Nintendo are aiming for a simultaneous worldwide release in 2006 following the current fiscal quarter.

In an interview with Japanese publication Nikkei Business, Nintendo President Satoru Iwata reaffirmed that the company's new console (codenamed Revolution) will see a 2006 release. Iwata clarified though that the launch would definitely come after the current fiscal quarter, which for Nintendo runs until the end of March 2006. The Nintendo visionary had a couple provocative comments however, including confirmation of the recent rumour that the company is anticipating a simultaneous worldwide rollout:

"I can only say that it's coming out during 2006, but it will be after the current fiscal year. We hope to make it a simultaneous worldwide release as much as it's possible."

Other Revolution tidbits Iwata mentioned include affirmation that the Revolution controller interface would work for all displays, even digital projectors. On the controller itself, he revealed that former Nintendo godfather Hiroshi Yamauchi did not have a hand in its design and that the controller featured multiple techologies (of which he didn't specify.)

Finally, the interview also brought up the question of sales expectations for the new console, for which Iwata responded poignantly with:

"It [Revolution] would be a complete failure if we didn't sell more units than the Nintendo GameCube."

Gamecube has currently shipped 18.76 million units worldwide. Such a statement hearkens back to comments made by Hiroshi Yamauchi regarding the (at that time) sensational and unproven DS handheld. Prior to the handheld's launch Yamauchi commented that Nintendo would have been "devastated" (in a "spiritual/philosophical" sense as well as a financial one) had the DS failed to catch on. Hopefully the success of the DS (at first criticized, ridiculed and misunderstood in many circles) is a positive sign towards the public acceptance of the Revolution and Nintendo's vision of the evolving industry.

As always, more details as they develop.