Nintendo confirms 'playable' Wii 2 will be at E3 Expo
by Steven Mostyn - Apr 25 2011, 10:24
HD... finally? Image: Nintendo.
Having recently launched its groundbreaking 3DS handheld device around the world, gaming giant Nintendo has this week moved to maintain momentum by confirming the existence of the much talked about Wii 2.
That’s according to an official memo released into the wild on April 25, in which the Japanese videogame specialist reveals that the Wii 2 (unconfirmed name) is expected to be retail-ready for 2012.
Currently known under the codename of ‘Project Café’, the upcoming successor to the hugely successful motion-sensing Wii home console will receive its formal unveiling during this year’s E3 Expo videogame tradeshow in LA.
“Nintendo Co. Ltd. Has decided to launch in 2012 a system to succeed Wii, which the company has sold 86.01 million units on a consolidated shipment basis between its launch in 2006 and the end of March 2011,” outlined the memo.
“We will show a playable model of the new system and announce more specifications at the E3 Expo, which will be held June 7-9, 2011, in Los Angeles.”
Although Nintendo is playing its cards close to the chest where specs are concerned, rumour suggests the console will be powered by a triple-core IBM PowerPC chipset and modified AMD R700 graphics architecture—which should provide a significant performance boost over the original Wii.
Other totally unsubstantiated whispers include the addition of 1080p HD visuals, a new control system with touch-screen functionality, a classic SNES aesthetic, and even the inclusion of glasses-free stereoscopic 3D.
In related news, Chinese business publication Economic Daily News claims Taiwan-based hardware maker Foxconn will be responsible for manufacturing the Wii 2, with shipments expected to begin in October of 2011.
It also speculates that the second-generation Wii will sell for between $350 USD and $400 USD. Foxconn has not yet issued any official comment on the matter.
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