Nintendo fans don’t have to wait any longer for the juicy information about the Wii. According to an article in tomorrow’s New York Times, the launch date, price and the number of games available at launch for Nintendo’s next system have been revealed. The launch date is set for Sunday, November 19th in North America and South America with a retail price of either $249.99. There will be approximately 25 games available at launch, with 30 games on store shelves by the end of the year. First-party Wii games will retail for $50. Classic games – a feature which was highly anticipated – will be available for prices between $5 and $10.
The Wii will also include a game bundled in at launch, something not seen since in a Nintendo console since the SNES. Right now, rumors are circulating that the bundled game will be Wii Sports. The Times also claims that the Wii will have web-surfing capabilities similar to a PC. "Perhaps most intriguing," the article claims, "the Wii will make it possible to browse the Web on the television. Microsoft’s Xbox 360 does not permit this because that could negate the need to buy a Windows PC." As of now, the full Internet capabilities haven’t been fully unveiled.
Other than browsing the Internet, the Wii will also allow for more functions than just gaming, unlike the GameCube. The report goes on to talk about the ability of the Wii to display photos on televisions, and explains it will have an easy-to-use interactive news channel and weather channel.
Reggie Fils-Aime, Nintendo of America President and COO, holds high expectations that the Wii will further expand gaming across the world. "Our goal is to bring gaming back to the masses," he states. "You see that in our pricing, you see that in the number of units we plan to make available this year and you see that in how we are positioning the Wii to appeal to every member of the household, including but not limited to the hardcore gamer."
The Times report also comes with a bit of bad news for Wii hopefuls, as it announces that the first Mario game for the Wii won’t be released until 2007.
