In September 2008, What They Play published an article reporting news of a 'Wii HD' - A successor to the Wii that would include High Definition graphics and would specifically cater to the hardcore. A little over a year later, and rumours have begun brewing once again as the gaming press try to tease information out of Nintendo.

Andriasang reports that;

During a Q&A session at a recent investors meeting, Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata was asked about Nintendo's upcoming hardware plans. Iwata's response was simply that Nintendo has R&D divisions for both portable and console hardware and these divisions are of course conducting research into subsequent hardware. However, he said that he would not speak about what kind of product Nintendo will be releasing next.

Now, Nintendo have always been incredibly tight-lipped on future hardware installments, but is it possible that we may see the first ever iterative cycle for a home console? Sony and Microsoft have already committed to a longer hardware generation (Sony's infamous '10 year cycle' being a particular case in point) but do you think Nintendo will promise the same? The Wii might be selling like hot cakes, but that certainly won't last forever. When asked directly about the Wii HD rumours, Iwata stated;

"If asked if making the Wii compatible with high definition -- just making it compatible with high resolution -- will get players throughout the world to buy it, I would of course say, 'Do you think it would sell with just that? It needs something new.'"

Note that Iwata says "just making it compatible...". As a student of the English language, that leads to just one conclusion - the next Nintendo console will definetely include HD graphics (as if we hadn't guessed that already). Personally, I believe in the Wii HD. Of course, it would be ridiculous to suggest that the only upgrade that the system will see will be a graphical one, but Nintendo aren't stupid. If the industry is to learn anything from this current hardware generation, it's that Nintendo know what 'the people' want - even if that is at the expense of 'the gamers'. If the Wii HD were announced tomorrow, boasting hardware upgrades, along with a revamped Online System and HD graphics, I'd be hard pressed to say No.

Let's be honest, if the next Zelda game were to look like this, could you say No?

Also mentioned in the article is the successor to the DS. Earlier this year, Game Rant published an article that claimed Iwata had confirmed the new DS to include motion sensors and a significant graphical upgrade, a statement which he has now denied;

According to Iwata, the reporter conducting the interview asked "The next DS will need to have high resolution graphics and include a motion sensor, wouldn't you say?" Iwata's response was, "Those are naturally considered requirements. However, do you believe it will sell with just this?"

The paper apparently skipped out on printing the last part of Iwata's statement, something that Iwata feels changed the meaning a bit.

I'll be quite honest. With my DS lite having recently died on me, I don't really want a DS2 yet. Just keep making more Zelda, Mario and Phoenix Wright games for the system, and I'll happily buy a new DSi to play them on.

How about you? Do you want a DS2 / Wii HD? What should they include?

Sources: What They Play ; Andriasang