Wii 2 to 'offer something new' - Iwata

This morning, Nintendo confirmed what had been rumored for weeks--that it will launch a new console to succeed the Wii in 2012. Unfortunately, the announcement, which accompanied a downbeat annual earnings report, offered scant details about the console.

One tidbit the company did confirm, according to a translation by Japanese gaming blog Andria Sang, is that the platform won't arrive in any territory during Nintendo's current fiscal year, which ends March 31, 2012.

Following this morning's announcement, Nintendo president and CEO Satoru Iwata spoke to the Japanese press, revealing a few more details about the Wii 2. He told Kyodo News that the reason Nintendo was working on a new console was that developers began finding it "difficult for developers to surprise customers with the current Wii."

Iwata also gave financial news service Bloomberg's Japanese-language arm a cryptic clue about the console, saying, "We will offer something new for home game systems." Rumors peg the platform as being more powerful than the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, sporting HD graphics, and having a hybrid tablet controller. Speculation also has the console supporting Wii backward compatibility and using Blu-ray discs as its format of choice. Nintendo has confirmed the device will be playable at this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo.

One thing the Wii 2 will probably not offer is 3D a la the PlayStation 3. Iwata said that since 3D televisions have yet to receive a wide adoption rate, making 3D a central feature of the new platform would be "difficult."