Wii U Remote

Wii U reportedly launching on November 18 in North America

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Wii U RemoteNintendo’s newest console, the Wii U, will launch in North America on Sunday, November 18, according to Wii U Daily.

The site claims to have obtained an internal email from Japanese retailer Media Land that reportedly outs the system’s November 18 release date, with the Japanese launch to follow a week a later. The email contained no info on a European launch.

GamesBeat reached out to Nintendo for comment. The company responded, “Nintendo does not comment on rumor or speculation.”

Nintendo has a history of releasing new hardware in late November. The Wii was released on November 19, 2006, also a Sunday. The GameCube launched on November 18, 2001. Releasing in this time frame obviously allows Nintendo to capitalize on the holiday shopping season.

The Wii U will be Nintendo’s first HD system, although a story from Games Industry International cites multiple developers who claim the new hardware is not as powerful as the PlayStation 3 or the Xbox 360, consoles that are almost six and seven years old respectively.