Wii U confirmed for Europe this year

The Wii U will definitely be launching worldwide before the end of this year, including in Europe - that's according to Nintendo boss Satoru Iwata.

Although Nintendo has always said the Wii U would be out this year, up until now they've never said exactly where. Many had feared that it would only be released in Japan, or just North America and Japan, in 2012 - with Europe made to wait till the next year, as it has so many times before.

Now that that question is settled though the next great controversy is how much exactly the Wii U will have changed from its mixed reception at E3 last year to its second major appearance this June.

Nintendo aren't saying but Capcom's Yoshinori Ono, head of their Street Fighter franchise, had this to say via forum NeoGAF:

'What we saw last E3 is not a reflection of everything this console is able to offer. We have been trying the development kits and some of its new characteristics will improve its possibilities. It isn't something like Kinect or similar accessories, it's something different,' he said cryptically.

'I can't tell you more about it because, if I do, Nintendo will send assassins to finish me! (laughs) But let’s say that Wii U will be a console with so many and unique possibilities that it will be difficult to show them in the box they are going to sell it or to be published by magazines and other mediums.'

All of this news has appeared as a result of Nintendo's third quarter financial results, which are still suffering from the 3DS's poor launch.

The figures tell it all: in January to March 2011 the 3DS sold 3.61 million units worldwide, in April to June just 710,000, and in July to September a mere 2.36 million. By October to December though the effect of the 3DS's price cut and new releases had kicked in and it sold 8.36 million for a lifetime total of 15.03 million.

Although it's selling well now the poor start has forced Nintendo to lower its estimates for the full financial year (ending on March 31st) from 16 million to 14 million. Its profit forecasts have also been lowered and it now expects to make a loss of $837 million, although as ever with Nintendo a lot of this has to do with the strong yen and its many foreign investments.

Still, a difficult year for the company and although the 3DS is now doing well it's come at the cost of short term profits, thanks to the price cut in particular. This will make the importance of a strong Wii U launch all the more important, but from their comments they thankfully do seem to realise this…

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