So the big question is, when will Wii launch? The only official answer from Nintendo is sometime before the Thanksgiving holiday in America. But sources — both on the hardware and development side — argue that the console will be hitting much sooner.

…several insiders have told IGN that November 2 could, in fact, be the big day…not all of our contacts are in agreement on the date. Some have suggested that November 12 could, instead, by Wii’s launch date. Regardless, though, it seems that Wii fans can look forward to their console sooner rather than later. Sources suggest that Wii will launch with a $229 price tag and will be available in both black and white.

Nintendo has allegedly bumped production of Wii hardware to more than five million units by the end of the year (originally was four million)…The console is unlikely to be region-free, although the lock is unrelated to hardware; a firmware update could theoretically allow gamers to play import software.