Nintendo may have an early Wii

CNN claims that Nintendo has not made any formal announcements about the launch date for the Wii, but most expected a date around November 17 which is when the PS3 will hit the shops.

Now it seems that deep throats inside Nintendo are hinting that the machine will see the light of day in September.

PJ McNealy of American Technology Research claims that the outfit appears to be already manufacturing final retail units of the Wii.

If this is the case, then it could be bad news for the PS3. Although the Wii might come out with less functionality, it will be released a heck of a lot cheaper than the PS3.

If it makes the shops first, it could kill off any potential inroads the PS3 might make. Both of them have to compete with a now entrenched XBox 360.

Releasing the gear in October will also make sure that Nintendo will have enough machines in the shops in time for Yule as any weaknesses in its distribution will have had more time to be found and fixed.

More here. µ