Nintendo released a press announcement today (which we reported earlier) dealing with upcoming games, and possibly the release of the Wii. I say possibly because Nintendo suggests that this news item is not about the Wii, but it may contain a secret, encrypted message detailing the launch of the Wii. The folks over at Gaming Target say they have cracked the code, stating the the Wii will be released on October 2nd.

You are probably wondering how they cracked it, so here's their reasoning - There was no direct mention of anything Wii related, but Nintendo did include this cryptic line in their announcement: "Perhaps the secret to the launch information for Wii is somehow encoded in the text of this news item." And I believe they are being serious.

The fourth quarter begins on October 1. Now look at the list. At least one game is released every Monday in the fourth quarter except for the following dates: October 2, November 20 and November 27.

November 27 is after Black Friday, so it's out. November 20 is after the launch of the PS3, so that's out too. That leaves us with October 2.

So, should we trust those over at Gaming Target with the release of the Wii, or should we wait until Nintendo says that it will be October 2nd in which the Wii will be released? This only comes a week after the TGS, so hopefully Nintendo will make a suprise visit at the famous games show again! Even more stunning and supporting of this speculation is that - I covered another speculated release date from Walmart stating that a Wii game was scheduled to be released on October 2nd of this year!

Read the full press release from Nintendo below -

Nintendo Game Offerings Heat Up As The Weather Cools Down

July 25, 2006 - The fourth quarter of 2006 will herald a new era for Nintendo with the launch of its remarkable new Wii™ home video game system. But that's not what this news item is about! How could that be, you ask? Perhaps the secret to the launch information for Wii is somehow encoded in the text of this news item. You might want to pore over it for a few hours before staying up all night to debate phraseology and comma placement with your friends online. Or maybe it's all just a scam to get you to read the other games we have launching this fall. One of the two.

As the weather cools down, the Nintendo portable game offerings heat up. FINAL FANTASY® V ADVANCE makes its way to Game Boy® Advance SP on Nov. 6. As series go, FINAL FANTASY is to video games what James Bond is to movies. FINAL FANTASY loyalists will enjoy an opportunity to debate which installment was best.

Nintendo DS™ owners are the big winners. Every week or so, another huge DS title hits, from the Touch Generations title Clubhouse Games™ to fan favorites like Elite Beat Agents™ and Yoshi's Island™ 2. Clearly a gamer's idea of paradise, here is Nintendo's upcoming DS lineup:

Oct. 9: Clubhouse Games™
Oct. 16: Nintendogs™ (Dalmatian)
Oct. 23: Magical Starsign™
Oct. 30: Pokémon® Ranger
Oct. 30: Children of Mana®
Nov. 6: Elite Beat Agents™
Nov. 13: Yoshi's Island™ 2
Dec. 4: Custom Robo™ Arena
Dec. 4: Kirby™ Squeak Squad

And, for Nintendo GameCube™ owners, The Legend of Zelda®: Twilight Princess will be available for you this fall. An enhanced version also will be a launch title for Wii. That will all happen on … Oh look, we're out of space.

For more information about all of Nintendo’s upcoming titles, please visit www.nintendo.com