Nintendo has stated numerous times that its next generation video game machine will be less expensive than the competition. Now it appears that it might be on store shelves considerably earlier than many were expecting as well. While Nintendo has not made any formal announcements about the launch date for the Wii, most of the industry has expected the machine to hit retail at approximately the same time as Sony’s PlayStation 3 (which is set for November 17). Now, industry observers–and insiders–say they expect the system to be available in October, with late September a dark horse candidate.