Topic: June 2006?!

[wandering]

According to the ever-realiable spong the rev will have a worldwide launch (America, Japan, and Europe) in June 2006.

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“As of early October this year, we had agreed with all key partners that a global ship date of June 2006 was achievable,” said one of SPOnG 's several sources associated with the Revolution manufacturing process. “Nintendo will get the launch in Japan and America and Europe as close as possible. It will be like the Xbox 360 launch, only tighter.”

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A mid-2006 release had been hinted at as early as May this year, when memory supplier MoSys inadvertantly revealed the launch window of the Nintendo's next generation system. However, this is the first time other sources have corroborated the faux pas.

So.....did spong really talk to several highly-placed and realiable insiders to get the real scoop on when the REV is launching? Or....did they take the MoSys information and make the rest of the information in the article up? We report, you decide!

edit: ars technica is speculating  that the system will launch around June as well. ("May or June" in Japan, "summer or early Fall" in NA) Hmm....  

edit 2: Nintendo hatches secret global launch plan for Revolution, says mvc uk, based on "online reports emerging today".

[Toruresu]

June eh?

Would be great for my birthday...

[Bill Aurion]

I've been calling Summer for a while now, but that has only been for Japanese launch...But it WOULD be nice if it launched (pretty much) everywhere then, too...

[KDR_11k]

Probably US and Japan early, Europe and Australia later. With games taking their usual JP->US->EU->AUS path of delays as seen with the DS.

[Ian Sane]

June's not a bad time to launch.  It's pretty good actually because it gives them some breathing room before Christmas.  They have a few months after launch to have a good variety of titles for Christmas.  If they launch in November they have no time to make up for any launch problems be that a weak lineup or system shortages.

However June is only a month after E3 (or sooner depending on what time of the month they launch) so that doesn't give much time to build anticipation.  So if they launch in June at the very least we need to see screenshots of the major launch titles prior to E3.  They can't just spring some game on us 2-4 weeks before launch and pass it off as the flagship title.  I say they show us some real games and reveal all the info they have no reason to hide from us (why hide specs when the remote was the very thing they were afraid would be stolen) prior to the X360 launch to disuade any disgruntled Cube owners from jumping ship.

[wandering]

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So if they launch in June at the very least we need to see screenshots of the major launch titles prior to E3.

I agree. But remember that while Nintendo said that rev games would be shown/playable at E3, I don't think they ever said that E3 was going to be the first time that the rev would be shown/playable.

Personally, I'm betting that we'll have video of games in action before the end of this year, regardles of when  the system launches. And, if the system will really have a world wide launch next June, I'd expect full-blown playable demos either late this year or early next year, before e3.  

[Rhoq]

If the "second half of 2006" rumor is true (I don't care if Nintendo Power has it on a recording - until Nintendo issues a press release - as far as I'm concerned, it's only a rumor)...June 2006 is the last month of the first half of the year. I think think a Fall 2006 (Holiday) launch is much more likely, especially since we have yet to see any software and June 2006 is only 8 months away.

[nemo_83]

A fall launch in America would mean going against the Congressional elections for attention in 06.

[wandering]

The 'later half of 06' recording has actually been removed. From the ars article linked above:

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A week ago Infendo called the Nintendo Power line, and got the following message.

   "As the company with the strongest heritage of innovation, Nintendo moves the bar for all next-gen systems by employing a wide-ranging strategy that will attract more kinds of gamers to more kinds of games. When Nintendo's new console, codenamed Revolution, arrives in the later half of 2006, everyone will discover the meaning of all-access gaming."

The message is still there, but "arrives in the later half of 2006" has now been replaced with "estimated for release in 2006." With my detective hat on, I'd say one of two things are likely: either Nintendo doesn't really have any idea yet, are being purposefully vague, or the second half of 2006 may be in doubt, leaving (obviously) the first half.

As it turns out, Nintendo President Satoru Iwata has told Nikkei Business that the Nintendo Revolution would be coming "after April" of 2006, and that the company was going to try and tackle an international launch (Nintendo Japan has the details in Japanese).

edit

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Orginally posted by: nemo_83
A fall launch in America would mean going against the Congressional elections for attention in 06.

Good thing next to no one in america cares about congressional elections, then! (before you saying anything, I'm not saying that I personally don't care about them)      

[zakkiel]

I don't think Nintendo is terribly concerned about competing with attention to politics. Especially in the US, midterm elections are unlikely to distract people from consumerism.

[vudu]

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However June is only a month after E3 (or sooner depending on what time of the month they launch) so that doesn't give much time to build anticipation.

Why does Nintendo have to give everyone a large heads up?  Why can't they pull an Apple and say "Hey check out this great new iPod Nano we made.  You like it?  Great!  It arrived in stores yesterday."?

[Nile Boogie]

"If" this claim has credit, what does that mean for Zelda: TP? I know I know it's a dead horse but it makes me wonder...

[cubist]

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Originally posted by: vudu

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However June is only a month after E3 (or sooner depending on what time of the month they launch) so that doesn't give much time to build anticipation.

Why does Nintendo have to give everyone a large heads up?  Why can't they pull an Apple and say "Hey check out this great new iPod Nano we made.  You like it?  Great!  It arrived in stores yesterday."?

Apple can do it because the iPod is a proven product and the re-design isn't as drastic as going from Cube to Rev.  Although, given the amount of hype Nintendo gave the GCN (not much compared to XBOX at launch), Nintendo might as well release a console without notice.  


As far as politics and the congressional elections of 2006...the only way Nintendo would get any interference from them is if Rockstar simply drops their Sony love and releases a really crazy version of GTA.  That'll stir up some controversy, but it will never happen...the GTA on Rev.  So...not an issue.

[Pale]

It's very likely that Nintendo is shooting for a summer release...

It's also very likely they will delay it to fall.  

[Stimutacs Addict]

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Originally posted by: Nile Boogie
"If" this claim has credit, what does that mean for Zelda: TP? I know I know it's a dead horse but it makes me wonder...

wonder how convenient that will be for anyone who desperately wants to play the new Zelda but doesnt have a cube... Why don't they get a Revolution and play Zelda on there?

I realize that it is a bit of a startup cost (gcn mem card+game+new system+GCNcontroller+newgames+new controllers)

nevermind.

[Rhoq]

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Originally posted by: wandering

The message is still there, but "arrives in the later half of 2006" has now been replaced with "estimated for release in 2006." With my detective hat on, I'd say one of two things are likely: either Nintendo doesn't really have any idea yet, are being purposefully vague, or the second half of 2006 may be in doubt, leaving (obviously) the first half.

...of 2007

[nemo_83]

gamespot has a piece up on Nintendo's global domination; well maybe its just about the global launch.

My magic eight ball says TP will be forwards compatible with the new controller encouraging Cube owners and non Cube owners to run into the streets in a frenzy to purchase the Revolution.  If games can be developed using the same API on Revolution then any game whether MP2 or ZTP can be modified to work with the Revolution controller.

[BlackNMild2k1]

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Originally posted by: nemo_83
My magic eight ball says TP will be forwards compatible with the new controller encouraging Cube owners and non Cube owners to run into the streets in a frenzy to purchase the Revolution.  If games can be developed using the same API on Revolution then any game whether MP2 or ZTP can be modified to work with the Revolution controller.

I've been saying the same thing since ZTP got delayed, and my magic 8ball aslo says that any major Nintendo release(maybe even some exclusive 3rd party games) that come out after January or so of next year will probably have some sort of hidden FC features to encourage Rev owners to buy back catalogue and GC owners to go ahead and take the system upgrade.

[Zach]

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Originally posted by: Rhoq

Quote
Originally posted by: wandering

The message is still there, but "arrives in the later half of 2006" has now been replaced with "estimated for release in 2006." With my detective hat on, I'd say one of two things are likely: either Nintendo doesn't really have any idea yet, are being purposefully vague, or the second half of 2006 may be in doubt, leaving (obviously) the first half.

...of 2007

read the part in bold

[Kairon]

Microsoft is already having headaches with supply and trying to get enough X360's out for their near simultanerous worldwide launch, what would make the situation of a simultaneous launch any easier for Nintendo?

I have my doubts on this, even though I love the idea of a Summer 2006 launch.

~Carmine M. Red
Kairon@aol.com

[Bill Aurion]

Nintendo knows magic...

[Plugabugz]

Europe/Australia are last. Seeming as that's how game launches run, and that's how the DS launch ran i'm only going to assume that's how it'll be.

[Kairon]

Apparently, the news that they're shooting for a near-simultaneous worldwide launch comes straight from the horse's mouth.

Gamasutra: Iwata snippet

~Carmine M. Red
Kairon@aol.com

[Ian Sane]

"It would be a complete failure if we didn't sell more units than the Nintendo GameCube."

What's this?  Nintendo actually acknowledging the importance of MARKET SHARE?

Nice to read an Iwata quote where he doesn't inadvertingly make the Rev sound lame and uninteresting.

[Kairon]

Iwata's been talking about marketshare ever since they showed the Rev controller. Remember that quote about how they don't want to be a market leader in a niche market? Nintendo is trying to find new gamers speccifically so it can have a large share of previously untapped markets.

Yes, Iwata is after marketshare. It's just that he doesn't think that the market ends with hardcore gamers alone.

~Carmine M. Red
Kairon@aol.com