Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime will have his hands full at Nintendo’s big Wii U reveal in New York on September 13. So, it appears that Nintendo of Europe President Satoru Shibata will have to do the heavy lifting for Europe with a new Nintendo Direct video.
Nintendo announced today that Shibata will be hosting the next European Nintendo Direct address, which will be streaming live on the same day as the big Wii U announcement. Specifically, Shibata is scheduled to “take a closer look at the upcoming Wii U console” at 3 pm BST (10 am EDT) on the U.K. Nintendo Direct website.
It is unknown whether the U.S. Nintendo Direct channel will receive similar treatment. It’s a given that Fils-Aime will have little time to stream an hour-long presentation on the same day he is expected to announce the Wii U release date, price, and launch titles. It’s possible that a pre-recorded presentation might be uploaded.
Speaking of the price, a leaked VPD screenshot last week showed that the Wii U will be released in 3 different versions: a $249 model, a $299 model, and a $349 model.
The more intimate European Nintendo Direct reveal of the Wii might actually end up being a bit of an apology for something Fils-Aime is expected to announce on Thursday: the European version launch of the Wii U will be late. Rumors one month ago held that manufacturing problems had pushed back the European release all the way to December. The U.S. release date is unlikely to be affected however, as Nintendo is reportedly determined to launch the Wii U in the U.S. before Black Friday.