Nintendo is launching the Wii U in the first half of 2012, according to SEGA EVP Alan Pritchard.



Pritchard was asked whether or not Sonic Generations would see a release on the console. He said, "The timing just doesn't work. Generations releases this November, and the Wii U is coming out next spring/summer.



"I think one of the things we don't have to do, or reduce where possible, is we don't want to port games."



Nintendo has only officially announced a 2012 launch year. The company's fiscal year starts on April 1, so the console likely won't see a release until after then.

President of Nintendo America Reggie Fils-Aime has revealed that the Wii U and its controller on display at E3 this year were "quite near final" in terms of their designs.



Aesthetically, the Wii U unit is consistent with the familiar, white, minimalist design of its predecessor.



It's a little bigger. But according to Fils-Aime, "The size is driven by the componentry and what's inside... when you compare it to any of the competitive systems, it's still dramatically smaller."



Fils-Aime also took the opportunity to stress that the controller was not a portable device, and was very different to a tablet in terms of functionality.



"It is a connected experience to the base console," he said. "It talks with the base console. It interacts with other Wii accessories whether that is a Wii Remote Plus or a Wii Balance Board."

Sony's Next Generation Portable (NGP) could be called the PS Vita.



Over the weekend, according to an anonymous source the high-powered handheld will be re-christened the PS Vita.

Since then a promotional picture of the PS Vita, discovered on a private blog, has been circulating the web. Furthermore, the domain names psvita.com and vita.scedev.com have also been found, lending credence to the rumour.

Of course, this information in no way confirms the new name, which means 'Life' in Latin. But with the handheld expected to hit stores before the end of year, it is likely that the name will be officially revealed at E3 next week.