The usually reliable folks over at Game Informer have launched a story that everyone has been assuming for a while now. According to the venerable US games magazine, Nintendo could be unveiling the successor to the Wii at E3 or sooner.
They cite multiple sources, without naming any and go on to speculate on the reasoning and specifications of an HD Nintendo console. Of course, Nintendo refuse to comment.
Game Informer is one of few outlets who could publish a story like this with no evidence or proof and still be credible. If it had been any one of many other outlets we might have advised the usual caution that goes along with rumours. There’s no solid information and all “reported” information is nothing that we haven’t all been predicting for two years or more. But from GI, it feels somewhat more believable.
The time is certainly right for Nintendo, with Wii sales in steady decline and the 3DS launch showing their new willingness to work with third party publishers. An HD home console would, as GI point out, be capable of taking many more of the multi-platform titles from third party publishers, increasing sales and chipping away at the perception that Nintendo is only for younger gamers.
Would it be churlish to point out that many of those third party titles don’t actually run at HD resolutions on the PS3 or Xbox 360?
stingraz
After the immense dissappoitment over the first wii, there’s no way I’m getting the second.
Besides, I’m holding back for all those awesome games out later this year, oh and the NGP!
KeRaSh
I’d be very interested in this. HD Nintendo franchises + backwards compatibility to catch up on the great games I missed after selling my Wii is a win win situation right there.
Erroneus
I’m a bit puzzled by some of the comments in here, surrounding the first Wii.
The first Wii has been a huge success and it has a huge number of brilliant games for it. What were people expecting?
Sure a lot of crapware launched for it when the hype was biggest, but it was pretty easy to avoid those crapware title and go with quality titles, like Super Mario Galaxy, Zelda, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Metroid Prime, Resident Evil 4, Okami, Cave Story, New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Red Steel 2, No More Heroes 2, Kirby’s Epic Yarn, Donkey Kong Country Returns, Sin and Punishment 2, Punch Out and lots more.
I often see people whine about the Wii, because they bought some racing / shooting game for the Wii and then realized it didn’t looked anywhere as good as the PS3 / Xbox 360 version. It is not a HD console! If high quality in shooting and racing games are important to you, don’t freaking buy a Wii….
I think the Wii has done a brilliant job and it has pushed creativity, not only on the Wii, but also on the other consoles. Sure it’s over the hill now, with pretty much only Zelda left to look forward to, but it’s been an impressive run for a fairly low priced console.
Am I looking forward to E3 and hopefully a Wii HD, sure, but that doesn’t make the “old” Wii a bad console.
nofi
Haters gonna hate, basically.
skibadee
if you do not like something your a hater rubbish.
Erroneus
It’s fine not to like a product, because it’s not for you. But some people buy a Wii or gets a Wii and don’t investigate prior, to what the Wii does and what it doesn’t. Rubbish.
jaberwocky_eidas
You would expect it to be either as powerful as PS3/360 and be cheap or more powerful and a comparable price. Backwards compatability with Wii is a no brainer too. If it has 1080p and 60fps as standard it would show up the current gen, and if it has a solid online component, which is likely given the improvements on the 3ds, then COD on WiiHd (or whatever its called) could shift some units. The control system will probably be a motion plus style arrangement, but also with the option of a joypad. I’m interested to see what they do… I mean Mario Galaxy in 1080p is a tempting option
Sympozium
Ugh… this is great timing I’m starting to get bored of this gen, I guess most of the Japanese publishers will be on board much like the 3DS.
Watchful
They can’t release it yet, it’s on my E3 Bingo list!
Boomshanks
Wait what? Personally I don’t really get why Nintendo is going for an HD treatment, resulting in them competing with both Sony and Microsoft, something they haven’t really done this generation. They’ve got their own little, or rather big, corner of the market. The simple games that don’t need to be visually impressive to be fun.