Exclusive: Wii 2 specs leaked, Blu-ray enabled and 1080p support?

"Maxconsole.net:" received some exclusive news and specs on the Wii 2 via Logic-Sunrise.com) (though a Nintendo of France marketing employee). The leaked specs denote the Wii 2 will get a Blu-ray drive (mainly to stop piracy), but will also support 1080P for games as well as movies. The new system is due out during the third quarter of next year and there will be the option to trade in old Wii's!

[Pennywise]

I love the question mark in the title. Always quality journalism.

[raztad]

In this case is needed. This is a rumor after all.

[Darkeyes]

If Nintendo adopts Blu-Ray, then it would be a real boost for Blu-Ray and even M$ eventually would have to incorporate it in their next Xbox.. Either ways, if this thing lands late next year, then M$ needs to seriously consider rescheduling Natal release date cause if the prices are same, then the casual audience will migrate to Wii 2 more... That could be a serious blow to M$. Still a rumor.

[SixZeroFour]

lmao...exclusive speculation? not exclusive specifications

cause they say they have exclusive specs, but arent fully sure if its correct because of the question mark at the end, that means they are just speculation, not fact right?

[Microsoft Xbox 360]

It takes more than resolution to make a nice looking game.

[Carl1412]

Why am i doubting this?

Hmmm

[LukaX23]

How is this exclusive if it's not confirmed? It's an exclusive rumor? I can do that. Look.

EXCLUSIVE: New PS3 SKU gets bigger hard drive, 802.11n Wi-Fi and more RAM. The availability of more RAM allows the developers to implement Skype, in and out of a game, supporting 8 player voice chat and 4 player video chat.

^^There's some content for you^^

[gaffyh]

Fake rumor made for hits imo. There is NO WAY Nintendo would allow data regarding the info to be released an entire year early. It would stop their sales of Wii consoles. Even the PS3 Slim rumor only came out a few months before the announcement, not an entire year.

Also Nintendo leaks are very rare, usually it's Sony or MS.

[Smacktard]

>bluray
>release in 3rd quarter of '10

HAHAHAHA

no.

[mindedone]

Quality Journalistic title - Wii 2 Rumored to have Blu-ray enabled, 1080p support

[sikbeta]

wii owners don't care about + graphics + resolution + Blu-Ray + gameplay, you'll see my point the next gen, that's why this is not a real news and N will stay with the wii until it's popularity dies

[Shadow Flare]

The part that makes me think this is fake is the addition of bluray. I may be wrong about this, but I thought that ever since nintendo stabbed sony in the back with the cd development add-on for the snes, sony haven't allowed nintendo to ever use standard disc formats.

It was nintendo's back stab that made sony create the first playstation. And since sony have always played a big part in disc developments (cd, dvd, bluray) they have the authority to deny nintendo the right to use those disc formats. A very good question is, why didn't nintendo use dvd for the wii? Dvd movie playback is a big selling point. But I believe sony denied them. Thats why every disc format nintendo have used have been some bespoke no-makes. Thats why I don't think sony would let them use bluray. Especially considering how successful wii is

[ReviewsArePolitics]

But anyway, I would assign it a 20% subjective probability belief that Nintendo may want to Counter any momentum that Sony and Microsoft may gain with their 1:1 eyetoy motion control and Natal that could make the Wii seem as obsolete. By doing this they may keep both Sony and Microsoft at bay. However, it would also raise the price of the Wii, so who knows. Then again, disrupting their own market is not a bad idea.

[Aquarius]

"why didn't nintendo use dvd for the wii?"
Nintendo said to make the Wii cheaper and that most households had a DVD player so it was unnecessary.

Lol I never knew the grudge was still there. I thought it was Nintendo's decision to not use DVDs inside the gamecube and Wii...

Well I suppose SONY was right as when the N64 came out, the cartridge's memory wasn't big enough for games, so some games were made for the PS1 instead.

@below no because they will need to include PS3's CPU as well "THE CELL"

...and it's not like Nintendo to advance in their technology is it, when compared to their competitors?
They are still using cartridges in their handhelds.

[sack_boi]

So in other words, Nintedo is releasing a PS3 four years after Sony did?

[Golfcoachh]

Sony owns blu ray. They are part of a group of companies that own the technology. So even if sony were mad at nintendo, they could not stop them from using the blu ray format. Its maddening. Just google blu ray and you will see the web site that explains and lists the 20 plus companies that own this technology. People are so stupid.

[IdleLeeSiuLung]

isn't it the PS3 with the motion technology?

lol!

Either way, I hope the next Wii is backwards compatible. Who knows, it might be more powerful than the PS3, considering 4 years have gone by.

[LynyrdSkynyrd]

... I have no idea what to think of this. If its true then thats GREAT.

But how is this site getting this info first?

[HolyOrangeCows]

....that they need to further consider cost efficiency.
(Around the time that the Slim released and Xbox saw a nice cut)

[Aquarius]

I don't want to see a Wii 2. I want to see a proper successor to the N64 with proper games.

None of this lifestyle rubbish.

[Ju]

Why is everybody up in arms here ? Could very well be possible. And also reasonable. Technology is there. But for a price tag close to PS3/360, I think it'll top out just above those two, but just a bit (maybe 1080p sustainable like 720p for the others - but not significant more polys then those, either). Just to make it worthwhile to compete. At least I hope so. If its way beyond then its good bye for the other two, tbh. Big N has no hard core developers, though, and would rely on all 3rd parties to come up with core titles to compete against those. Mario in HD alone won't cut it...interesting. Lets see how that turns out next year.

[Mr Logic]

It doesn't make sense IMO for the Wii 2 to have expensive hardware. A lot of customers bought it because it was cheap.

[Cueil]

I'm calling BS on this... both for the expensive BR (compaired to DVD) and for the trade in.

[vhero]

Did I miss something or has it been April 1st already? To do this they would have to raise the cost of the wii thus getting rid of the whole point why people bought them in the first place. I smell complete BS.

[SaiyanFury]

@ShadowFlare

It wasn't Sony that denied Nintendo the use of various optical disc-based media in their systems. It was Nintendo that was spited by Sony and they refused to use any medium pioneered by Sony in order to go in their own direction. As was the case first with the N64. While most systems used low cost CDs, Nintendo wanted nothing to do with Sony or it's mediums and they went with cartridges. As was the case with the GameCube. The same thing; Nintendo decided to go with a non-Sony device that was extremely popular with everyone and they went with mini-DVDs. Sony doesn't deny anyone the chance to use a BD drive in their consoles. It's ultimately up to the system designers. With the Wii, Nintendo finally accepted that they needed to move onto a better format with DVD. Microsoft (Sony's direct rival let me remind you) had no troubles using DVD in the original XBox and now the 360. I don't think Sony would refuse any company from using the next logical HD gaming media. With BD being the new mainstream HD format, no system manufacturer should have any troubles using BD to their advantage. It's only Nintendo's hardheadedness that would prevent them from employing it. They have a long history of doing their own thing. History shows this, it's not opinion.

It was Nintendo that shafted Sony in the original SNES Play Station deal. Sony went ahead and made the original PlayStation which became so successful and so many third party developers came on board. While it's true that Sony's lawyers wrote the original contract in which Sony would control IPs released on the SNES Play Station, Nintendo could have made a logical decision to sit down with Sony and hammer out a new agreement. Nope, Nintendo chose to forego that option and they decided to make a deal with Philips, unbeknown to Sony at the time. History is history. If Nintendo uses BD in the new Wii, then more power to them.

[starvinbull]

Blu-Ray in a casual games console would really hurt M$'s second phase strategy of targeting casual gamers.

Only thing is that it needs to be cheap. Slightly less than the PS3 would ensure mass adoption and would chip away at any prospects of M$ getting the casual gamer crowd unless they have a new console release due.

Is it bad news for PS3? Proabably not. It could act as a gateway console for getting people into HD and Blu-Ray films meaning that they would scale up not down in their future console choices.

If this happens I genuinely think it would reinforce the idea of the 360 as not being future proof.

[ChickeyCantor]

" but I thought that ever since nintendo stabbed sony in the back with the cd development add-on for the snes"

They screwed each other, it was coming from both sides.
They both F'up.
Sony wanted to own all IP's that belonged to Nintendo, Nintendo freaked out and went to phillips...for that horrible CDI.

Bizz is still bizz,
Nintendo is not competing in the discreader bizz.
Sony could very well sell their Bluray hardware to Nintendo.
Nintendo wouldn't allow Blu-ray movie playback anyway xD.

[starvinbull]

"Nintendo wouldn't allow movie playback anyway."

Yes they would!

They are a business and they are significantly in the lead with a cosole they make a profit on and struggle to restock shops with.

The Wii 2 can very easily with no great dent on Nintendo's coffers take a sizable fraction the 360's potential customers.

In the UK half the people buying the 360 are people who see it in supermarkets heavily discounted with family games like kung fu panda and viva pinata.

M$ can't put a Blu-Ray ray drive in their machine for films simply because they would have to sell at a higher price than the PS3 and Wii currently do.
They would be negating their own efforts to bring 1080p streamed movies to their console plus they have talked so much trash and backed themselves into a corner that to do so would require a U-turn beyond the capabilities of Petter Solberg.

Nintendo could pincer M$ with Sony on this one and Sony would happily recieve fat royalties for letting them do so. If I were head of Sony I'd wave the royalites and encourage Nintendo to do it.

It's theoretically possible, they have enough consumer support to allow it to happen and it makes perfect sense if they are going to make a HD console that is an upgrade of their current one. The fact that the Wii was such a wimpy mchine to start with makes me more confident than I would otherwise have have been about the possibility.

Main reason for Nintendo sticking with cartridges = Piracy

Main advantage of using Blu-Ray = lower piracy rates than any other format.

Unintentional benefits of using Blu-Ray =

More content on disc

Stealing a huge number of your main competitors customers

Complimenting your machines upgrade to HD with the best optical disc format for HD films and games.

Allowing a sizable proportion of potential next gen gamers to invest in your consoles for HD films.

[zeeshan]

I don't think technology is too far ahead of what we already have in the form of PS3. Even if it was all true, I doubt if Wii will be able to deliver as powerful product as a PS3.

[ChickeyCantor]

""Nintendo wouldn't allow movie playback anyway."

Yes they would! "

I was joking towards the DVD-playback of the Wii...Nintendo never implemented the software as a standard( while it is possible trough third party software and Homebrew.)

People shouldn't forget the holographic data solution Nintendo is researching with the company who makes that stuff.

[Xgamerzus]

Balloney!!! article no way!!!

[rockleex]

If it came from Super_Secret.

Unfortunately he only works for Sony.

[frostypants]

@1.15: Yes, Sony is part of a conglomerate of tech companies behind the Blu-ray initiative, true. This doesn't change the fact that Sony (and the others) would profit from licensing fees on every Wii sold if Nintendo implemented Blu-ray. Same goes if Microsoft did the same thing.

[MaximusPrime]

interesting. if it does happen, MS is making themselves looking stupid without make xbox 360 have Bluray add-on.

[v1c1ous]

and realize where you are wrong

[mrv321]

I agree with 2.1, DVD offers a tons of space... no game is on more than one disc anyway, like LO, or Forza 3.

Nor are Microsoft offering 1080p movie service...

/Sarcasm incase your THAT stupid.

Blu-ray had proved itself time and time again, firstly with it's almost endless space on current developer models, and then in the film department where it beat HD-DVD which did offer some competition early on.

1080p is becoming standard as is large open world games, I think the DVD is one of the 360's main limitations... and also a pro.

All gaming is give and take, a more powerful machine usually is diffucult to produce for... while a low power one is limited by it's grpahics

[v1c1ous]

what does 360 having a blu-ray addon have to do with the wii2?

[morkendo]

A big if
if wii 2 will have blue ray and previously article saying 360 will have blue-ray as well its good to be sony and toshiba right about now.

[Shoko]

I really hope this is true, but it just seems s fishy. If its true, than thats pretty awesome.

[Cheeseknight28]

Here is my biggest issue with this article:

"Moreover, Nintendo wants to make a worldwide announcement, only one month before release date. Huge publicity and Viral Marketing will be utilized to create the Buzz. Official pictures are not yet available, and more specs will be released in due course."

Think about it. Let's say this is a bull**** article for hits. People can't call them out at E3, because they have this statement. And if they do announce said console at E3, they can simply say "Oh it must have just been fake information. But see, we were right!"

Anyway...

It would be pretty awesome if this is real. I might faint if they announce a 4th Super Smash Bros (Or Star Fox) for launch, in full 1080p glory.

[DeadlyFire]

Indeed. One month. ha. That is funny. I would hope they would do better time for that. E3 still is most likely place for information though. If its not at E3 then its not happening in 2010. :P

[ftwrthtx]

I'm not holding my breath, but at the same time Blu-ray drives and media are coming down in price very fast.

[Goomba12]

Exclusive: Rumor has it, this is false.

[ChickeyCantor]

Well PS3 is basically down to 300.
Even though i dont believe this, its still plausible to create a console that rivals the PS3 for a price tag of 250 in the end of 2010.

Doesn't seem far off though, but no...just no.

[Ju]

I don't think so. $250 I can't believe. Same price with possibly higher specs, yes. I think it doesn't make sense to go so low with an entry price and still have specs higher then the competition. Having lower specs then those with a product essentially 4 years later is also unthinkable. My best guess is better specs with same (or slightly higher) price. $300 is a good price point now.

[ChickeyCantor]

Well i dont see the Wii being as strong as the other 2.
Nintendo could actually create a PS3 replica for 250 by that time.

They did it this gen to go with lower specs, so why wouldn't they do it again( or actually create a PS3 replica)

[Ju]

Well, if that would be possible, I guess Sony would have done that already.

They'd need a new (multi-core) cpu, a last gen GPU (45/65nm), a bunch of memory (512MB+) and that all with less power consumption and form factor of the current Wii.

While technology has advanced, I doubt, Nintendo can address all those things in a launch platform. A last gen GPU can make a huge impact, but there is currently no CPU (off the shelf) available, which can give you enough power (per MHz/Watt) to compete against CELL/Xenon. Well, some Arm/GPU combos could possibly come close.

[ChickeyCantor]

They also have contracts with IBM, IBM has the tech, Nintendo can sure get something similar.
( it doesnt even have to be a Cell with 7 spu's, it be less too)

[Shoko]

And is that really what yu call specs? I expected t see numbers and MGHz and stuff like that.

[zootang]

I hope it's true. HD Mario and zelda!

[NotSoSilentBob]

This is going to cost just as much as the PS3 so it will not sell like the original Wii.

[Shoko]

Not really. The main reasno why the PS3 cost s much is the cell technology, not as much the blu-ray

[ChickeyCantor]

Actually PS3 is down to 300.
Nintendo could do cell tech too(or something in that sense) and still keep the 250 price range as they always had.
Its been a while already.

[DreamcastFanboy]

Yeah, and the Nazis had a moon base.

[raztad]

Now you got me worried, perhaps Bin Laden is hidden there alongside with Sadam's WMDs.

[N4Gmodsaredouches]

If I 'agree' with you am I agreeing your your moon base statement or your sarcasm?

[ipwnall]

Blu-ray drive will make it so that no previous Wii games could be played. They'll all have to to be remade, or new ones have to come out. I highly doubt this will sell well, because the "Wii HD" will already be out as PS3's and at that time, there will be many more games to play.

[WenisWagon]

Wrong.. that's like saying bluray players can't play DVDs. They can. (I know its confusing because the PS3 can't play ps2 games, but hey thats just a crappy job by the techs at Sony)

[Lou Ferrigno]

i dunno man,the Ps3 can play PS1 games and depending on the ps3,Even Ps2 Games... so im sure Nintendo will do something to beable to be backwards compatible ..

BTW i call BS on the article :)

EDIT : this is in response to IPWNALL's comment,not the douche above me P3nis Wagon,hey is that 5 bubbles is see ? . *TAKE THAT!

EDIT #2: hey p3nis wagon,tell me something crackhead,can the 360 play EVERY SINGE original Xbox game out??
think about it and maybe next time Shutting the Fvck up will help you with your Douche disorders :)

[WenisWagon]

Two can play that game

EDIT: 360 doesn't need to play OG xbox games. It has such a fantastic lineup that 360 owners don't need to live in the past. I unfortunately for PS3 owners, they have a horrible selection in the library for that system so they are forced to go back and play older games that are found on the PS2. But unfortunately they can't even do THAT...

[Lou Ferrigno]

lol Dude your such an idiot.. didnt even answer my question..
2nd: Living in the past huh?.. HALO 3? xbox and its cheerleaders that follow it THRIVES off of Halo series.
When all if gone for M$,Halo is da answer lol.. right?. EXACTLY!.

Microsoft has to rely on Halo to secure it SOMEWERE in the console race (3rd atm) .. how is Uncharted 1 and 2,Heavy Rain,Last Guardian,inFAMOUS,Resistance 1 and 2,LBP,Modnation Racers,DEAMONS SOULS,White KNight Chronicles Ninja gaiden Sigma 1 and 2,Heavenly Sword,Folklore,Valkyria Chronicles,Motorstorm 1 and 2NARUTO ultimate Ninja storm LIVING IN DA PAST and a crappy lineup? and this that i mentioned is just the start ,most from 2007 and 08 still a TON of games on ps3 and 10 times better AAA exclusive selection.

you sir just got strait OWNED!

you say 360 owners dont need to play original Xbox games? yet one of the biggest complaints about the 360 for a long ass time (and now) was the EXTREAMLY lack of Backwards compatible xbox games. HAHA OWNED TWICE!

[WenisWagon]

Maybe in your little PStard fantasy world, what you just said makes sense.

[cyborg6971]

I got your back lou here's a bubble and as far as pen!s in the crap wagon, in Spain he's known as el doucheo.

[PlayStation X]

@penis
your making yourself look like a twat

ps3 has poor games?
uncharted 2 is rated higher than every 360 exclusive. =/

360 has a fantastic line-up?
dont know what your smoking =/ unless your talking about multiplatform games cause your exclusive line-up is pathetic. how many 5 decent games and natal?? pretty sure ps3 has had double that this year alone with about 15 more for 2010 lmao

ps3 can play all ps1 games and most ps2 games with 20gb n 60gb

just give up on life you and your console are failures.

[jeseth]

Grow up man.

[4point7BillionLoss]

will lose 4.7 billion too

[Monteblanco]

My only problem with this rumor is that it is too good to be true.

[Fishy Fingers]

I expect HD, but I doubt 1080, perhaps 1080 support, but not for the majority of the games. BR also seems like a bit of a stretch.

That just sounds like to much for something Nintendo already stated would be "more compact".

[asdr3wsfas]

They were talking about the accessories like the wiimote and wm+ in that statement and incorporating them in one device.

[Fishy Fingers]

Ah I didn't realise that. Be that as it may, I still find the rumour far fetched.

[asdr3wsfas]

Agreed, it makes little sense to release it that soon and Nintendo is tight lipped. See excitebike. And like they'd piss on SMG2 and Other M with a new console release.

[EvilTwin]

Yeah, I somehow doubt Nintendo would like to minimize SMG2 and Other M. You don't step on your big gun IPs.

Plus, there's Motion+Zelda and Retro's secret project yet to be released. Combine that with Sin and Punishment 2 and Pikmin 3, and there's no way they could fit all of those games into next year PLUS launch a new console.

I'd say we probably won't even see Zelda until 2011. Maybe by that time Nintendo will try to do what they did with Twilight Princess -- launch a new console with a core game that's been in development forever.

[N4Gmodsaredouches]

marketing employee is going to know NOTHING about a new console until it is ALOT closer to release.

You can come back here in a year to quote me too.

[jay2]

An external BR 360 drives on the way, I see this might, just might happen.

[protekjv]

Not just for sony but for nintendo and its gamers. Put aside the fanboy BS aside, but microsoft could benefit from it including its customers/gamers. So I agree, that if microsoft is planing on a next xbox they should adapt to blu ray, in the end we all win.

[tweet75]

probably will have most all functions of ps3 thats what it sounds like. My main concern though is will virtual console titles transfer over to new wii? or will you have to buy them all over again. I sure hope not.

[heylo]

Blu-ray drive?
no piracy?
support 1080p for games as well as movies?

-> PS3?

[WenisWagon]

The difference between the two is that Nintendo has great games. playstation does not. Oh, and about 95% of the library for ps3 is made up of sub-hd games.

[ZombieAutopsy]

lol wenis ur always shouting bs "Nintendo has great games". I believe sub-hd is below 720p because after all 720p is considered HD.

[EpicGamerSwordsman]

Well. Just to Point out the 360 is Basically Sub-HD, Launch Models didnt release with an HDMI Output/Port.

[WenisWagon]

ps3 doesn't even come with an hdmi cable. it doesn't even come with component cables.. it comes with composite.. LOL. I think that's about a step above the NES.

[RetroPietro]

at the end of the day, you are the one missing out on some absolutely amazing gaming experiences. you should really give up slating the Playstation and give it at chance as it easily has the best line up of games. i gave the xbox a chance, enjoyed halo and, well thats all but i moved on to the superior system and never looked back.

[ZombieAutopsy]

my xbox 360 only came with composite cables, and now i believe even the Elites only come with them too.

[ambientFLIER]

Elites come with component. I don't think any 360 ever came with composite...red, white, and yellow cables.

The agrees on your post are just sad.

[EpicGamerSwordsman]

Yeah, Elites had Component Cables, But thats when the Elites where Priced at 399$, Most of the Avaliable xbox 360 SKU's Come with Composites, but have HDMI Ports i Believe.

[ZombieAutopsy]

the first xbox 360 i bought did come with component, the second one i bought only game with composite (it was an arcade sku since i already had an hdd), and now i believe since the price drop the Elites only come with composite....heres what it says at Gamestop "Xbox 360 Elite also includes a black wireless controller, black Xbox LIVE headset, STANDARD DEFINITION COMPOSITE CABLE, and an ethernet cable"

[jeseth]

...Show's how much you know. Wii has the lowest average game score of all "next gen" (if you call the Wii next gen)games and the most games rated below 7/10.

The Wii is shovelware for tweens and soccer moms.

P.S. I understand you are as immature and pathetic a fanboy as they come so I won't try to explain the drastic shift in quality exclusve games from 360 to PS3 over the last two years. I kind of feel bad for you, almost to the point of pity. Sad really.

[eagle21]

Every company should use it for storage purposes. Nintendo would appeal more to PlayStation fans by making such a move. The keyword is "appeal". Microsoft doesn't know the meaning of "appeal", they try to "steal"...lol

[Counter_ACT]

I don't usually believe rumours from Max Console, and this article is no exception. D:

[HOSe]

this seems very realistic to me, adding to the rumor : i bet the next zelda will make its debut on the system...

still not going to compete with the ps3, so who cares?

[EpicGamerSwordsman]

WOW! Nintendo Hasn't even confirmed their next Console nor' Specs! Obviously this sites trying at its best to Get Hits, Especially with the Title & Just to point out, The wii Just released 3 Years ago.

[WildArmed]

lol here i thought it was an HHG article.
I feel liek I've been ricky rolled

[ZOMBIEMAN1]

does no one else here think blu ray won't be on any other system except for PS3 common Sony knows blu ray gives them the edge over 360 & Wii

EDIT @ below.
True but Sony has a sigh in it they own a share and to fishyfingers well don't you think Sony would preferably want the bigger market for blu ray coming from there PS3 they'd be killing 2 birds with 1 stone 1 the blu ray market gets bigger plus there system has a big edge over there competition

[JustinSaneV2]

It's not really up to Sony on who get's to use Blu-Ray as they are not the sole proprietors of the technology.

[Fishy Fingers]

I'm sure Sony would be more interested in BR gaining a bigger market share than having that as an edge over the competition. The 360 is already getting an add-on drive (which probably wont be used for games) and I'm sure they'd be happy with Ninentdo using the tech.

Sony dont outright own BR. They don't say who can and cant use it as such.

[Marty8370]

There is little to no difference in cost when pressing a game disc on blur-ray vs DVD. So it would make alot of sense.

[JustinSaneV2]

Haha, Nintendo proved they don't need an over-powered "current-gen" machine to make lots of money. They've also never kept up with the technology curve in any of their consoles so the chances of this speculation being true are pretty much non-existent.

[ozstar]

That statement is flat out wrong. Nintendo have ALWAYS pushed tech boundries.

Do your research before you pretend you know what your talking about.

[asdr3wsfas]

"They've also never kept up with the technology curve in any of their consoles so the chances of this speculation being true are pretty much non-existent."

The Gamecube launch title Star Wars: Rogue Squadron set the 6th gen polygon record at 20mil in the Hoth scene at 60fps. N64 had the most powerful hardware of that generation. And you obviously never played NES or SNES.

[EvilTwin]

To be fair, Nintendo DID wait a long time to do something like make the Gameboy go color.

But on home consoles, they've been right there in the thick of things. They just usually haven't rushed their tech. The SNES launched two years after the Genesis. The N64 launched about two years after the Playstation.

It makes sense that Nintendo has waited for HDTVs to penetrate the market. When the Wii launched, you could still buy SD/tube TVs at Wal Mart. You can't anymore. The price of the technology has caught up to consumers' budgets. So I fully expect a new console from them before too long. But not next year.

[JustinSaneV2]

I was referring more to their storage mediums than the actual tech itself. Should have been more specific.

N64 used cartridges while Dreamcast and PSX used CD based formats. Gamecube used 1.5 GB proprietary discs while PS2 and Xbox used DVD (4.7 GB & 8.5 GB)

The Wii uses a DVD-based disc but some Wiis have trouble reading the 8.5 GB dual-layer discs.

[3sq]

No no, that aren't gonna happen.

This is Nintendo we are speaking of.

Nintendo=Recycling.

[Gen0ne]

Blu Ray? That's a bit of a stretch. 1080p? I'll say 720p and we're gonna have to be happy with that. And if 1080p is possible, in typical Nintendo fashion, they for some inexplicable reason, will be the only one's that know how to do it on their console. AND, they won't tell any other developers how to do it either. I wish Other M was launching with this. Samus deserves HD. Come on Team Ninja, don't settle for 480p. The graphic sluts that they are, I'm surprised they haven't demanded it. Launch the Wii 2 with Zelda and Metroid and a New HD Wii Sports ( bring tennis back! ) and you've got pretty good grip on the balls of the MS and Sony come Christmas 2010.

[Aceluffy]

This will be the console that completes the HD gaming experience. We have hardcore games on PS3 and casual games on Wii2, both in HD quality. I mean, who doesn't want Mario, Zelda or Metroid in HD ?

[ozstar]

I believe it

[Sir Ken_Kutaragi]

...Wii Fit in 1080p!!! ;-D

COMING SOON!!! TO Wii:1080p -

Mario:1080p

Mario Kart:1080p

Mario Tennis:1080p

Mario Golf:1080p

Mario Cooking:1080p

Mario Fit:1080p...Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz;)

[Aquarius]

Mario in HD will look really discusting to tell the truth.

I would love a LOZ HD.
I can't wait for a next-gen one.
Twilight Princes was a gamecube port and I know the Wii is just an enhanced gamecube.

If Nintendo goes HD they will have to make new Ips.
Time for a change.

They can't keep on using the same duo Mario and Zelda in the 9th generation, the only reason why they can get away with it, is because Mario is just platforming gameplay basically and LOZ is just telling a legend but seriously these people need to adjust to the times.
Keep the classics but bring something new I can't believe news of a new Mario was just leaked the other day.

[Shnazzyone]

It would be intensely interesting if this is confirmed. Blueray support? 1080p? Is it possible this will be more powerful then a ps3? I also like the idea of trading in my wii for a reduced price. Hopefully all my data from my wii will be completely transferred as well. Though yeah.. it is a rumor but a very very intriguing one. Lets see if this gets confirmed by other sources or if it gets debunked. If we don't get a solid debunk in the next 3 days I would think this just might be credible and probably extremely threatening to all HD Fanboys across the net.

[etownone]

I think the next gen of games is going to be like home computers. All games will have to be installed to hard drive using a cd-key, or downloaded online.

The future really is DD, not blu-Ray.

[baker_boi]

Give you the choice to trade in your old hardware for some new hardware.
Are they crazy?

If this was the standard in console manufacturers then everybody would have a spankin new next-gen(PS3, 360) and/or Family-gen(Wii) system sittin up in their house.

But we know that aint the case. We can go head and mark this as Bogus. Nintendo aint puttin no bluray in an "affordable family console".

lol But maybe they humoring the idea of two SKU's. A Family Friendly wii and a Hardcore gamer Wii.

LMAO what a buncha bull.

[Quadrix]

While this would be pretty cool, there is no way Nintendo would let this get leaked (though I suppose there's always the possibility of an employee who's asking to get fired). I'd like to believe this, but it's just too hard to.

[Sickr]

If there's anything console manufactures should have learned this generation then it should be to make your consoles as cheap as possible. Adding a blu-ray drive won't make this affordable to Nintendo's main demographic. I call bullshit.

[cronaldo7]

The entire Wii catalogue fits on one Blu-Ray.

[Becko]

fake

[Shnazzyone]

Made by accident

[CryWolf]

Its about time the Nintendo Wii goes HD and get a Blu-ray drive, finally Nintendo is thinking bigger. 1080p on the Nintendo's console with games supporting it will much enjoyable and wanted for a long long time now.

[CryWolf]

I believe this cause Nintendo is thinking bigger and knowing Nintendo its possible they may try to re release some Wii games that are on a DVD to try to stop piracy completely with Blu-ray wii games.

[Kluv]

and i would love it.

[ReBurn]

Blu-Ray does not stop piracy. There are dozens of torrents of ripped Blu-Ray movies out there and as hard drives and Blu-Ray burners become cheaper people will learn how to hack it.

Just because it hasn't been done on a massive scale doesn't mean that it isn't possible.

[mcgrawgamer]

some things to considers.
#1. Sony is over bluray, not SCEA. If they allow sony movies on xbl and sony music on xbl why wouldn't they allow bluray in a wii it's more money for sony as a company.

#2. It's not that nintendo doesn't like technology it's that they want it to be cost effective. At the time the N64 was pretty high spec'd save the cartridge.

Now I don't actually believe this rumor is true but I do believe nintendo's next console will be in HD and will have movie playback. I think Nintendo will agree that having a console with media capabilities will help it sell. Think about the wii in japan where japanese users can watch actual tv shows from the wii channel. I'm sure that was a huge selling point in some homes. Also ask yourself what is one thing nintendo has been lacking this gen? Core games for core gamers. What do core gamers want HD games and nice features. If they can offer you a core gamer; Zelda, Starfox, Metroid, ExciteBike and other games in HD for a console that is 249.99 Possibly pulling in other 3rd party devs ala bethesda, gearbox, Ubi etc,. how many here would not actually consider a wii?

The wii would be perfect for gamers like me. A working man who wants a nice HD console for that's family oriented all while keeping his ps3 or 360 solely for himself away from the kids. It's a win win for all gamers.

[tiamat5]

First beforte Nintendo owners start peeing their pants think about what this means. The only reason that the Wii has made it so far is because it was cheaper than the other systems and developers has less of a risk when developing for the Wii. But if they start putting advanced parts in the Wii 2 they will have to bring up the price. With the Sony and Microsoft at lower prices they may very well isolate themselves from anyone who isn't a rabid Nintendo fan. Why should I take a chance buying a more expensive Wii system when Sony and Microsoft aere right there with systems with impressive specs and stellar games? I already have my system so why run out and buy a more expensive system? And don't tell me that Nintendo will sell it cheaply. There is no way that Nintendo can sell a more advanced system for the same price as the Wii. There is no way they can do that no matter how much money they have.

[EvilTwin]

Game development cost is an interesting point. According to EA, Wii games only cost 25% to 33% as much as PS3/360 games.
http://www.joystiq.com/2009...

Making an HD console is cheaper now, as the technology has come down in price. But the price for making games for one hasn't -- you have to employ more people for art creation and graphics tech, and skilled human labor costs aren't going down.

But you can also buy an HD TV at Wal-Mart now for what SD/tube TVs used to cost two or three years ago. So something has to give.

[ryano23277]

I see it a couple of ways.

1. The Wii is a great machine for what it is, but it has enjoyed success from people that aren't "Gamers", the success is on the back of older people and family. These people don't care about another Wii yet.

2. XBOX & Nintendo by going Blu-Ray are only playing catch up to Sony. They will eventually fall a full generation behind if not done next year. If the 720? or Wii2? come out with Blu-Ray, PS4 will be some other technology and that is where these 2 will be left behind.

[xoxideu]

If this is confirmed..

xbox $100 live not far off..

and then xbox will be the only console without blu-ray :(

flop in. pay more.

[xoxideu]

but $100 xbox live maybe coming as predicted..

[doa766]

Nintendo used to be great for gaming before the Wii, maybe this is true

[doa766]

all the blu ray rips are just that: rips, not copies, the blu ray format is still invulnerable to piracy

but that doesn't mean that the console can't be hacked from the HDD

[blackblades]

That's stupid, its to late for that, might as well wait for the next gen consoles. This just saying that they know the wii will fall soon. So they trying to make up for it with the ps3 tech.

[JJFNIGHTS80]

Now this is some good news to me. And I think Nintendo is doing this for piracy. Blu-Ray is kinda hard to copy unless you have a Decrypt or Ripper to burn Blu-Ray Games. This will definitely put Nintendo to full hd. Cause when i put my Wii to my HDTV it only goes up to 480i which is standard definition.

[xoxideu]

lalalala we don't care lalalalala give us your money lalalala

[ozstar]

Pretty much what theyve already been doing.

1. Steal game ideas from competitors and pretend they are original and better.

2. Undercut prices at all times, excluding internet access.

3. Outbid competitors for exclusives. (Nintendo are going to be interesting to watch regarding this)

[glennc]

lalalala FANBOYS lalalalala I HATE FANBOYS lalalala

[Kisama]

Well, rumor said there is another Mario game in the works, and there is also Zelda wii 2 on the way, could be launch titles maybe.

[Omega Zues]

Seriously, Nintendo has never made any mention nor the direction of Blu-ray or in any serious matter of HD.

So you expect me to believe out of blue Nintendo wants to make a sub ps3...

>.>

[glennc]

why would Nintendo France Marketing know what is going on? if nintendo wanted it leaked then fair enough but it is way too early for marketing to have a clue.

i call speculation

[multipayer]

They could probably still hit the $299 price point all nintendo customers are accustomed to in 2010 with these features...

The current wii doesn't even support 5.1 surround, so this would be a much bigger leap than gamecube to wii. I still think they would be squashed by a $400-600 console from sony or microsoft and you'd get a much better value, because those companies are willing to take a loss on hardware. I'd jump all over this if nintendo gave out more bang for the buck though.

[Fierce Musashi]

I'm not really one to care about "POWER AND GRAPHICS!" So even if this article was true, it's not really going to make an effect my facial expression.

Anyway. To be honest, I really think this article is a fake. At this point, I will only believe it when Nintendo themselves says so. I know how people can get when making rumors. To me, it seems this article is merely ear-candy for thoses hoping for an HD Wii.

[iforgotmylogin]

it could be true

wii and 360 came out in 2005 and 2006

this gen has been so fckn long its time for upgrades

ps3 is here till 2012 min
so wii hd and 360___ will have to do.

and alot of wii games look good upscaled in 720 and 1080 so i think its plausable. wiihd is sick and upped tech can really do some damage ...............

blueray on the otherhand i dont know. and nintendo was looking into a new storage medium a while back that held alot more than a dual blue ray disk. but 2010 is the year to be. consoles need a refresh and so do the handhelds. psp is dated and so is the ds compared to new things out and coming out. the android from verizon has 256mb of ram so yea.

[PS360PCROCKS]

Who cares? still has the same crap games. Mario Party, mario, mario kart, mario cooks, mario cleans, mario dances, mario waggles, mario mario mario...I'm sick of Nintendos franchises. I do give credit tho as they've done better lately

[Fierce Musashi]

Then you would be talking about a lot more than Mario. Nintendo isn't forcing you to buy or, at the very least, pay attention to those games.

[PS360PCROCKS]

No their not, but they most certainly aren't giving me a reason to pay attention to them either. I like Mario and Zelda and those games were cool, but than everything else is a spinoff of major characters. They NEED a NEW mascot for a little while. Another new, fresh, big franchise.

[Feral Gamer]

Sounds good to me! I'd like 1080p Mario, Zelda, and Metroid games. Too good to be true, though. Color me impressed if Nintendo actually releases an HD console next year.

[McLuvn]

here's to next gen Nintendo

[feejo]

I am sure they will not do all this. They will continue to focus on Mario, and sport and some wii fit. They had sucess without "no dvd" why would they put one anyway, people buy it for the wii mote and to play bowling.

[blu_yu_away]

"Moreover, Nintendo wants to make a worlwide annoucement, only one month before release date". Why would Nintendo possibly want to do this?

[Feral Gamer]

So people keep on buying Wiis and then when they hear about the HD version, they'll want to buy that also.

[toaster]

Take a look at Apple's iPods.

People buy an iPod, a couple months later, a new model is released. They will get that. And then when anpother model comes out, they wil get that. It's because they make QUALITY PRODUCTS. The same goes with Nintendo. DS is announced, people buy that. DS lite is announced, people buy that. DSi is announced, people buy that.

The Wii should be no different, if it's a good product and fun for everyone, then who wouldn't buy it?

[TABSF]

would be nice to see link in HD with proper visuals and physics

twilight princess was great on gamecube with SDTV
twilight princess was garbage on wii with SD or HDTV

plus allow the user to choose between wiimote & nunchuk or pad on games this time

[AEtherbane]

then it probably is...

[TABSF]

HD does not mean better Graphics People,

I can play games on my PC such as Hitman: codename 47 at 1920 by 1080

HD is resolution standard, the standard starts at 1280 by 720 to 1920 by 1080, Also there is beyond HD already in peoples homes such as 1920 by 1200 to 2560 by 1600 which is 198% increase on 1080P

come on people

[asdr3wsfas]

"HD does not mean better Graphics People,"

Draw a circle in 640x480 filling in each pixel fully. Now draw a circle in 1920x1080 filling in each pixel fully. The former has more jaggies because you are approximate a curved object by squares (the pixels).
Plot a straight line of slope 1 in a 8x2 grid. Do it in a 100x20 grid. Which is less jaggy?

This is just the easiest example.

[bigjclassic]

Miyamoto already stated that the next console will be HD. Not only that but Nintendo traditionally releases a console every 5 years. (SNES-N64-GCN-Wii all 5 years apart)

So 2011 is when we will see this. 1080p and Blu-ray are probably a given since that is the standard. But does this mean that Zelda Wii will be pushed back for the new console or will we actually get it sooner?

[EvilTwin]

I'd say it's more likely to be pushed back. Just like Twilight Princess.

TP was nearly finished a year ahead of time, but Nintendo pushed it back a full year to implement motion controls so it could launch with Wii.

This new Zelda has been in development FOREVER -- I seriously doubt it took a full team of Nintendo devs just to bolt on IR/pointer for projectiles and imprecise sword motion controls over that year-long delay. That would mean this LoZ has been in development since 2005. If we assume Galaxy 2 and Other M are the big guns for 2010, that gives Zelda a 2011 release. 6 years for development on GC/Wii hardware.

So bet on the new LoZ to push the Wii to its absolute breaking point (just like TP did for GC), and then it can also launch on big N's next console and still look pretty impressive (just like TP).

TP was GC's swan song and the Wii's blockbuster core killer app.

The next Zelda could be Wii's swan song and Wii2's core killer app.

...just a thought.

[fatstarr]

itsssssss plausible. dolphin emulation shows what wii games can do. even gamecube games. ill take this with a grain of salt tho. nintendo prolly leaked this to get a view of the hype for the wiihd or w/e. '

also 3 pages for a nintendo related article that doesnt have 360mentioned in it on n4g. wow dont see that anytime

[Shendow]

If this happens, well the Wii 2 will be on my list to buy. I wouldn't mind playing a really awesome looking Zelda game, an maybe they can make a huge Mario game that isn't easy.

I miss the good old days when you sit down an play Super Mario Bros for the NES. Now that is a hard game an I have it with good old Duck Hunt.

[Guitardr85]

It's finally becoming a current "next" gen system?

[cheetorb]

Now all those bored stay at home moms can play work out "games" in HD. Great news!!

[toaster]

Has anyone realized that in Japanese Wii 2 is called Wii Ni??

"hey Bob what's up?"
"Oh nothing just playing with my Wii Ni."

[Rixynator]

When I see it in person I would believe this till then this is just some rumor.

[F3N1X]

I work for gamestop it does list Wii 2 on the future sales/reserve list...I will print list and post tomorrow...I assume this is true I mean why else will gamestop put a new future system on the list?

[psycho360]

I thought April is already gone.

If its true then eeeeeeeeyuooooo who wants to see those horrible graphics current wii games in HD. I'd rather through my HD tv out then even try wii on it.

[PS3and4_HAS_GAMES]

if this is true it would be more powerful than xbobx3fixme..lol...wow

[Samus HD]

i hope it hasn;t BLU - ray cuz not much monej tu buy the games... because I play with modded wii

[Marty8370]

Get a f#cking job pirate.

[devilhunterx]

Wii 2 = PS3 with Glowstick?

[Arsenal4Ever]

resolution isnt enough to make good games mate. What processor will this Wii 2 be using, is it the cell? LOL

[tudors]

No disrespect to MS or Sony but Nintendo will rule.

[DigitalAnalog]

But they should really focus more on porting Japanese Wii games on the US.

[thexmanone]

Wow, it looks to me, that the PS3rd fanboys a scared that they will never pull out of third place. Congrats to nintendo if this is true.

[Seyr]

The piracy thing isn't as much of an issue as some people think . Yes Nintendo probably loses some sales because of piracy but the amount of downloads will never ever translate 1:1 into sales.
You might see thousands of people downloading games from torrent sites but whats to say that these people would actually buy the original product if that was their only option?

[SuperStrokey1123]

Those are not specs (besides the blu-ray drive). Specs are which processor is used and HDD space etc. This isnt that this is more like a wish list and goals for the new system

[ZoidsRaven]

Is this how much you "gamers" care about graphics?

Disgusting. Just Disgusting.... 7_7

[Shendow]

If Nintendo uses bluray an uses all the memory for the game, but not to make it look good but to make it longer. Then yeah they need bluray, cd has lost its greatness.

But some games do need to look good, are you saying you wouldn't want another game that look as good as Zelda The Twilight Princess? Because that be dumb, the game was awesome but if they use bluray to make it look alittle more nice and much bigger.

Then it would kick butt.

[ZoidsRaven]

I wasn't talking about how long devs can make a game with bluray, I was bashing the graphics hounds posting on this article.... CD has lost it's goodness? That't your simple minded opinion.

Some games "need" to look good? Hell no man, hell no.
That is only the mindset of a graphics hound.
Zelda TP's graphics was good, but it was toooooo d@mn easy (like most games with good graphics).
Devs should stop showing us how good their games LOOK, and start showing us how good their games PLAY.

That IS why you buy games right? To play them, not use them as eye candy.....
"Dumb"? >_> 7_7 >_>
Oooorrrr, maybe I'm the old school gamer who couldn't give two sh!ts about how real devs can make games look, but cares about what gaming has been about since day one.......... (I don't know how many times I must say this word to a graphics fan, but...) GAMEPLAY.

[Shendow]

But you got to think on the other side, if Nintendo made notthing but 2D games for the Wii or their new system. It would hurt them more because this Gen is about how good looking games are.

Some people might not care but company's do because it helps sales more, plus what is their left for Nintendo to do other then making their games look better? They did everything but a cam, so I understand what they might be thinking and if you want to play long games.

Then just keep all your old systems, I did and I got one of the longest games on the PS3 "Disgaea 3" I got a total of 111 hours of gameplay an I haven't finish everything or unlock everything.

So bluray does help in its own ways.

[asdr3wsfas]

"Then just keep all your old systems, I did and I got one of the longest games on the PS3 "Disgaea 3" I got a total of 111 hours of gameplay an I haven't finish everything or unlock everything."

I'm approaching this amount of gameplay on Geometry Wars: Galaxies.

[ZoidsRaven]

I...... I am NOT talking about 2D games, I am NOT talking about how long a game can be with bluray. I am bashing graphics hounds. If YOU are not one, you shouldn't care about my post...

2D games? Ooorrrrr, a dev can make a 3D game with Super Mario 64 like graphics and I'd buy it, wanna know why I would? I'm the real "hardcore gamer", a real hardcore gamer isn't gunna let something as silly as "POWER AND GRAPHICS!!!!1" (of a console) stop them from playing a VIDEO GAME.

*sigh* Again, my posts are NOOOOT about bluray, if the Wii is going to get bluray I couldn't give a sh!t, if that means Wii games will start being longer and the banishment of the homebrew b!tches who cheat in wi-fi game.... yay.. But my point still stands, and what is that you might ask? That my post was bashing graphics hounds, and had little to nothing to do bluray (or as graphics whores prefer to call it..... SWEET JESUS-RAY!).

Old systems? You mean last gen consoles? Oh yes, the time when fanboyism wasn't so stupid, the time when console wars wasn't all "POWER AND GRAPHICS!, HHHHHDDDD!!!, WI-FI CONSOLES!!" and last but not least, the time when games were made for their gameplay and not for teh graphics/eye candy.

Wh...wha... What the hell makes you think I care if blu-ray is good or bad?
My post was about graphics hounds. 7-7

[Shendow]

But to be a hardcore gamer, you wouldn't care if it looks good but would care if the game did run right and had no problems an games that look smooth are easy on the eyes.

I only count myself as a hardcore gamer because I buy every system out their an play games that I like (Not games that people say are the best) that is really what a true hardcore gamer is.

[ZoidsRaven]

Errr, yes. I don't care about how real devs can make games look (if you are a "hardcore gamer", you shouldn't too), but it doesn't mean that games with good graphics are not hardcore/for hardcore gamers.

Easy on the eyes? Don't mix my words up.

*scoff* Don't lie to yourself.
No real "hardcore" gamer would say "some games need to look good". Sir, what you are really looking for is an eye candy CGI movie....... Not a VIDEO GAME, graphics hound.

Keep it up graphics hound, if fanboyism doesn't kill gaming, you graphics hounds will.

Just look at your posts and my posts, did you even read my posts? I bashed graphics hounds, and you come here and tell me how much your god (blu-ray) is needed in gaming? 7_7 Do me and yourself a favor and DON'T reply, or if you do reply, at least read 100% of my post........

BTW: If you are not a graphics hound, you shouldn't care aout my post (because it was bashing graphics hounds).
But I believe I already told you that...........? Did you read my post?

[4Sh0w]

Yeah because their fanbase care so much about bluray, look how terrible wii sales are compared to the other two consoles, and the huge profits nintendo's been losing since day 1 just shows how desperate nintendo is to add a bluray player.

[iforgotmylogin]

first time ever?

but it makes sense where are the hardcore games? maybe nintendo is dev them for the next wii? mayybe ninty is doin a twilight princess as in develope for gc and port to wii but this time its dev for wii to port to wii2 and next year 2010-2011 new handhelds come out it all makes sense. just waitin for microsoft to make the first move i guess so they dont copy lol

[STLiens]

Sign me up!!!

[xboxlover]

This goes about the point of the wii, motion controls. Also recent history tells me it will be sh!t because you have N64(awesome), Game cube(Failure) Wii(Success) and then wii 2 will follow the pattern and become a failure.

[XxZxX]

for each wii sold, Sony get royalty fees.

[cheapndirty]

Sort of. There are 20 or so members that share they royalties when a blu ray disk is sold or when a blu ray drive is sold.

[duskywolf50]

I notice that Wii tend add online store and browser but not great for online games plus not provider DVD player which is ridiculous but I hope they change their mind for Blu-Ray player for Wii 2 and improvement online too.

[jashwin]

who cares about the wii anyways