Nintendo Wii Fanboy

Nintendo's "early 2008" prediction for the launch of WiiWare might seem like a lifetime away, but we're still not convinced that the company has given itself enough time to turn the Shopping Channel into a vehicle for new downloadable game content. Nintendo isn't exactly known for its punctuality -- one need only look to the DS's delayed WiFi Connection implementation or the GameCube's nearly-nonexistent online service for examples of stalled promises.

What're your thoughts on the possibilities of WiiWare arriving on schedule? Does early 2008 really sound feasible? Or does it sound like a bunch of duck tales (a-woo-woo!)?

When do you expect WiiWare to launch?
	Early -- 2007 holiday season!
	Early 2008, as promised.
	Slight delay to summer 2008.
	Delayed to 2008 holiday season.
	A 2009 launch, with little fanfare.
	When monkeys fly out of my butt.

It's almost time, fanboys and girls, for the big announcement that is almost certain to bring us the launch details on the Wii. What does that mean for Wii Fanboy?

Rumor roundup time! Yee-haw!

After the jump, we not only bring you a rumor compendium, but we also offer the official (!) Wii Fanboy predictions on launch and release date.

Nintendo as a company is traditionally tight-lipped when it comes to critical information. Frequently, as they are now, Nintendo fans are left in months-long droughts of any meaningful news. It's painful. It hurts. So what do they do? They speculate. Each has starry-eyed visions of launch day in excrutiating detail: available games, pricing, date, location, what they're going to wear...well, we do, anyway.

Nintendo, however, will have none of it! Earlier, they (partially) debunked a CNN story that predicted an earlier than expected launch window, sticking to their ever-stubborn "Fourth Quarter" guns. And now? They shoot down our other possible launch date, stating that the Sports Illustrated for Kids article was purely theoretical. When then, can we expect it? Oh. Fourth quarter. Okay, we saw it coming, but still. Why not let us have our fun?

It appears that Iwata and the gang are dead-set on being the only information providers out there...and we're going to have to wait till September to hear it.

Speaking at a business briefing in Tokyo, Satoru Iwata has declared that our desperate and entirely unhealthy desire to learn the Wii's launch date and price will be satiated by September at the latest. Unless Nintendo's going for a cataclysmic surprise launch strategy (see: Sega Saturn), a release period of late October to early November seems to be a fair guess.

And that's all it is -- a fair guess. As you are no doubt aware, the internet is a veritable minefield of launch dates leaked from top secret sources and overheard exchanges. Watch your step out there.