It’s that time again, folks. Time to wheel out the Wii 2 image and speculate on what Nintendo’s next home console might be like.
Previous rumors have suggested Wii 2 will include everything from a built-in projector ( wut? ) to a quad-core graphics processor. Today, fresh sources told Game Informer and IGN (two pretty reliable sites, historically speaking) that Nintendo will reveal the new console at the E3 expo in June.
This I can totally believe. Nintendo dropped the Wii’s price by $150 yesterday , and its game release schedule is embarrassingly bare for the next few months. Traditionally, both of those things have suggested a new console is coming. Not only that, but the Wii’s sales have tailed off in recent months, allowing Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 to eat into its lead. A new Wii in 2012 would make a lot of sense for Nintendo.
Between them, Game Informer and IGN report that Wii 2 will be backwards compatible with Wii games, will run games in 1080p HD resolution, and will be “significantly more powerful” than the PS3 and Xbox 360.
Nintendo’s never been one to push expensive new technology in its consoles, so I find that harder to believe, somehow. Not that I’d be complaining about Mario Kart in pin-sharp high-definition, but Nintendo has always sprung surprises on its unsuspecting fans: see the two screens on the Nintendo DS, or the Wii’s motion controller.
[Via GameInformer and IGN]
