We have all been anxiously awaiting the news that tells us for once and for all when we will be able to get our grimy hands on a Wii U, but Nintendo has been so far Nintendo: every time someone asks, they point to the sky shouting, “What is that‽” and then run away when everyone turns. Now, thanks to a slip up from some dude, we probably know the actual release date, as if it could have been any other day anyway.
During the GameStop conference in San Antonio, a representative from accessory company PDP let slip that the Wii U will launch on November 18 of this year, citing that they will launch their Wii U whatsits before that date so people could buy all of the plastic tennis rackets and golf clubs they need ahead of their console. Kotaku, who have a few updates to the story, is reporting that the PDP people are saying that everyone in the audience must have heard something crazy, and that they just misunderstood what was said. They added, shielding their faces, “Please, Reggie, have clemency!”
As it stands, the date is still a rumor, but if we look back on the last two Nintendo console releases, should anyone be surprised that they will release right before Thanksgiving? That’s their bread and butter for console releases by this point. The Gamecube was released on November 18 in 2001 and the Wii November 19 in 2006. If it doesn’t release at that time, then that will be something surprising.
Nintendo is scheduled to have an event on September 13 to discuss the Wii U, and there this date will probably be confirmed as well as a price.