According to CVG, manufacturing difficulties with the Wii U have forced Nintendo to delay the console’s launch in Europe, as they scramble to get the system onto retailer shelves in the US before the crucial Thanksgiving holiday.
Citing unnamed sources “familiar with the situation”, the report claims that Nintendo original wanted to launch the console worldwide this November, but was forced to reevaluate those plans when they ran into trouble manufacturing the complex Wii U GamePad.
If the report is to be believed, the manufacturing problems were at one point so bad that Nintendo started to warn publishers that the Wii U‘s European launch might be pushed back to 2013. Whatever the problem was, Nintendo seems to have now got a better handle on it, and has since assured third-parties that the new console will launch across Europe in “early December”.
The source also speculated that GamePad manufacturing problems are the reason why Nintendo has still not officially announced the Wii U‘s launch date, price, or software lineup.
Nintendo declined to comment on the report, so all of this should be considered a rumor until the Wii U‘s launch plans are officially revealed.