Nintendo confirms new home console

A fierce fortnight of rumours concerning the Wii 2 has been rounded off with official confirmation of a new Nintendo home console.

The platform holder confirmed as much in a note attached to its most recent financial report. It confirms that a successor” to the popular motion sensing machine will launch at some point in 2012. It will be shown at this year’s E3 in June.

It’s no big shock. Aside from the persistent rumours, Nintendo has today posted a 66 per cent drop in net income for the year ending March 31st 2011.

Revenues for the period hit YEN1.02bn, down 29 per cent. Operating income fell 52 per cent to YEN171m. The ageing Wii was pinned as the main reason for the declines.

Nintendo also confirmed that since its launch earlier this year the 3DS has sold 3.61m units. The company describes this as a "smooth start" though sales are less than the 4m forecast it originally forecast.

9.43m 3DS games have also been sold, suggesting a better attach rate than some analysts had outlined.

In the last year Nintendo sold 15.08m Wii units and 17.52m DS consoles.