Nintendo, the Japanese electronics firm, on Thursday announced that it has selected Toys “R” Us and GameStop to host U.S. Wii release events, and the two companies plan to hold gatherings in New York City and Los Angeles on Nov. 19 to celebrate the next-generation gaming console’s debut, Reuters reports via MSN Money. Nintendo Wii Both retailers have already begun taking pre-orders for Wii (pronounced “Wee”) to enable their customers to secure a system, according to Reuters, and both have run through their supply set aside for early sales.Wii is set to launch on Nov. 19, just two days after Sony releases its much-anticipated PlayStation 3 game console, and the two electronics giants will then go head to head with Microsoft and its Xbox 360 system—which was released about a year ago—in a battle for supremacy in the next-gen console space. Both Nintendo and Sony will likely face similar supply issues that Microsoft and the Xbox 360 saw last year during the busy holiday season due to strong demand.One of Wii’s most interesting—and hyped up—features is the Wii Remote, a motion-sensitive controller that simulates sword swinging and golfing, among other options. Wii Remote Nintendo will offer Wii in the United States for about $250, and it will hit Japanese retailers a few weeks later. Sony’s PlayStation 3 will sell for $500 for the low-end version and $600 for the high-end model, and both will feature Blu-ray disc drives. The base Xbox 360 model offered by Microsoft goes for roughly $300, and the company recently announced that it would offer an HD-DVD add-on drive for about $170.Toys “R” Us will hold its midnight Wii launch event at its flagship locale in New York City’s Times Square, and GameStop will host its event at its Los Angeles Universal CityWalk store, according to Reuters. Both events will feature live entertainment and a countdown to the moment when Wii is officially available, Reuters reports. In related news, Nintendo on Tuesday said it will offer Wii users 62 games—32 of which will be new titles—before the end of the year.Related Links: Experts: Nintendo Could Beat Sony in Console War Console War: Sony PS3, Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Xbox 360 Nintendo to Offer 62 Wii Games by Year End Nintendo Wii Available in U.S. on Nov. 19 for $250 Nintendo Wii to Hit Japan in December Sony PlayStation 3 Details Revealed Microsoft Xbox 360 to Get HD DVDCheck out our CIO News Alerts and Tech Informer pages for more updated news coverage. Related content case study How IT leaders use EV tech to fuel the transport revolution in Kenya Many African nations are starting to invest in electric vehicle (EV) transportation as a means to broaden access and help keep pace with global environmental initiatives. In Kenya, strides are being made despite industry and tech leaders grappling to By Vincent Matinde May 31, 2023 5 mins CIO CTO Emerging Technology feature How CIOs distill the most sought-after data skills From back-end engineers to data scientists and line-of-business experts, here’s the in-demand talent that all organizations need to turn a glut of information into game-changing insight. By Mark Samuels May 31, 2023 8 mins IT Skills Data Center IT Leadership interview Broadcom’s Andy Nallappan on what cloud success really looks like The CTO, CSO, and head of software engineering and operations knows firsthand that a successful move to the cloud is all about changing the culture and replacing on-prem’s sunk cost mentality with incentivized FinOps. By Martha Heller May 31, 2023 8 mins Technology Industry IT Strategy Cloud Computing feature Key IT initiatives reshape the CIO agenda While cloud, cybersecurity, and analytics remain top of mind for IT leaders, a shift toward delivering business value is altering how CIOs approach key priorities, pushing transformative projects to the next phase. By Mary Pratt May 30, 2023 10 mins IT Strategy IT Leadership Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe