Nintendo Confirms Wii Successor In 2012

Today in an e-mail sent out by the Japanese company, Nintendo confirmed rumors that have been circling across the web about a successor to the popular Wii gaming console. The new console (untitled at this point, but part of a project called “Project Cafe”) will be shown off and be playable in June at this year’s E3 festivities, more than likely with a few game announcements thrown in for good measure.

There’s no word yet on the overall computing power of the Wii 2 console, but we’ve heard rumors that it is set to be on par with the PS3 and Xbox 360 output. So yes, Nintendo is definitely going HD. Hopefully they cram in all of the things we have been asking for, but it’s Nintendo, you just never know.

On a side note: Due to scheduling conflicts this year, the Loot Ninja crew will be unable to attend E3 2011, but we’ll definitely be keeping an eye on the E3 coverage and shout out any further developments as they arise. For starters, here’s a copy of the Nintendo e-mail:

There are a few “supposed” spy shots of the new console and controller which we’ll show, but these are merely rumor. For starters, the controller and unit don’t even match. The “Project Cafe” unit doesn’t look anything like what Nintendo would put on the market. It’s not sleek, it’s not sexy, it’s basically just a huge grey turd with a few lights on it. Now, this might be just a prototype test unit with the same basic internal components of what the new Wii console will have, eventually going back and changing the external design at a later date, but that’s something to find out at a later date.

[Image via Gamersheep]

Note the fact that there isn’t a full CD tray on the unit. Looks kinda small doesn’t it? So do you really think Nintendo will go back to those smaller, crappy GameCube disc types? You really think they’ll take a step back? I didn’t think so. If Nintendo is going HD, they’ll need all the space they can get on a DVD disc.

Next, we look at what the new Wii controller will supposedly look like.

[Image via Gaming Bolt]

Do you really think these bullshit controllers will match that grey turd up there? Nah, not in the least bit. I think a few people got overly happy with Adobe Photoshop and decided it would be a good idea to come up with some crap to post on their website. Now, like I said before, this could be the final edition of the controller, with the console eventually changing it’s look later to take on this frappi-mocha-soy-goat-milk-color scheme, but we just don’t know what Nintendo has got up it’s sleeve. Things just aren’t adding up. The two units don’t gel: yet.

We’ll keep our ears on the ground for any news concerning the new Wii 2 HD (or Project Cafe), but for right now, it seems the interwebs are swirling with rumors, supposed leaks, photo-shopped images, and stories of people on blogs posting what they think the Wii 2 will look like. I say, take them with a grain of salt - as well as do the same for this article - except for the fact that Nintendo DID confirm the rumor that they are working on a next generation console that will be unveiled and playable at E3 2011. That part is true. Everything else? Rumor and speculation. We’ll just see in June if all of these blogs are correct and we have a unit where 2,500 blogs are all correct and Nintendo comes out with a unit that looks like all of the blogs said it would, with 2,500 variations. That was a joke. That will never happen. You can’t please everyone.