Y'all want rumours? I'LL GIVE YOU RUMOURS!!!

[Glockstar]

I interupt my holiday to bring you... SHOCKING DEVELOPMENTS!!!

Kitties... you ain't gonna like this!

Nintendo postpones next-gen console?
Japanese reports say the game giant has bowed out of the next-gen console race.

This morning shock waves were sent through the game industry after an article in the Nihon Keizai Shimbun quoted Nintendo officials as saying that they had put plans to release a next-generation console on hold. The article quoted Nintendo president Satoru Iwata as deeming Nintendo's current GameCube as not having yet reached its full potential.

According to the Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Nintendo management had decided to forgo development on the GameCube's successor to focus on peripherals that will enhance gameplay, including further interactivity with the Game Boy Advance and (presumably) the upcoming Nintendo DS. The article says that Nintendo would release the first of these peripherals in 2005, when Microsoft is expected to release its next Xbox. The next Sony console is not expected until 2006.

The article said Nintendo would still continue development of "a new home-use game machine for release in the future," but the earliest that machine would be released would be 2007.

http://www.gamespot.com/all/news/news_6089101.html

Now waitaminute kitties... before you get your panties all in a bunch...
(and this goes for all of you)... you might want to click on that link and read the rest...
there's more.

Still... I gotta say, 'Now that's a rumour!'
(And you'll notice that I didn't get this one from IGN! :eek: )
Heh heh!

[Bob-the-Fish]

Here's the rest of the article which goes on to rebute much of what was said in the first half. Just thought I'd post it to save people some time yelling at Glock. I mean he did say there was more to the article. As for said article, I especially like this line "If Nintendo does put its next-gen plans on hold, analysts say such a strategy shift would not be the desperate move some console-war partisans have (already) made it out to be."

Enjoy!

However, according to Beth Llewellyn, Nintendo of America's director of corporate communications, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun article is erroneous and based on "a lot of speculation." She also said that the Iwata quote was from another article and was taken out of context.

Regarding the status of Nintendo's next console, Llewellyn told GameSpot, "We will launch at the same time as our competitors. Our status hasn't changed." However, Llewellyn did shed some light on its functionality. "While our competitors are focusing on being everything in the living room, we're focusing strictly on gameplay," she said, thus indicating that Nintendo's next console would not aspire to be a home entertainment center, like Sony's PSX. Llewellyn did say that Nintendo may be readying a new crop of peripherals for the GameCube. "We're always looking at accessories that enhance the GameCube."

If Nintendo does put its next-gen plans on hold, analysts say such a strategy shift would not be the desperate move some console-war partisans have (already) made it out to be. "Concentrating on the Game Boy Advance and new handheld systems to defend against serious competition from the Sony PSP is a sound strategy," said the Zelos Group's Billy Pidgeon.

However, Pidgeon also admitted that the gambit was not without risk. "It will be difficult to sustain third-party participation as the GameCube ages and newer home consoles are released," he said. Pidgeon also pegged the main beneficiary if Nintendo were to beat a temporary retreat. "Nintendo's decision to effectively abstain from the next generation of home consoles is better for Microsoft than Sony, as Nintendo's regrouping will help defend Nintendo handhelds against the PSP."

[no.1gamer]

The article says that the console will merely be put on hold. If it comes out a year or so after the PS3 and Xbox Next it will be more powerful. I have no problem with that at all. If (and that's a big if) Nintendo does stop making consoles I'll have to buy which ever console Nintendo games appear on. But this rumor still has little credibility to it. We'll have to wait for Xboxter to show up and tell us the truth strait from his friend's dad who works at M$. ;)

[Glockstar]

As for said article, I especially like this line "If Nintendo does put its next-gen plans on hold, analysts say such a strategy shift would not be the desperate move some console-war partisans have (already) made it out to be."

Enjoy!


Yeahhh... you like that "what if" stuff, don't you!?!

Most of the time, I do too. :D

So let's look at it further, shall we?
If Nintendo does put its next-gen plans on hold... such a strategy shift would not be the desperate move some console-war partisans have (already) made it out to be. "Concentrating on the Game Boy Advance and new handheld systems to defend against serious competition from the Sony PSP is a sound strategy." However... the gambit [may not be] without risk. "It will be difficult to sustain third-party participation as the GameCube ages and newer home consoles are released. Nintendo's decision to effectively abstain from the next generation of home consoles [will be] better for Microsoft than Sony, as Nintendo's regrouping will help defend Nintendo handhelds against the PSP."Quotes by analyst, Billy Pidgeon.

This is one man's viewpoint, to be sure, but ya gotta admit... what's quoted here makes a lot of sense. And as stated here, he is clearly of the opinion that if the Ninny did indeed abstain from the next console war, it would be because of their oncoming handheld war!

I think this, right here, is all more than just a little interesting.

Now I have no idea who, or what, this Japanese paper is (heck, it could be the Japs version of the Weekly World News for all I know) but I do think this rumour is more pertinent to the next round of system wars than, say... what the XBox Next is going to have inside it!

C'mon y'all, $ony and M$ aren't going to tip their hand this early in the game! There's going to be a lot of bobbing and weaving, and shucking and diving, going on before the final tech-specs are made and - and even more important - made public. What they are doing though is feeling "you" all out!

And for those of you anxious enough to care more about a system almost 2 years away over the one's currently available - and/or in your possesion! - then you better know that you are going to be played!

[Twelve]

Goodbye Nintendo...you showed us how to make consoles, got conceited, and never caught up when you got blown out in your own game. Prepare to be purchased by Sony.


12

[trebor]

First off, the word is rumor not "rumour", no "u" - and your lack of sophistication precludes you from being British, so don't even go there.

Secondly, this rumor has already been discredited, as you even admitted.

Now, if the rumor was true, would extending the life of the console be such a bad thing? I own a Gamecube. I do NOT own a N5 (or whatever the next console might be). As a consumer, why wouldn't I want to get as much out of my investment as possible?

The possibility of buying games for my current system for 2 - 3 more years actually would make me happier - because then I wouldn't necessarily need to plunk down $299.99 just to keep gaming past the year 2005. This rumor actually pleased me more than if Nintendo jumped the gun and released a successor in 2005.

If anything, I think the current rumor that M$ is going to release the next Xbox in late 2005 would be more worrisome to Xbox fans than this rumor should worry Gamecube fans. Think about it - anyone who purchases a Xbox, at this point in time, is almost guaranteed around a 1.5 year lifespan. Whereas anyone who buys a Gamecube at this point in time might actually get around 3 years of use. Which seems like a better value to you as a consumer?

Now speaking as a videogamer, do you really want to support companies that will propagate a never-ending cycle of hardware updates and replacements just to stay abreast of the unreachable goal of having the best system specs and horsepower?

Do you really want a situation where the hardware companies require you to purchase a newer and better piece of hardware every two years? Isn't that what PC's are for?

Does having the most current, fastest hardware guarantee a better gaming experience? Not necessarily.

[no.1gamer]

Goodbye Nintendo...you showed us how to make consoles, got conceited, and never caught up when you got blown out in your own game. Prepare to be purchased by Sony.
12

The Gamecube is currently outselling the PS2. The Gameboy Advance is currently outselling anything you can hope to compare it too (it will soon be outselling the PSP). Nintendo also has several billion dollars in the bank. Sorry Twelve, the chances of a buyout are slim to none. Nintendo could possibly decide that making another home console is not a good financial decision. But an outright purchase by another company will not happen. And I believe Atari showed us how to make consoles.

I would actually prefer that Nintendo wait until 2006 or later to make a console. It will be relatively more powerful than other consoles on the market. I don't understand why people think that being the first console to the market is an advantage.

[Deathstroke]

The Gamecube is currently outselling the PS2.

Nah, GC isn't outselling PS2. The X-box yeah but not the PS2. Nobody outsells the PS2. Unless you're the GBA and even then, it's a give and take thing.

[GalvatronType_R]

"First off, the word is rumor not "rumour", no "u" - and your lack of sophistication precludes you from being British, so don't even go there."

Trebor, Trebor, Trebor, apparently, your knowledge of grammar is matched by your knowledge of HD resolution.

In Britain and many other parts of the world (Canada, for instance), rumoUr is an accepted spelling of the American English version of rumor, just like favoUr and favor, and so on. BTW, it must be convenient to be able to guess a poster's nationality just by reading a few posts. You must be psychic, no?

Also, Trebor, regarding correct grammar, I don't think that you want to go there. I'm sure that if I took the time to do a search, I could find a few posts in which you were not grammatically correct. But I won't do that to you because I would not deign to stoop that low and would choose instead to take the high ground and recognize my own shortcomings in that regard.

Glass house and stones, Trebor, glass houses and stones.

[trebor]

"First off, the word is rumor not "rumour", no "u" - and your lack of sophistication precludes you from being British, so don't even go there."

Trebor, Trebor, Trebor, apparently, your knowledge of grammar is matched by your knowledge of HD resolution.

Well, I know that widescreen HD resolution is 1920 x 1080. Given that, my grammar must be pretty good.


In Britain and many other parts of the world (Canada, for instance), rumoUr is an accepted spelling of the American English version of rumor, just like favoUr and favor, and so on. BTW, it must be convenient to be able to guess a poster's nationality just by reading a few posts. You must be psychic, no?

Wow, it must hurt your brain to be so smart. Too bad that I know Shlockstar is from Michigan. Is using the British spelling common in Michigan? Probably not.

Also, I'm mildly psychic.


Also, Trebor, regarding correct grammar, I don't think that you want to go there. I'm sure that if I took the time to do a search, I could find a few posts in which you were not grammatically correct. But I won't do that to you because I would not deign to stoop that low and would choose instead to take the high ground and recognize my own shortcomings in that regard.

Please, go for it. But, of course, your big brain would know the difference between "spelling" and "grammar", correct?

Either way, I would be tickled if you wasted your time looking for needles in haystacks.


Glass house and stones, Trebor, glass houses and stones.

Cliches and simplistic generalizations, GalvatronType_R, cliches and simplistic generalizations.

Anyways, since your here and all, do you care to actually comment on the point of my post?

[GalvatronType_R]

Please, go for it. But, of course, your big brain would know the difference between "spelling" and "grammar", correct?

"Anyways, since your here and all, do you care to actually comment on the point of my post?"

[trebor]

"Anyways, since your here and all, do you care to actually comment on the point of my post?"

Yup. U gott mee. U stil ignord mi pointe. Mean-e. Two bad it wuz grammor - knot spellign!

Or in other words, that was a grammatical mistake - not a spelling mistake. Nice, though.

[no.1gamer]

:)I can feel the love in this thread.:)

[folken001]

:)I can feel the love in this thread.:)
This is just another pathetic attempt of xbots trying to make GCuers to look bad. What's the point in that, I'll never know. Perhaps they are trying to prove that Xbox isn't such a huge failure? Yea, riiiight. Ha!

[Gadfly2317]

I interupt my holiday to bring you... SHOCKING DEVELOPMENTS!!!

Kitties... you ain't gonna like this!

Nintendo postpones next-gen console?
Japanese reports say the game giant has bowed out of the next-gen console race.

This morning shock waves were sent through the game industry after an article in the Nihon Keizai Shimbun quoted Nintendo officials as saying that they had put plans to release a next-generation console on hold. The article quoted Nintendo president Satoru Iwata as deeming Nintendo's current GameCube as not having yet reached its full potential.

According to the Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Nintendo management had decided to forgo development on the GameCube's successor to focus on peripherals that will enhance gameplay, including further interactivity with the Game Boy Advance and (presumably) the upcoming Nintendo DS. The article says that Nintendo would release the first of these peripherals in 2005, when Microsoft is expected to release its next Xbox. The next Sony console is not expected until 2006.

The article said Nintendo would still continue development of "a new home-use game machine for release in the future," but the earliest that machine would be released would be 2007.

http://www.gamespot.com/all/news/news_6089101.html

Now waitaminute kitties... before you get your panties all in a bunch...
(and this goes for all of you)... you might want to click on that link and read the rest...
there's more.

Still... I gotta say, 'Now that's a rumour!'
(And you'll notice that I didn't get this one from IGN! :eek: )
Heh heh!

Too bad you didn't get this rumor up a few minutes before Nintendo shot it down completely. Some japanese news source makes some predictions based on year-old Iwata quotes and it is BIG news. Just goes to show Nintendo is more interesting news than MS could ever be.

Nintendo stubbornly insists it will be launching toe-to-toe with the two big-money players in this war. I think this is potentially stupid. All three launching in a few-month period will kill someone, probably nintendo.

Long before Nintendo suddenly became determined to launch a new system along with everyone else they did state that they felt that technology had reached a point where further tech specs wouldn't do much to enhance gameplay, that it was becoming all about graphics and gameplay was getting lost. Nintendo stated it intended to get a lot of years out of the gamecube, and not rush a system to market in 4 or 5 years. This was fine by me.

Now they claim to be all about launching a new system along with everyone else. Which is the better path?

I really do side with the idea of focusing on gameplay over the endless quest for slightly better graphics at way too much cost. The question is, if the GC were to live on a couple years past a rushed-out xbox 2 (that almost certainly wouldn't launch with Halo) would people keep buying GC games, and would Nintendo actually do any game innovating (like they did with Pikmin) or would it mostly be more Zelda and Mario? Would they finally support online for the cube IF they supported the system until 2007?

It's a great game of chess going on here. MS can screw up all it wants and have endless funds to blow if it wants. Nintendo has to get it right. And the market is Sony's to lose.

I'm in the camp that wants a good game, and thinks graphics are already impressive and up to par for any type of gaming so far invented.. If the industries energies are constantly focused on learning to program for new platforms to achieve slight graphical improvements it really may detract from creative energies focused on the underlying structures of gaming itself.

Interesting times ahead for Nintendo. Launch along with the two moneybags and risk burial, or launch later and risk irrelevance. They need to pull a rabbit out of the hat next generation if MS really plans to blow however much money is necessary to destroy the console industry in order to refashion it into an all-in-one digital entertainment industry.

Or, just mabye, are there enough people out there like me who just want to be able to buy an affordable machine that just plays games, and nothing but games? I really don't want a DVD-Tivo-web-browser-online-banking-videogame machine that subs as a data-mining tool for the US gov. to profile future potential military draftees based on their simulated combat skills in the latest Tom Clancy game.

[Glockstar]

I would actually prefer that Nintendo wait until 2006 or later to make a console. It will be relatively more powerful than other consoles on the market. I don't understand why people think that being the first console to the market is an advantage.

Well, 2006 isn't much of a wait... considering that that is when the other two gaming companies are probably going to release their next systems.

2007 isn't much of a wait either. Releasing a system just one year after the competition does doesn't sound like "skipping a generation" to me.

I don't understand why people think that being the first to the market is an advantage either. I think it's a big mistake! That said, you will remember that Nintendo is on record for stating that they 'will NOT be beaten to the punch, again!'; and what's more, their initial plan was to come out first! Which makes this news - especially if proven to be true - somewhat ironic, dont you think? :o

Intahdesting, I say... ved-dy intahdesting.

While I think that releasing a system too far ahead of the competitions' is a mistake, I think that releaasing a system too far behind is even worse. If not handled properly - and handling things properly has NEVER been one of Nintendos strengths - the system and it's manufacturer will probably find themselves overlooked and forgotten, at worst - or perceived as lagging-behind-the-times and weak... at best.

Also, If this news is true... I do not think their current system (the GameCube) will see any real life-extension, despite being on store shelves that much longer. Third party publishers who barely touch the system now certainly won't be supporting it then. Which will pretty much only leave Nintendo themselves making games for it. And not only do they NOT make games often enough, but they will, also, most likely be focusing their efforts on their GameBoy and DS systems. And the interconnectivity between the three; which (knowing them) is probably their idea of bringing something new to GameCubers. :rolleyes: (Which explains why you see a lot negativity in the news that regards Nintendo - a lot of people are either... really befuddled by the things they do and the directions that they chose to go - or they've just become... sick of their crap.)

[Twelve]

The Gamecube is currently outselling the PS2. The Gameboy Advance is currently outselling anything you can hope to compare it too (it will soon be outselling the PSP). Nintendo also has several billion dollars in the bank. Sorry Twelve, the chances of a buyout are slim to none. Nintendo could possibly decide that making another home console is not a good financial decision. But an outright purchase by another company will not happen. And I believe Atari showed us how to make consoles.


No need to say sorry to me...I LIKE Nintendo. I'm just speaking reality. This news, though mostly (and apparently) debunked, represents something that slipped out.

Please show me proof that Nintendo has "several billion dollars" in the bank. No, I'm curious about that, really....because I thought they had far less.

I wished for Nintendo to kick Microsoft's behind...but it won't happen. Nintendo doesn't want to make a new system...they want to sit back and talk about how graphics have reached their limit, and add peripherals. (That's so ridiculous). It'll only be a matter of time until Nintendo gets bought out by Sony, or enters Sega third-party land.


12

[Twelve]

Nintendo announced today that it will be releasing its next-generation console as originally planned, contradicting yesterday's Nihon Keizai Shimbun article that said Nintendo is postponing its plans to release a next-generation console. A report in the Mainichi Daily also revealed that Nintendo will be unveiling its next-generation console at E3 next year (in 2005).

Nintendo also confirmed that new peripherals for the GameCube console will be released in 2005, but these will not affect the next-generation console's release. While no details on the devices have been revealed, Nintendo says the peripherals will expand the capabilities of the GameCube. Furthermore, Nintendo will release new games that will take advantage of them.

Humph. I still think something's up.

12

[Gadfly2317]

No need to say sorry to me...I LIKE Nintendo. I'm just speaking reality. This news, though mostly (and apparently) debunked, represents something that slipped out.

Please show me proof that Nintendo has "several billion dollars" in the bank. No, I'm curious about that, really....because I thought they had far less.

I wished for Nintendo to kick Microsoft's behind...but it won't happen. Nintendo doesn't want to make a new system...they want to sit back and talk about how graphics have reached their limit, and add peripherals. (That's so ridiculous). It'll only be a matter of time until Nintendo gets bought out by Sony, or enters Sega third-party land.


12

more peripherals and connectivity seems ridiculous, but the thing about the graphics is valid. While obviously graphics have not reached their limits and can always reach new technical heights, I agree with the general assessment that graphical upgrades alone are not doing much to advance game design. There seems to be very little work going into making games that are really new and exciting in terms of unique and different gameplay. Everything seems like a rehash. But sadly, if Nintendo's Big Inspiration for new and innovative gameplay is attach a bunch of gadgets to the gamecube, it isn't going to work.

Taiko Drumming peripherals, and calligraphy perhipherals might fly in Japan, but it won't do nintendo any good in the rest of the world.

[Glockstar]

Why won't you guys provide links?!?

For everybody else who has not read it yet, here's the entire debunking article (that came just one day after "the rumour".):

Nintendo unveiling next-gen console at E3 2005

Japanese game giant refutes reports the GameCube's successor is on hold.

TOKYO--Nintendo announced today that it will be releasing its next-generation console as originally planned, contradicting yesterday's Nihon Keizai Shimbun article that said Nintendo is postponing its plans to release a next-generation console. A report in the Mainichi Daily also revealed that Nintendo will be unveiling its next-generation console at E3 next year (in 2005).

According to Bloomberg Japan, Reuters, and various other publications, Nintendo's public relations chief Yasuhiro Minagawa said that Nintendo is still planning to release a next-generation console to succeed the GameCube in the same period as its competitors.

Referring to the recent Report by the Nihon Keizai Shimbun that Nintendo will be postponing the release of a next-generation console, Minagawa commented that, "It was supposed to mean that Sony and Microsoft are expected to release their next-generation consoles from 2005 to 2006, and we also won't be releasing one until that period." This echoed a statement given to GameSpot yesterday by Nintendo of America's director of corporate communications, Beth Llewellyn, who said that the Nikkei’s report was erroneous and based on "a lot of speculation."

Bloomberg Japan reports that Nintendo saw its late start in the current console wars as one of the reasons why GameCube sales fell behind the PlayStation 2's. In order to compete, out of the gate, with the next Xbox and the PlayStation 3, Nintendo says it is already developing a next-generation graphics processor with NEC and ATI Technology. ATI Technology is Nintendo’s current manufacturer of graphic chips for the GameCube console, which utilizes a DRAM process technology from NEC. Nintendo is developing its next-generation console's CPU in conjunction with IBM, who is also helping to develop the next Xbox CPU, in addition to the Cell processor that will be used in the PS3.

Nintendo also confirmed that new peripherals for the GameCube console will be released in 2005, but these will not affect the next-generation console's release. While no details on the devices have been revealed, Nintendo says the peripherals will expand the capabilities of the GameCube. Furthermore, Nintendo will release new games that will take advantage of them.

By Hirohiko Niizumi, Tor Thorsen, GameSpot [POSTED: 02/10/04 11:08 AM]

http://www.gamespot.com/all/news/news_6089148.html

I bolded that one sentence... because it really bugs the crap out of me that Nintendo thinks that!

["The Game"Evolution]

Goodbye Nintendo...you showed us how to make consoles, got conceited, and never caught up when you got blown out in your own game. Prepare to be purchased by Sony.


12

This indeed could happen if Nintendo dont pull out all the stops next time around.But for now its all rumors.But we'll see down the stretch if this prediction comes true or not.Interesting hypothesis there Twelve.

[trebor]

Nintendo making peripherals for the Gamecube doesn't have to be a bad thing.

What if they made some kind of add-on in the vein of the Gameboy Player, except it could read any cartridge from the NES all the way to the N64? You can't tell me anyone with a Gamecube wouldn't be interested in that.

Or a Wavebird Wirless that does have rumble.

Or perhaps a HD Virtual Reality headset that has built in Dolby Pro Logic 2X Surround Sound.

Or any other peripheral that is cool.

Point being that gaming companies generally tend to trail off in terms of support once the Next Gen systems are being focused on. Basically, the year leading up to the releases of the new systems, the current systems are a wash.

[Nissian X]

I interupt my holiday to bring you... SHOCKING DEVELOPMENTS!!!

Kitties... you ain't gonna like this!

Nintendo postpones next-gen console?
Japanese reports say the game giant has bowed out of the next-gen console race.

This morning shock waves were sent through the game industry after an article in the Nihon Keizai Shimbun quoted Nintendo officials as saying that they had put plans to release a next-generation console on hold. The article quoted Nintendo president Satoru Iwata as deeming Nintendo's current GameCube as not having yet reached its full potential.

According to the Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Nintendo management had decided to forgo development on the GameCube's successor to focus on peripherals that will enhance gameplay, including further interactivity with the Game Boy Advance and (presumably) the upcoming Nintendo DS. The article says that Nintendo would release the first of these peripherals in 2005, when Microsoft is expected to release its next Xbox. The next Sony console is not expected until 2006.

The article said Nintendo would still continue development of "a new home-use game machine for release in the future," but the earliest that machine would be released would be 2007.

http://www.gamespot.com/all/news/news_6089101.html

Now waitaminute kitties... before you get your panties all in a bunch...
(and this goes for all of you)... you might want to click on that link and read the rest...
there's more.

Still... I gotta say, 'Now that's a rumour!'
(And you'll notice that I didn't get this one from IGN! :eek: )
Heh heh!

Damn, if that's true it puts all three next gen consoles in an awkward position. We all know that MS is going to want thier console to be the most powerful console in the next console war. And then it says PS3 is coming in 2006 as well as Xbox 2.

This is ubserd, if the companies want to have a good, solid competition with each other in terms of, well pretty much everything, they should all release thier consoles on the same date.
Just like Xbox and GC did, very fair competition their, MS looks like its going to win, but whatever. If Nintendo can't get their console out by 2006, then they should drop out of the console war.

[Bob-the-Fish]

Damn, if that's true it puts all three next gen consoles in an awkward position.

It's been pretty much established at this point that this rumor is totally inaccurate and Nintendo will launch its next gen system along with the othe two big boys. I did see on some site recently (1up.com I think, sorry no link) that Nintendo's goal is to focus on expanding the gaming abilties of there next gen system(s) and not the technical specs as the other two giants are. Thye want to implement new ways to enjoy gaming. Who knows where that will go.

[Glockstar]

Even though I'm pretty sure that everybody knows of Nintendo's response to this rumour by now, I still wanted to post one more "debunking" article. This one from GameMarketWatch.com:

2.10.2004 1:11:11 PM
Nintendo: GameCube Replacement on Schedule for ‘05 or ‘06

Nintendo is denying a report in a business newspaper stating work on its next-generation console is being put on hold.

The development of a GameCube successor is on schedule, says Nintendo, and the device will launch in 2005 or 2006 depending on moves by its competitors.

Japan’s Nihon Keizai business daily had reported its new console would be delayed.

"Other companies aren't expected to come out with next-generation consoles until late 2005 or 2006," said Nintendo spokesman Yasuhiro Minagawa. "Our machine will be ready at the same time as the other new consoles."

Joseph Moran
http://www.gamemarketwatch.com/news/item.asp?nid=2858

The reason I post this is because of the information regarding the rumour-starting newspaper. I was not at all sure about the source, and even wondered whether the paper wasn't a Japanese "National Enquirer", or something. But now, the cat's finally out of the bag, and we see that it is a business news paper. And thus, I'd suspect that, it's (usually) pretty credible.

I suppose there is another reason for posting and linking to this article. ;)
And that is to give you news seekers and would be "news-reporters" a link to one of the greatest and most reliable sources out there. Their news isn't always reported in the most timely fashion tho', so if you're relying on them for something to start up a discussion with, then you might find that your posted news is a little old. However, I think that's one of the things that make this site so credible and relaible - they make sure their facts are straight before they post anything. They're succinct about it too. And are especially EXCELLENT for authenticating other news reports - and rumours too. :p

Anyhow here's the link to their news frontpage... I strongly, yet politely, reccommend that you "bookmark" it...

http://www.gamemarketwatch.com/news/