Speaking apparently in response to a rash of
recent reports concerning the launch date of the next generation Wii console, officials from Nintendo have revealed that there will be no major Wii announcements until September.
Speaking to the news service Bloomberg, an unnamed Nintendo spokesperson commented that, “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."
Earlier rumors had placed the release date anywhere from late September to November 6th – just a few days before the launch of the PlayStation 3. A restatement of a fourth quarter release would appear to rule out a September release, which had always seemed unlikely, despite indications reported by CNN Money's Chris Morris that the Wii has already entered mass production.
News of a September announcement, however, does reinforce previous suggestions that Nintendo officials may speak at the Tokyo Game Show, which opens on September 22nd. Although Nintendo does not traditionally exhibit at the show it often sponsors the event and uses keynote speeches on the first day to make major announcements – as happened last year with the
first public unveiling and demonstration of the Wii remote.
