Iwata: DSi launching worldwide by summer 2009
Nintendo President Satoru Iwata has announced that the Nintendo DSi will be shipping overseas "by summer 2009," narrowing the previous US launch window of "well into 2009" set by Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime. According to Reuters, Iwata said, "Specific plans will be unveiled by our local subsidiaries, but an autumn or year-end launch would probably be too late."
As of this writing, the DSi is now officially available in Japan. The DS Lite's launch spawned some iconic photographs of people waiting in seemingly endless lines to pick up the portable. That doesn't seem to be the case this time. According to ground reports from IGN, many stores in Tokyo opted to take only pre-orders and/or set up raffles where winning customers could come by at anytime that day to pick it up. Hype-inducing photo ops: Denied.
