The net is an interesting beast. Mr. Wile E. Coyote, no matter the sly maneuvers you pull, there is always a roadrunner who will surpass you. Today several media outlets including IGN and AdvancedMN posted a compilation of rumors relating to the launch of the Nintendo Wii console. The initial reports were posted and then removed with a statement declaring the contents were not intended for public consumption. A labeled rumor too scandalous for our ears? Do tell. Although the articles have since been re-published, they lack a few of the details included in the original pieces. So here's a brief recap of the full rumors for all you inquiring minds.
The original reports claim third-party developers expect Wii to release with a price tag of $229 in either mid-to-late October or the dates of November 2 or 12. Additionally, the IGN article claims that IBM's Broadway chip for Wii is in the 750 CL line and states IBM is trying to revise the chip with a lower clock speed for a future Nintendo handheld, presumably one that can play GameCube discs. (Our reaction? It better play Virtual Console games as well.)
Finally, the article postulates that Nintendo has increased Wii production in order to have 5.5 million units on the market by year's end. If year end means 2006, then this is a significant change from the original goal of 6 million units by March 2007.
The article ends on the note that Wii is unlikely to be region-free, however that a simple firmware update could "theoretically allow gamers to play import software."
So what does this publish, remove and publish maneuver mean? It could be one of many things. The initial reaction is that Nintendo or the original source asked for its removal. For instance, the truth was not meant to be unveiled until the Leipzig Games Convention on August 23. It could also be that some of the information is true and some is false -- so by including legitimate news with unverified info, the source is afraid people will come to assume that it's all automatically true. And finally, it could be that the entire piece is fabricated.
Round and round we go. Where we stop, somebody knows...