In an announcement that seemed like somewhat of a no-brainer, Nintendo President Satoru Iwata revealed that the company would not be revealing a price or a release date for their forthcoming Wii U system until some time in 2012. While many might have expected at least one or the other to be revealed before the year was up, Nintendo clearly has other plans in mind.

Since announcing a drastic price cut for their 3DS handheld, all eyes have been on Nintendo to see whether the company will bounce back from a rocky start. Thankfully, Nintendo also shares that sentiment, and would rather wait and see how this price drop pans out.

Furthermore, Nintendo wants to acknowledge that their fan base might be wary of any initial console price announcement as having the potential to change a couple months down the line. And, with both Sony and Microsoft’s consoles rumored to make debuts in 2012, the last thing Nintendo wants to do is reveal a Wii U price that, in a few months time, will need to be lowered to remain competitive.

Another element to the price and release date announcement delay has to do with the fact Nintendo doesn’t have any first party, or third party for that matter, software to offer their consumers. We expect that the usual suspects: Zelda, Mario, Metroid, are most likely in the works, but until some concrete, HD footage is shown it’s tough to generate a suitable amount of anticipation.

"Since the Wii U we showed you at the E3 show in June was still in the development phase without very specific proposals on the software titles, we are going to announce the release date and the price next year when we are able to explain the specific proposals."

So, for those who are keeping track, gamers can expect a Wii U price and release date announcement at some point in 2012. Vague? Yes, but Nintendo has their reasons and is very aware of their public persona at this point.

Some would point towards a big convention like E3 as the place to make said announcement, but oftentimes Nintendo likes to throw their own soirees. Nintendo fans and gamers will just have to wait and see.

When do you think Nintendo will reveal a price and release date for the Wii U? Do you think it is a smart move — holding off on giving more information about their new console?

Source: CVG