Today at its Wii press event, Nintendo detailed its launch plans for its next-generation console, setting it up for a November head-to-head battle with Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo announced that the Wii will have a worldwide launch on November 19th and will retail for an affordable MSRP of just $249.99. The system will hit Japan on December 2nd. The price includes one wireless Wii Remote controller, one Nunchuk controller and a collection of five different Wii Sports games on one disc.

The Wii console will also include a series of on-screen channels that will make up the Wii Channel Menu, which makes the console approachable and customizable for everyone, from hardcore gamers to people who have never played a console before. The Wii Channel Menu will be the starting point for all of the console’s functions. The channels will offer a gateway to a variety of entertainment options - and when connected to a TV, the Wii Channel Menu offers a simple interface that lets users pick games to play, get news or weather, view and send photos or even create playable caricatures of themselves to use in actual games. Additional functions will allow users to redeem Wii Points and download classic games to Wii’s Virtual Console.

Nintendo is also planning on offering 30 titles between launch day and December 31st including top Wii Sports, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess; and EXCITE TRUCK. While publishers are free to set their own prices for games, first-party Nintendo titles will have an MSRP of $49.99. Wii’s self-loading media bay also can play the entire library of more than 530 Nintendo GameCube titles from day one.

Some of the titles you can expect to see on the Wii (during and prior to the system's launch) include Red Steel and Rayman Raving Rabbids from Ubisoft, Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz and Sonic and The Secret Rings from Sega, Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam and Marvel: Ultimate Alliance from Activision, Madden NFL 07 from EA Sports, Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 from Atari, Elebits (working title) from Konami, Trauma Center - Second Opinion from Atlus, Disney's Chicken Little: Ace in Action from Disney & BVG and a ton of first-party titles from Nintendo including Wii Sports, WarioWare: Smooth Moves, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, Mario Strikers Charged (working title), Super Mario Galaxy, Excite Truck, Battalion Wars 2 and Big Brain Academy.

Wii is creating worldwide excitement with its unique control system, an inventive, first-of-its-kind controller whose position can be detected in a 3-D space. The new controller allows users to pinpoint targets in games or move through the Wii Channel Menu with precision and ease. This intuitive control system will be understood immediately by everyone, regardless of their previous experience with video games. With this one small controller, Wii makes games both easier and more intense than anything previously experienced. For example, in the Wii Sports tennis game, players swing the Wii Remote like a racket to hit the ball, as in real life. They can add topspin or slice the ball just by angling their hands and wrist like they would in a real match.

Additional information about the list of Virtual Console games and the pricing structure will be revealed in the coming weeks, along with Nintendo's and other publisher's Wii launch titles. In the interim, here's more detailed information on the Wii Channel Menu:

The Wii console will revolutionize how people play games. But more importantly, it will entice new players into the world of video games by offering a variety of entertainment, information and communication Channels that add value to the console and make it a device that the entire family can enjoy. The Wii Channel Menu will be the first screen shown on the television, as it easily integrates itself as part of people’s everyday lives.

Disc Channel: This channel allows users to play either Wii game discs or the entire library of Nintendo GameCube discs.

Mii Channel: Fun caricatured portraits created in this channel can be used as characters across a variety of Wii software. Portraits can be stored in a user’s Wii Remote and taken to a friend’s house to play on another Wii console. Each member of the family can have his or her Wii Remote personalized with a caricature.

Photo Channel: This channel allows users to take digital pictures stored on an SD memory card and display them on their television screens. Users also can manipulate the photos in a variety of fun and creative ways, such as zooming or creating mosaics, puzzles or slide shows. They can draw, add stamps, and copy and paste. They also can change the “mood” of photos by brightening them, converting them to monochrome, inverting the color or changing them to stark black and white. Users can even add an MP3 tune to their slide shows. It provides a fun and easy outlet for people to edit their digital pictures. Users also can send their pictures to other Wii consoles by attaching a photo to the Wii Message Board.

Forecast Channel: Users who have connected their Wii console to the Internet can access free local weather forecasts just a few seconds after turning on the Wii console. The WiiConnect24 service automatically updates local weather information. Users can view forecasts for cities around the world on a 3-D globe.

News Channel: Users can access breaking news with the touch of a button. When connected to the Internet, the WiiConnect24 service automatically updates this free channel and organizes it in a variety of topical categories. Users can see where news is happening by viewing the location of news stories on a 3-D globe.

Wii Shop Channel: This is where users go to buy Wii Points or redeem them to download classic video games to the Virtual Console. Users also can use points to download the Opera browser used in the Internet Channel.

Internet Channel: This channel dramatically changes the relationship between a user’s home, the television and the Internet. Users download the Opera browser with Wii Points. Then they can surf the Internet right from the comfort of their couch. They can do quick research while watching a television program (“What was that actor’s name again?”). Or book travel plans and shop during commercials. The service is compatible with Macromedia Flash.

Wii Message Board: Forget hand-scrawled notes tacked to the refrigerator door. Users can leave messages for other family members on a calendar-based message board. They also can use WiiConnect24 to send messages to people outside the home as well. Even better, people can trade photos and text messages with cell phone users. The service also allows for incoming messages targeted at software, such as a new map or weapon for a game. Games can constantly be updated, thereby extending their playability.