "The controller is going to suck."
    Says the Sony fan who stuck by Sony after they made the bananarang.

    "Nintendo is a mediocre company."
    Mmhmm, one that's pleased generations of people for years, and has been around for over a hundred.

    "Nintendo has never made a good console."
    Yeah, sure, the GameBoy, and iconic device that sold millions of units, and got games that actually were awesome, made the first game with shading, made a longrunning dominance till people started bashing the Cube. Then came out with thew DS which has more, and better quality and rated games than the PSP.

    "But graphics are better than gameplay!"
    Grow up you n00bish graphic whore. I bet if I gave you a tape of the cut scene from World of Warcraft, you'd do it with a PS2 in a dark cave somewhere.


    Overall, all of you people who can't seem to understand that Nintendo isn't playing around here, theyre in a serious business. Sony is manipulating you guys, thinking that just because it has nice graphics, and a controller with the sensitivity of the Nunchuk attachment on the Wii, that you'll think it unique, and say that Nintendo copied the PS3. Well I'll tell you what, they waited until after the Wii's controller came out to unveil theirs. WAITED.

    See ya graphic whores, skeptics, and plain immature people,
    Samshel

  • Omihalcon

    Posted Jul 13, 2006 12:00 pm GMT

    I'm so hyped for this, the Zelda and Wii release will the only video gaming reason to put my entire life on hold since Zelda OoT. I can't wait

  • _TheJoker_

    Posted Jul 13, 2006 1:46 am GMT

    PLEAAAAASE, release it already, I NEED TO PLAY WITH IT, I'm gonna die, I cannot wait any longer!

  • HALCONAZUL

    Posted Jul 13, 2006 12:17 am GMT

    I will buy it the launch day and the P$3 well i will wait a little longer, i have a 360 now and is great

    I just want to play hat Zelda game NOW

  • EverAB

    Posted Jul 12, 2006 10:35 pm GMT

    I'm getting a console in a year or 6 months.

    When theres a pretty big library of games.

  • MELITO1

    Posted Jul 12, 2006 9:39 pm GMT

    I AM DYING FOR THE WII . I AM ALLREADY PUTTING MONEY APART FOR IT.I THING I AM GOING TO LOVE ALL THE GAMES FROM IT .ESPECIALY SUPER SMASH BROS.BRAWL...AND ZELDA TWILIGHT P.

  • noamatt128

    Posted Jul 12, 2006 9:36 pm GMT

    im tired of all your noobs crap!! look at the ds if u dont think the wii's gonna be good. every month, the ds has at least 2-5 games rated 8.0 or higher. you know why?? because its more than just a graphic update that cant enhance your games a bit. its something new that doesnt bore you every day of your life.

    the reason many people quit playing video game all together is because they by a new console just to find out that its no different from the last. I urge every who can to by wii and a ds and ill even give you a list of great games to the ds (its huge for its time) and i can guarentee you that the wii will have at least 15 games rated over 9.0 before the end of the year. after you guys quit video games in a few years, its because you dont realize that theres more to games than just good graphics.

    i dont know much about ps3 or xbox 360, but i know that ill have a much better time with the wii and so should you.

  • jedibish95

    Posted Jul 12, 2006 8:42 pm GMT

    i cant wait for the wii i like my 360 to but the wii will rule with zelda even tho 360 will have halo3

  • -RedXIII-

    Posted Jul 12, 2006 7:53 pm GMT

    ROFLMAO @ MGSFan27285. uhhh... nintendo has good graphics but its games suck??? are you serious? last time i checked (not very long ago), and i think millions of people will agree, nintendo, sony, and microsoft fans alike, nintendo was praised for its fun games but derided for its relative graphical weakness. have you EVER read any nintendo game reviews? oh and i agree wholeheartedly with your "never had a good system" schpiel, since the world agrees that SNES and GameBoy were the worst things to happen since Vietnam

  • ProjectAumaan

    Posted Jul 12, 2006 6:51 pm GMT

    MGSFan27285, you are obviously a Microsoft fanboy. If you are going to post such comments, go to a forum devoted to that. And besides, your comment isn't going to affect anyones decision, so you're better off not taking the time to post it. Oh, and the statement that the N has never had a good system? Who introduced the most popular handheld franchise to date???? And the anti-violence comment can be countered in 3 words - RESIDENT EVIL 4!

  • toby_mac_freek

    Posted Jul 12, 2006 4:58 pm GMT

    Im definatly getting the Wii when it comes out!
    I am a die hard Nintendo freak and the Wii will rock the PS3 and X-Box360! And for all those who think otherwise, your so far gone into the pits of gameing hell that I cant help. Sorry.

  • alihayatahmed

    Posted Jul 12, 2006 3:54 pm GMT

    The Wii's graphics are not "on par" with the PS3 or the XBOX 360. Nintendo has openly stated that it cares less about graphics and more about gameplay. The resolution for the Wii something around 860x640 while the resolution for the PS3 and 360 is HD

  • MGSFan27285

    Posted Jul 12, 2006 3:31 pm GMT

    the wii is going to suuuuuuuuuuck. nintendo's never had a good system. sure the designs been good, but who cares about graphics and controllers? its the games and if the games on the wii are going to be as lame as the gamecube games, its not worth a penny. make your choice wisely people, just remember: nintendo doesn't like violence.

    further more, if your looking for good games, the Xbox 360 already has some of the funnest games, such as oblivion and dead rising.

    for the sake of humanity, dont buy a wii.

  • synapticflow

    Posted Jul 12, 2006 1:46 pm GMT

    Wii all the way baby! I haven't been this excited for a gaming system in a long time!

  • steveo135792000

    Posted Jul 12, 2006 12:30 pm GMT

    HopeFully it will come out in october because it will be right before my birthday and my parents said sure so no matter what im getting one

  • Brokendemise

    Posted Jul 12, 2006 11:50 am GMT

    I don't get why people care so much about the wii coming out before the PS3, it'll do better on the first day it comes out even if it comes out after the PS3.

  • jcdarklink

    Posted Jul 12, 2006 10:03 am GMT

    yay woooooooooooooooooooooooooooottttttttttttttttttt

  • Safetyid

    Posted Jul 12, 2006 9:57 am GMT

    The Wii seems to be the best gaming system coming out soon because not only does it have a unique controller where you can actually "play" the game, but it has backward compatibility with the Game Cube. I think the graphics will probably be just as good as the PS3 or XBox 360, but I really don't feel like spending an extra $200 just for graphics that are almost on par with the Wii

  • daniel5894

    Posted Jul 12, 2006 8:52 am GMT

    Man the nintendo wii is going to be the best gaming system of all times IM already saving up so that the day it comes out I can get it along with like 5 games

  • trukosh

    Posted Jul 12, 2006 8:01 am GMT

    I just hope that the Wii's release date doesent get too close to the PS3's.

  • kirby2198

    Posted Jul 12, 2006 7:43 am GMT

    IM GETING THE WII EVEN IF IT MEANS DEALING WITH THE HURRACANS!!!

  • bj_munk

    Posted Jul 12, 2006 7:30 am GMT

    I am so excited for th Wii to come out. I hope that the Dragon Quest series makes it back to nintendo and on to the Wii platform. Regardless, I will be playing all the old games from yesteryears, and I will be teaching My kids how to play games on the Wii. WAY TO GO NINTENDO.

  • redeer

    Posted Jul 12, 2006 7:28 am GMT

    Yo I can't wait for the wii. But the best game will be spuper smash bros. GO WII GO WII..... GO NINTENDO GO NINTENDO.......GO WII GO WII.......GONINTENDO GO NINTENDO............................. and so on

  • Tamer_kai

    Posted Jul 12, 2006 5:54 am GMT

    I know imma get it when it come out.
    SSBB

  • 00Rambol00

    Posted Jul 12, 2006 5:13 am GMT

    i might get this, but i will see what happens...

  • calpletch

    Posted Jul 12, 2006 4:57 am GMT

    I dont care when the wii comes out im just grabbing one as soon as it does

  • Custom__hobo

    Posted Jul 12, 2006 2:20 am GMT

    "but dont by a Wii.....please... " (i'll buy whatever I please thanks. The Wii looks new to me, not just a step up in graphics and memory and whatever. I think it'll actually be FUN.)
    "I'm not dropping that kinda money on a console" (And you're on about getting a $600 PS3?)
    "theyre [Nintendo's] games are all too kiddy and lame" (Go away before I laugh at you too much. That argument has no substance whatsoever. If that were true, only the games with realistic effects, simulators, blood and gore would be getting high review marks. But if you look now, Just about every Mario game on here has a higher score than the majority of realistic games. Especially the Sony exclusives.)
    I'm not fanboying your ass. I'm just stating the facts. Nintendo first party games may be more cartoony, but when I escape from the world into a game, I don't want it to just reflect the same world I was getting away from in the first place...whats the point in that?
    As an extreme example, a lawn-mowing game released on the Wii and the PS3. Because Mario is in so many other damn things (tennis, baseball, soccer...) it can be "Mario Lawn-mowing". And what's a distinctive Sony name...GTA? Okay then, "Lance Vance Mowing Spree". I'd much rather use the Wii remote to push Mario around a sprawling course of ramps and bumps on a HUGE lawn floating in the sky, dodging phirana plants and rolling down goombas, than stuck in a boring old city where all you can really do for fun is mow your name out in the grass and try to run over pedestrians with your lawn mower...

    But anyways, the Wii looks amazingly fresh to me, and i'm getting it on launch day because I KNOW that there's names I can trust in and names that have stayed with me for ages. Link, Mario, Samus, they're all there. And I know from past experience that Nintendo doesn't mess it up for our big names. And the fact that i'm being given a completely new way to play games, along with all the greatest consoles of yesterday for less than £250, in the words of Mr Iwata, "I think I am spoiled".

  • abyxalex

    Posted Jul 11, 2006 9:15 pm GMT

    thats wrong but i buy it when out for sale

  • craziekev

    Posted Jul 11, 2006 9:02 pm GMT

    I CANT WAIT!!! I CANT WAIT!!! I CANT WAIT!!! I CANT WAIT!!! I CANT WAIT!!! I CANT WAIT!!! I CANT WAIT!!!I CANT WAIT!!! I CANT WAIT!!! I CANT WAIT!!! I CANT WAIT!!! I CANT WAIT!!!I CANT WAIT!!! I CANT WAIT!!! I CANT WAIT!!!

    I WANT THE WII WITH ZELDA METROID PRIME 3 SMASH BROS OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG lol im over reacting i really want the wii

  • eryinmw

    Posted Jul 11, 2006 11:35 am GMT

    If u go to Gonintendo.com they had it july 1 before gamespot check it out and i gave the pictures of it to them no lie.

  • gto2092

    Posted Jul 10, 2006 3:10 pm GMT

    Nintendo won't be involved in TGS i think. However, other 3rd party companies will reveal their products on WII during TGS. I love Nintendo, but I hate to search for news about nintendo. Sigh.. @ least 3 more months before launch date.. just can't wait for it. Anyone think about buying WII @ launch and buying PS3 when it's around $400? i am one ^_^

  • trigun123

    Posted Jul 10, 2006 7:33 am GMT

    okay kids, im not getting any next gen console until i see some good games....its stupid to go out and buy one first day when you can wait 6 months until they are really available instead of going through hoops to get one. i really wanted a 360 but i couldnt get one cause they under-supplied all the stores...way to go....but im actually glad i didnt get one because so far all the games that have come out basically suck....i dont wanna play hitman or perfect dark so far those are the only games i really look at as good games on that system, though they arent good enough to warrant me buying the system, and i know that Elder Scrolls came out on the 360 too and its amazing....but thats why i have a PC (another reason not to buy a console, PC will be more powerful in a year anyhow with better games and multiplayer) the reason i got the original Xbox was when Halo came out it was an early title that i saw promise in.....then nothing i wanted to play came out on the system afterward other than Halo 2 of course.....so i traded in for a PS2 and was much happier.....thats why i will probobly get a PS3 cause sony just has better games. i hope that youll take what ive said into consideration and not buy a next gen console until youve tried out some of the games and are sure that its the system you want, cause i know im not dropping that kinda money on a console ill get tired with like i did with the original Xbox.....and i dont like nintendo.....theyre first party games are all too kiddy and lame and all the other games that come out on the system are available on any of the others anyway or they do what they did with resident evil 4 and port it to another console, so oh well just make a good decision but dont by a Wii.....please...

  • Hitman4Hire

    Posted Jul 10, 2006 4:44 am GMT

    Oh man, I've become so dang excited for this system! I work at a Gamestop, so I know I'm going to be one of the first to preorder this system as soon as they let us. I just don't understand what's with people who stand outside of a store for hours and hours, just hoping they get a system, when they can just reserve one and be content knowing it will be waiting for them. Seriously, I'm dumbfounded. Although, i can understand alittle more considering how microsoft screwed over all gamestops and EB's when they didnt give us the shipments they had promised us. And sony will obviously do the same, but Nintendo probably wont. They are actually, you know, ethical and stuff when it comes to their consumers.

  • yuginodo

    Posted Jul 9, 2006 10:57 pm GMT

    horray now I can find out how much my wii will be worth in september and I don't mean the console...

  • Terdog

    Posted Jul 9, 2006 7:45 pm GMT

    Im enjoying my PC here, but if the WII's good, ill get it. Xbox 360 and PS3.. yawn..

  • renger6002

    Posted Jul 9, 2006 6:12 pm GMT

    "We are planning an announcement in September and it may be causing some confusion."
    -------------------------------------
    kirbymariopika-"Maybe they'll pull a 'The Wii will be (this much money) and you can pick yours up next week!' That would rock! People would go crazy, because by the time they found out when the release was, it was only 3 days away! "

    I think they might,
    It would be crazy, but i like crazy, lots of ppl like crazy, crazy's cool.

  • mjc0961

    Posted Jul 9, 2006 11:00 am GMT

    Oh man, I gotta wait until September just to get the release date! I CAN'T WAIT THIS LONG NINTENDO! YOU'RE GIVING ME BLUE THUMBS!!!

  • Kicken

    Posted Jul 9, 2006 9:03 am GMT

    sitting here hugging my 360 and PC.... wouldnt buy the Wii unless Zelda came out with it

  • lazlodude7

    Posted Jul 9, 2006 7:57 am GMT

    that's it. I give up on this thing. nintendo's being too protective of this thing, and i've lost all hope of it ever coming out. oh well, to the ps3

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