Release Dates : November 19th (USA) - December 2nd (Japan)

[Urban Legend]

Nintendo provided further guidance on the release of the Wii on Thursday September 14th, including announcing a price and release date as well as accessories to ship with the console. The Wii will launch first in the United States on November 19, followed by a Japanese launch on December 2.

As expected, the console will retail for $249.99 USD. Each package would include one wireless "Nunchuk" controller, as well as a collection of five sports games on a single disc that would highlight the movement-based use of the innovative controller.

"Wii breaks the wall separating players from non-players by delivering the best game experiences for the most affordable price," Nintendo president Reggie Fils-Aime said. "We believe the next leap is games for the masses - young and old, gamer or non, alone, with a friend or with the whole family."

Fils-Aime and other executives have repeatedly stressed the family-based concept of the Wii, and are banking on that fact to help separate it from the glut of next-generation consoles that will flood the marketplace this fall. Features such as the Channel Menu are an example of this.

The Channel Menu would make it easy for both first time and experienced gamers to get most out of the console. Navigating through the various channels allows the user pick games to play, get news or weather, view and send photos, or create playable caricatures of themselves to use in actual games.

In addition, Wii Points would work much like Microsoft Points in allowing users to download content to the console.

More than 30 games are expected to be available by year's end, with many available at launch, including "The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess." All Nintendo-made games would retail for $49.99 USD. Wii would also be able to play all GameCube games natively, the company said.

At least one company, EA, said it is putting more support behind its Wii developers than any Nintendo console since the Super NES, and several others said the console's concept would open up the video game market even further.

"The Wii is changing audience interaction, opening up whole new experiences that have never been possible in video games," Activision CEO Robert Kotick said. "The Wii is likely to have a profound impact on the size, growth and overall opportunities for the video game market

source: BetaNews.com

[Guest]

Anybody knows when the Wii will be released in Europe?

[Urban Legend]

If I don't make mistake the Wii will be available in Europe on December 8th

[domain freek]

that's cool they're releasing it in the US first!

[kristopher9876]

The Wii will launch first in the United States on November 19, followed by a Japanese launch on December 2. I am eagerly witing for the day of release.

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