Source: Nintendo fan site Nintendo Now and game blog Kotaku, both using sources.

The official story: See below.

What we heard: Could it really be two whole months since the last worthwhile Wii rumor? The drought is apparently over, as two rumor-licious Wii tidbits are out and about.

The first comes by way of Nintendo Now, a Web site dedicated to Nintendo...now. Some of the site's authors milled about Nintendo's booth at the recent San Diego Comic-Con, and spoke to several people at the company's setup. One unnamed source dropped the bomb that there was "a strong possibility" that Nintendo would drop its own bombs at the Leipzig Game Convention, which takes place in Germany in late August.

With the Wii still fairly well veiled and launching sometime in Q4 this year, it's obvious that there are still plenty of details to be unleashed upon Nintendo's Wii-thirsty fans. The Leipzig Game Convention and September's Tokyo Game Show appear to be the obvious choices to pull back the curtain, so the likelihood of some news coming out of both shows isn't exactly a revelation, and is all but certain.

As far as a firm release date and pricing go, that will likely be held off until after Leipzig, as Nintendo brass have said that those bits of info will be disclosed in September.

The source also told Nintendo Now "definitively" that the company will hold its own show to demo the Wii, an idea that game blog Kotaku also picked up on. Kotaku's sources say the Wii will be the centerpiece of a cross-country tour to show off the console to the masses, with the idea being that hands-on time with the Wii will convince potential buyers to part with their cash and pick up the system.

As far as cross-country tours go, Nintendo has announced the Fusion Tour, which will "include a sneak peek at the Wii console" and feature some musical acts. However, the extent of the sneaking and peeking at the system (hands-on? Tech demos?) haven't been disclosed. A Nintendo rep would only say, "We haven't announced specific details yet but hope to in the weeks ahead."

Nintendo's marketing strategy with its new products has been "playing is believing,"--that is, give it a shot and you'll like it. At this year's Game Developers Conference, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata told a tale about how the company, as an assignment, gave copies of Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day to employees and had them show the game to friends and family members in order to drum up interest. The idea worked, and Iwata attempted to replicate that by giving attendees of the Nintendo GDC press conference their own copies of the game, with instructions to let others try it out.

Hands-on time with the Wii at E3 was particularly successful, and personal demos of the console seem to fit into Nintendo's strategy. Expect the Wii to be shaking hands and kissing babies all across the country later this year--however, it's unlikely it will be the musically focused Fusion Tour.

Bogus or not bogus?: Though nothing is official, this appears to be two scoops of not bogus. ...

Flubba has released a NEW Wonderswan emulator for the PSP, heres the release info:


Download and Give Feedback Via Comments ...

Much like the recent Activision release schedule that featured three probable Wii launch titles, Ubisoft UK has confirmed a general release month for its high profile, day one shooter Red Steel. A press email sent out today clearly states: "Red Steel is set for release on the Nintendo Wii in November 2006."

So, following the logic: if a = b and b = c, then a = c, Wii will launch in November. There. We solved it! And whadaya know, that crabby ninth grade algebra teacher was actually right, math is applicable in the 'real world' -- even for video game blogging. Imagine that. ...

Give Nintendo props: Between the 'New Super Mario Bros.' big launch, reams of positive Wii press and killer sales on its iPod-inspired DS Lite, all's currently rosy in the Mushroom Kingdom. But as the DS Lite's ($129.99) June 11 launch -- two-thirds the original brick-sized handheld's dimensions, 20 percent less heavy and only half as likely to incite public ridicule -- illustrates, not every Nintendo launch has ranked so high in the public opinion.

Don't get us wrong. The same visionaries who delivered 'Metroid,' 'Star Fox' and Captain Lou Albano as a certain portly plumber know a hit when they see it. Still, for every innovation the legendary manufacturer has rocked our world with, there's an equally dirty skeleton in its closet that Nintendo's Reggie "Kick A$$ and Take Names" Fils-Aime and co. wish you’d forget.

In the spirit of love and remembrance, we recap the Big N’s rollercoaster of a resume. Here, you'll find Nintendo's finest (and not so fine) contributions to the interactive entertainment biz.

Full Article at AOL ...

The December 1991 issue of Nintendo Power was recently unearthed, revealing eerie similarities between lil' Jimmy Peterford's "ultimate game system" fantasy and Nintendo's forthcoming Wii. As it turns out, Peterford nailed the Super Mario Galaxy name and likely came within a few dollars of the actual Wii launch price with the $259.95 figure he offered up. But the connection between Peterford's seemingly innocent wish and Wii doesn't end there...

Digg commenter, EvolvedAnt, draws these additional parallels:

Peterford's prediction: "My fantasy game system would be a complex 512-bit system."
Wii: "...comes with 512 MB built-in flash memory."

Peterford: "It could display 27,876,992 colors at one time..."
Wii: "...can display 16.7 million colors."

Peterford: "...could play any game from any video game system that ever was..."
Wii: "Virtual Console."

Peterford: "There would be a miniature band inside that knew how to play any song!"
Wii: "Nintendo E3 2006 press conference started with a [virtual] band playing music that plays based off of the Wiimote." ['Wii Orchestra' tech demo]

Peterford: "You could even buy your own special chip that would allow you to make your own games for it!"
Wii: "Quote from http://wii.nintendo.com/hardware.html: 'It also will be home to new games conceived by indie developers whose creativity is larger than their budgets.'"

Peterford: "The system would come with six 27-button controllers..."
Wii: "If you count every button on the Wiimote, as well as Nunchuk, and include each axis of sensitivity for rotation, x, y, z as well as lateral movement sensitivity, as a separate method of input, you get a number very close to 27 if not on the dot."

Okay, so some of those parallels are a stretch, but heck, Nostradamus wasn't all that accurate either. Of course, the other explanation is that Nintendo stole the Wii concept from some kid out of Glen Cove, New York nearly 15 years ago. Alas, we'll never know... ...

Over at Business Week Online, there's a fairly good breakdown of the impending launch showdown between Nintendo's Wii and Sony's PlayStation 3. Based purely on stats and current trends, Business Week predicts the Wii may possibly outshine the PS3 at launch in ways that maybe weren't foreseen when both consoles were originally announced. As they say, "With sales and profits rising and its share price at a four-and-a-half-year high, few would disagree that these are heady days for Nintendo."

To back up this rainbow road set up for Nintendo, BW points to the success of the DS vs. the PSP and also the development community's response to both companies. Some of those key factors noted in the article include:

Key to the DS's popularity has been Nintendo's knack of persuading people who wouldn't normally look at games to splurge on a DS.
Analysts add that the DS is also more popular with game designers. That's because the DS, with its dual screens, touch-screen technology, and voice recognition, offers something different from the PSP, which in many respects is a portable version of the PS2 with games to match.
And as with the DS, the Wii seems to appeal to gamemakers. In a recent survey, Famitsu, a Japanese game-industry publisher, asked software creators which platforms they would most like to create games for in the future. More respondents plumped for the Wii than any other platform. DS ranked second.
This is not to say Sony won't outsell the Wii as years pass, but all indications are that the Wii will come out with a bang. Anyone actually think the PS3 launch will be more successful at this point? ...

Is the DS still tops, has the Xbox360 sold more than GBA Micro, well heres the charts for Japan:

- DS Lite: 262,453
- PSP: 35,938
- PS2: 22,288
- DS Phat: 6,344
- GBA SP: 2,953
- Xbox 360: 1,472
- Game Boy Micro: 1,410
- Gamecube: 1,076
- GBA: 20
- Xbox: 0

The DS Still do amazingly well, just how many people live in japan ? ...

These new images reveal what EA's lacklustre gangster game, The Godfather, will look like when it arrives on PSP later this year. Titled The Godfather Mob Wars, it's a mix of card-based, territory map-fiddling tactics and third-person action that seems well suited to Sony's gleaming handheld.

Take a look at these shots and you'll see two types of gameplay. All of the travelling, car-jacking and street-pounding has been sliced away and instead you'll be lining up your grunts on the territorial map, shuffling cash and triggering missions - like bank heists, intimidations and brawls - by selecting a single territory and leaping straight into the action.

The card-based gameplay comes into play on the map screen. Each of the 250 cards gives a different bonus, so a bribe card sees the police ignoring your misbehaviour, while a favour card can give you an advantage during battles. Success in each mission earns you new cards and extra money, which you can use to buy weapons and all those other trinkets that gangsters splash their cash on.

While it might sound like the illegitimate son of Metal Gear Acid and Liberty City Stories, at least it's not a tired, half-hearted PS2 port. If the tactical challenge is strong enough and the action short, snappy and satisfying, The Godfather Mob Wars could earn a place in anyone's family of games.

Screenshots and News at Gamesradar ...

With the tactical turn-based war wager, Field Commander, marching its way into shops today, we've joined forces with Ubisoft to successfully secure 10 copies of the game to give away to lucky GamesRadar readers.

Field Commander is perfect handheld fodder and brings a much needed slice of strategical square-hopping warfare to PSP. Oversee a diverse selection of land, sea and air units and command them in the theatre of war as you test your military mind muscle against shady, threat-to-the-world organisations.

In addition to battling against automaton armies, up to two players can trade some friendly (ish) fire by taking turns on one PSP or by hooking up using ad-hoc or online modes. Field Commander also provides a nifty mission creator that allows you to custom-make your own campaigns, maps and all.

To be in with a shout of taking siege of your own copy of Field Commander, simply answer the following question correctly:

Which of these historical figures was NOT a military commander?

a) Erwin Rommel
b) Genghis Khan
c) Mahatma Gandhi

To enter, click here to email us with your answer, name and full address. The closing date for entries is Friday 25 August 2006.

Via Gamesradar ...