As I'm sure you've all heard already, Wii will launch on November 19 for $250 and come bundled with the five-game compilation Wii Sports. Unfortunately, the classic controller is not bundled with the system, but it does come with one remote, one nunchuck, and the sensor bar.

Speaking of controllers, the nunchuck and the remote will be sold separately from each other -- the remote for a hefty $39.99 and the nunchuck at $19.99 Thanks, Nintendo. The classic controller will also be available, for around 20 bucks.

Hold on to your seat for this next exciting piece of news -- Wii will not only come with the Opera web browser, but specific "channels" -- a way to share photos, check the news and weather, and a "Mii" channel that lets you create cutesy caricatures of yourself (which are stored on your Wiimote, so you can bring your avatar with you). Personally, I can't wait to browse the web on my TV set at 480i resolution, but that's just me. While Nintendo seems to be expanding Wii beyond simply a video game machine, it seems as if Wii doesn't support DVD playback, period. I'm sure all of you have at least thirty DVD players in your homes, so this shouldn't be a big deal.

So, $250. November release. I was really hoping for Nintendo to surprise us all and announce a $179 price tag and possibly even an October release, what with all the recent rumors. $250 seems a tad steep -- even at half the price of the base PS3, it's only $50 less than the Xbox 360 Core pack, which, of course, has quite a bit more in the power department. With Nintendo trying to attract such a broad audience, including those who've never played games before, though, $250 is too much. Especially considering the GameCube launched at $200 in 2001, and Wii is using upgraded GameCube hardware! I fully expect a price drop in the spring, after the inevitable early adopters plunk down whatever price Nintendo initially set (I know I will). Impressively, Nintendo plans to ship 4 million units by the end of the year worldwide.

Disappointingly, Metroid Prime 3 won't be available at launch, and is now vaguely a "2007" title. No Metroid or Mario, but I don't think anyone will forget about Zelda: Twilight Princess, which will be available for Wii day one. IGN has a nice preview of Metroid Prime 3, which continues to be my most anticipated title. Definitely check out the new gameplay videos, which show off some pretty stellar graphics and a more cinematic take on Metroid, not to mention the new "expert" control scheme. Also check out Wii.com for some demonstration videos.