Despite reports that the Wii would be region-free, Nintendo UK told GamesIndustry.biz yesterday that the Wii would in fact be region-locked. They say that Perrin Kaplan, vice president of marketing for Nintendo, was incorrect when she stated that the Wii would lack region-locking features.
According to IGN, Nintendo will be giving away the Opera browser for Wii until June of 2007. The browser wouldn’t come with the system, but would instead be an optional download. Afterward, the browser would cost $20 worth of Wii Points to download. However, there is speculation that the browser will be free once Nintendo finalizes discussions with Opera.
Nintendo has revealed that the Wii will launch in the United States on November 19th, 2006 at $249.99. The Japanese launch date is set for December 2nd, 2006 at 25,000 Yen.
Nintendo will be releasing a special edition DS Lite featuring two sparkling Pokémon characters to coincide with the release of Pokémon Diamond and Pokémon Pearl for the DS Lite. The special edition DS Lite will be available in Japan on September 28th for 16800 yen, which is approximately $145 USD.
EBgames.com has launched its Wii section. Interestingly, they have listed many of the games at $59.99, despite Nintendo’s claims that first-party games would cost no more than $50. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, and Super Mario Galaxy are among the $59.99 games. There are numerous errors on the site, however, and the game pages contain the following note:
NOTE: Content based on the best available information. Price, release date, content and title are subject to change and/or cancellation by vendor.
It’s possible that these prices, along with any other information on the site, are inaccurate. Regardless, the emergence of Wii products at online retailers is a welcome sight.
See Wii at EBgames.com.