Nintendo of America boss Reggie Fils-Aime has flatly denied that the console manufacturer will be working on its next hardware generation anytime soon.
It’s no secret that Nintendo’s Wii is well behind the curve of its competitors when it comes to graphics this console generation. This has led to rather persistent rumors that the company was secretly developing a “Wii HD” or “Wii 2” – a console that would continue developing Nintendo’s motion-control core while supporting modern, high-definition graphics of the type seen in God of War III and Final Fantasy XIII.
According to Nintendo of America big cheese Reggie Fils-Aime, the development of a successor console isn’t very high on Nintendo’s priority list at the moment. “[W]hen the software developer comes forward with an idea that can’t be executed on the current platform, that’s when we start thinking seriously about the next system,” Fils-Aime told Forbes. “We’re not there yet, from a Wii perspective.”
In all fairness, the man has a point: With some of the first “hardcore” MotionPlus titles like Red Steel 2 due this year – not to mention heavy hitters like Super Mario Galaxy, Zelda and Metroid: Other M – the Wii is looking to have a very strong 2010. While I believe Fils-Aime that Nintendo isn’t working on a new Wii, though, that doesn’t mean that it hasn’t started thinking about one. You don’t get to be the leader in the industry without considering years in advance.
