"Official" Wii specs supposedly leaked

[A Black Falcon]

Here's a more accurate piece of Wii speculation than that first one I linked (which is false, if you didn't know)... a retracted IGN story. Part of it was reposted, but without the part about the CPU or upped production numbers... something that most seem to take as proof that it's real. Believe what you will, but it's certainly a lot more credible than a site which pretty much lists a slightly altered list of Gamecube tech specs and calls it "Wii specs"... :)

A number of big-name publishers are set to release their Wii games in mid-to-late October, which suggests that a system debut could not be that far off. And several insiders have told IGN that Tuesday, November 2 could, in fact, be the big day.

Thing is, not all of our contacts are in agreement on the date. Some have suggested that November 12 could, instead, by Wii's launch date. Regardless, though, it seems that Wii fans can look forward to their console sooner rather than later.

Sources suggest that Wii will launch with a $229 price tag and will be available in both black and white.

Insiders claim to have seen final hardware. The Broadway CPU is allegedly in the 750 CL line, a continuation of the 750 GX series. IBM may be working on a revised Broadway chip with a lower clock speed for a future Nintendo handheld -- presumably one that plays GameCube discs.

Nintendo has allegedly bumped production of Wii hardware to 5.5 million units by the end of the year, a significant upgrade to previous numbers. The jump is purportedly based on the positive reaction to Wii from press and industry analysts at E3 2006.

The console is unlikely to be region-free, although the lock is unrelated to hardware; a firmware update could theoretically allow gamers to play import software.

The lack of region-free support is completely expected, as all of Nintendo's consoles have regions, but also quite dissapointing...