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Seattle P-I: Wii on November 19, $250; did they slip? [update 2]
Just before the Japanese press event started in earnest, an article surfaced at the Seattle Post-Intelligencer that declared the Wii would launch November 19 at $250. Chat rooms and forums exploded as gamers debated the legitimacy of the story, which listed the New York Times as its source. Since no one could find the information anywhere else -- not on Reuters, the AP, or the NYT itself, we called both the New York Times and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer to attempt to verify the story. Though we could not reach anyone at the NYT, we did speak with the city desk at the Seattle P-I, and they verified that the story was indeed pulled from the NYT's wire and that it was not altered by the Seattle publication. Less than an hour later, the link disappeared from the main business page -- though the article was still available via direct link and still listed as the "most read" on the RSS feed. Minutes later, even the direct link disappeared, and was replaced with the following information:The page you have requested was not found. The link is either incorrect or the page no longer exists. If you believe there is a problem, please send a message to newmedia@seattlepi.com.Did the Seattle P-I slip up and release the information early? Since the article disappeared, we will be reproducing it almost in its entirety after the jump. Please note that we are not claiming credit for this article -- we are just working to bring you the most accurate news possible.[Update 2: Apparently the article reappeared. Once the cat's out of the bag .... However, as of 2:15 Eastern, the headline has not reappeared on the business page at the Seattle paper. We are working to compare the copy to see if changes have been made. Also fixed coding error.]
Wii rumor wrap-up
With the international launch details for Nintendo's Wii all but certain to be revealed in the next few days, it will be time for journalists, bloggers, analysts and forum trolls everywhere to say goodbye to one of their favorite pastimes: rumormongering. In tribute to happy guesses gone by, here's a quick round up of some of the more memorable rumors that have emerged over the past few months, with original sources and dates noted.Whose information will reign supreme? You'll know the official word as soon as we do.PriceAmerica:Official: $250 or lower - Nintendo senior managing director Yoshihiro Mori (5/25)$150 - Vibe Magazine (9/10)$170 - David Gardner, executive VP and COO of EA's worldwide studios (8/21)$175 - Text of supposed Reggie speech from Go Nintendo (8/27) $200 - Merill Lynch analyst Justin Post (5/17)$229 - "sources suggest" to IGN (8/7)$229 - "A source close to Nintendo" via NintendoPlayers (9/12)$249 - EGM (5/8)$299 - 7-11 flier (8/4)Japan:Official: 25,000 yen or lower ($213) - Nintendo senior managing director Yoshihiro Mori (5/25)19,800 yen ($170) - Financial report from Tokyo-based Nikko Citigroup (8/15)Europe/Britain:Official: Less than 250 Euros ($317) - Nintendo's head of German operations, Bernd Fakesch (8/23)149 pounds ($278) - Shopto.net via GoNintendo (7/14)149 pounds ($278)- MCV (9/8)Australia:330 AUD ($248) - Sunday Herald Sun (9/10)Release DateOfficial: Q4, 2006 - Nintendo E3 press conferenceAmerica:October - CNN/Money (7/5)Oct. 2 - GamingTarget, based on software release date press release (7/25)Oct. 2 - Text of supposed Reggie speech from Go Nintendo (8/27)November - Insider source from Nintendo sales meeting, on Orange Lounge Radio (9/4)Nov. 2 - Best Buy game listingNov. 6. - Sports Illustrated for Kids (7/2)Nov. 6 - "an industry source speaking to Cubed3" (5/31)Nov. 12 - "some have suggested" to IGN (8/7)Europe/Britain:October - Shopto.net via GoNintendo (7/14)Oct. 2 - JeuxFrance (5/31)Nov. 3 - EA launch date for Need for Speed: Carbon (7/19)Shortly before Nov. 24 - MCV (9/8)Australia:November - Toys "R" Us
PGR4 gets a release window
When I posted about that Peugeot PGR4 design contest earlier, I should have noted the fact that it revealed the game will be released "towards the end of 2007 or first half of 2008," which is a little better than "some day."
Winner of strongest fall lineup is ... PS2?
Gameworld Network has pieced together an outline of 10 upcoming PlayStation 2 titles, tagging the list "10 Reasons Not to Sell Your PS2 Just Yet." With the exceptions of Dawn of Mana and God of War 2, all of these titles will hit US retailers by early November -- and seven are exclusive to PS2. Starting with Rule of Rose's release next week, there's practically a must-play title dropping for PS2 every week through November 7: Rule of Rose (September 12) Okami (September 19) God Hand (October 10) Bully (October 17) Final Fantasy XII (October 31) Rogue Galaxy (October) Guitar Hero II (November 7) Can anyone show us a console/handheld with a stronger fall lineup? Nope, we didn't think so ... Sony might have lost points because of a pair of disappointing PS3 announcements, but that's not gonna affect PS2's continued dominance leading up to the holiday season. [Thanks, Matt]
Japanese Wii event confirmed: September 14
Call in the rumor patrol, 'cause the triumvirate is complete. Nintendo has scheduled press events for Japan and the United States for September 14, and Europe the following day. Three major regions, three events -- there's little doubt that this, finally, will be the information we've been waiting for. In just two weeks, we should finally find out when we'll all be lining up on Wii-volution day. The trio of press events comes a week before the Tokyo Game Show. As anticipated, it seems Nintendo wants their announcement to stand out, rather than have it come as just part of the announcements from another show. So here it is, folks! Last chance to make your predictions. The clock is ticking. [Thanks, DerekJ!]
The Ides of September
At last, it looks like this could be it. Nintendo announced a second press conference in the middle of September, a day after the New York event. The only thing that's missing is an announcement for Japan, but if this is the real deal -- when we'll learn release dates and pricing -- then surely we'll hear about a Japanese event soon.Of course, there's always the possibility that these events could be about something different. Nintendo seems to be enjoying keeping us on the edge of our seats. But if the system is going to make a splash this holiday season, something has to come soon.
Red Steel: better things to come
Yesterday, we told you about a nasty, nasty rumor concerning the graphics of the Wii games we've seen so far. Could it be true that the "real" versions of some of the most anticipated games were being withheld so that the Wii, when revealed in full at last, could make a bigger splash than even we could hope for?Seems silly ... but according to an IGN blog, that could be the case. After they posted videos of Red Steel from Leipzig, Ubisoft apparently contacted IGN to let them know that the footage still didn't reflect the latest build of the game. What we saw at E3 was version 1.0. Let's call LGC v1.5, then, with the amorphous v2.0 still unseen. Why haven't we seen it?If this is true -- and according to the same post, other tweaks are being considered for Activision's Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam as well -- then this begs the question of what, exactly, is going on with the Wii? Here, in the tag end of August, with Nintendo's Fusion Tour just around the corner, and the event on the 14th, as well as the release date coming in November at the latest ... isn't it time to let us know what the real deal is?[Thanks, vidGuy!]
Microsoft announces prices, dates for Xbox 360 peripherals
Clever Microsoft's been stringing us along since May with the pricing and release dates for the launch of their new 360 peripheral line, but it looks like we've got the final details, announced today at the Leipzig Game Convention. The Live Vision camera will launch September 19th in the US and October 6th in Europe, either "alone" (for $39, which includes one month of Live Gold service, a headset, and Uno and TotemBal;) or bundled in the Video Chat Gold Kit (for $79, which includes 1 year of Live Gold service, headset, Uno, TotemBall, Robotron, and 200 Microsoft points); the Wireless Racing Wheel will go for $149 and comes bundled with a force-feedback edition of PGR3 when released in November; the Wireless Headset will launch at $59, also in November; the Wireless Gaming Receiver for Windows will go for $20 in late December (remember, this is the one that lets you use your wireless 360 devices on your PC). Still no word on the grandaddy of all 360 peripherals, the HD DVD drive, but we think it's pretty clear by now what kind of price it should retail for, and when.
September 14: the new "it" day?
So, how 'bout that keynote at Leipzig? Wasn't it exciting to hear about the release date for the Wii, and the pricing, and the ponies ... no, no, that didn't happen at all. The hugely anticipated speech revealed none of the details rabid Nintendo fans have been dying to learn. Y'know, the tough questions, like "when's the console being released, and how much will it cost?" We know. Sometimes it's hard to open up. There, there.So now the hearts and minds of Nintendo fans turn toward September 14, when Nintendo of America's Reggie Fils-Aime will be on hand at a media event in New York. Forget celebration of video games -- Wii want to celebrate some news.
Pleo gets a launch date: March 2007
We all kinda thought (and hoped, and wished) that the Pleo would be out for the 2006 buying season, but it looks like the ultimate dino-bot's about to handily overshoot the mark by a few months. According to PleoBot, Ugobe's Khristine Valdez said that pre-orders for the baby beast could be taken December 24th, with expected deliveries and retail presence in early March 2007. Kind of weak to hand over a printout on Christmas morning to your kid that reads IOU1bot, but hey, you can't rush extinction-reversing prefection.
Sources promise real Wii info eventually
The meta-speculation about all things Wii is reaching a fever pitch lately. People are freaking out over fine print and creating complicated mathematical equations in an attempt to figure out the release date. We're excited, too -- we die a little inside on every day that isn't launch day -- but really, all this six degrees of the Wii is getting a little out of control. To wit: in today's round of Let's Speculate About Speculation, a Spanish Nintendo magazine called Nintendo Accion apparently revealed that details on the Wii would come "soon."Yes, these days, soon is big news. Frantic fans are arguing whether or not that means the information will come around September 15th (the magazine's street date, though of course, the printed date usually has no connection with the actual release date of a magazine), or if we'll get the Wii details we're frothing for before September 15th. Or after. Or perhaps even on that fated date. So many possibilities when you're working with "soon."
Burning Crusade Release Date?
While we regularly get tips on the supposed release date of the game - no, we still don't know for certain. Amazon.com says October 15th, Best Buy says November 9th, and EB Games & GameStop both say November 28th. Why the conflicting dates? Well, Blizzard hasn't announced an official date, and it's harder to sell pre-orders without some release date - so all of these retailers are guessing in the dark. However, that doesn't mean one of them couldn't be right - Blizzard has said that they're aiming for a Q4 2006 release, which doesn't rule out much of the ongoing speculation. (Though the date could always slip, you know...)
Need for Speed: Carbon hints at Wii launch date
The upcoming Need for Speed: Carbon is being released on just about every platform known to man. A few days ago, EA released a press statement stating that the game would be released on November 10th for the PS2, PS3, Xbox, Xbox 360, Gamecube, PC, Nintendo DS, PSP, GBA, and PC. (The PS3 version will likely be delayed in America till November 17th, PS3's official NA release date.) But what about the Wii version? We knew it was coming, but it was odd that it wasn't included in the statement. As it turns out, EA has issued another press release, this time giving the Wii release date as November 3rd. Not only does the Wii get the game a full week earlier than any system, but this is strong evidence for a possible launch date. Not that we haven't had any other possible launch dates, but having a specialized release preceding every other version is certainly peculiar... [Thanks, Rob!]
European release dates unveiled, DS Browser on its way
Nintendo recently sent out a convenient list of release dates for high-profile software in the EU region. The complete list follows (note that Twilight Princess has a vague Q4 release date, to intentionally remove any sort of Wii launch speculation), but of particular note is the fast-approaching DS Browser, which has yet to receive an official release date in North America. Set for October 6th, 2006, it looks like Europeans will be getting their browse on a bit earlier than us backwards folk. For a full review on the browser, see here. DS Lineup 42 All-Time Classics (Nintendo) - September 29th, 2006 Nintendo DS Browser (Nintendo) - October 6th, 2006 English Training: Have fun improving your skills (Nintendo) - October 13th, 2006 Sudoku Master (Nintendo) (tentative name) - October 27th, 2006 Actionloop (Nintendo) - October 27th, 2006 Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team (Nintendo) - November 10th, 2006 Mario Slam Basketball (Nintendo) - November 10th, 2006 Hotel Dusk: Room 215 (Nintendo) (tentative name) - November 24th, 2006 Yoshi's Island 2 (Nintendo) (tentative name) - December 1st, 2006 Harvest Moon DS (Rising Star Games/Nintendo) - Q4 2006 GBA Lineup Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team (Nintendo) - November 10th, 2006 Gamecube Lineup Harvest Moon: Magical Melody (Rising Star Games/Nintendo) - Q4 2006 The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Nintendo) (tentative name) - Q4 2006 [Thank ye, Will!]
Sneak attack launch quite possible, says CNN Money
Chris Morris' famed "Game Over" column over at CNN Money depicts a tantalizing future...well, a closer one, anyway. Morris states that industry insiders and other various information dealers, lurking in the dark alleys of Kyoto, all point to an early Wii launch in October...or possibly even late September. The biggest shred of proof? "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."If true, this is good news indeed. Not only would allow the Wii this possibly early launch, but supply will certainly be more prolific then the generally bungled Xbox 360 launch. In addition, it would allow Nintendo a heck of a jump start on rival-who-isn't-really-a-rival-but-who-are-you-trying-to-kid Sony, launching in the US on November 17th. Still, can we really expect this? Many assume that Nintendo is going to release final launch information at the Tokyo Game Show, which takes place from September 22nd-24th. Such a short window may not be enough time to build a large marketing campaign and momentum going into the launch. Take it with a grain of salt.[Thanks, Eric!]
Sports Illustrated, of all places? [Update 2]
Finally, an excuse to put a ravishingly beautiful, veritably naked woman on the front page of this blog. According to the newest issue of Sports Illustrated for Kids (we, uh, tried really hard to find an image of that magazine's cover, but alas, we failed), the Wii has a confirmed U.S. release date of November 6th.All right. We know. It's freaking Sports Illustrated for Kids. However, it's quite possible that they got away with marketing murder due to the absence of the professionally trained verbal ninjas Nintendo likes to throw at the major gaming media outlets. Even if this is mere speculation, I mean, come on. It's gotta come out somewhere around then, right?(Can't ... stop staring ...)[Update 1: Silly us, we meant the sixth of November, not the seventh. Thanks, trusty commenters.][Update 2: This article has been debunked by Nintendo. Alas!]
Street Fighter II gets Down Under date
The world's most anticipated -- and most delayed -- 2D fighter has a new date Down Under. Xbox Australia shows Street Fighter II: Hyper Fighting due July 30. Meanwhile, back in the northern hemisphere, the US site still lists the original long gone March release date. Can we get an update Microsoft?Whichever direction your toilet flushes, spend less time worrying about exactly when this game hits Xbox Live Arcade, and more time hoping Capcom managed to fix the gameplay issues that led to less than hyper early reviews.
Lite price and release date coming 4 May
From the metanews department: Being unable to report on the Lite's US release date and price, I instead get to share with you the date when said information is likely to be revealed. Whip out your calendars and dark electronic fruits, because a 1UP podcast claims that the magical date of revelation is set for 4 May. As I said way back in March, I'm expecting a $149.99 Black Lite to launch sometime in June. What does your gut instinct tell you? [Via Joystiq]
Time-line for Burning Crusade Release?
There's been a lot of speculation as to when The Burning Crusade expansion will be released - different retailers list different release dates, and Blizzard has not made anything public yet. However, CM Eyonix dropped a little tidbit in the forums today which may provide a clue as to when we can expect to see the expansion hit store shelves, telling us that they plan to do a talent review for all classes before the release. With three un-reviewed classes, and predicting six to eight weeks between patches, this pushes the expansion out four and a half to six months. September or October, anyone?
