Wii HD is "too late"

In the wake of some completely unsubstantiated reports about a rumoured E3 reveal for Wii 2 later this year, two US analysts have claimed that Nintendo needs to act as quickly as possible.

"I think the right time for the console was in front of Kinect and Move, and think that Nintendo has forever lost one customer for each Kinect and Move unit sold," Michael Pachter told Eurogamer.

"That means they should have launched the Wii 2 in Fall 2009, and at the latest in Fall 2010, so a launch in 2011 is late. It’s highly likely that there is a Wii 2 reveal at E3. If they don’t do it this year, then it might be too late next year.

"With that said, it’s never ‘too’ late, since they can retain the lion’s share of the market by inducing current Wii owners to upgrade, and by capturing undecided consumers who have either not yet purchased a console or who have not yet bought Kinect or Move."

M2 Research’s Billy Pidgeon agrees that there’s little time to lose.

"Nintendo needs to launch first in the next generation, as Wii is somewhat saturated and the console’s low resolution graphics lag in the current generation," he stated. "I expect the next Nintendo console in 2012 at the latest, so a 2011 E3 launch announcement is a strong possibility.

"Nintendo has successfully straddled handheld generations, but console succession is far trickier. ‘Wii 2’ will need to be backwards compatible, as Nintendo is likely to support Wii with software until the next console gains sufficient penetration.

"Nintendo must step up and compete in the online console marketplace and multiplayer experience, where Microsoft and Sony are performing strongly. Connected devices’ online experience should lead, rather than follow, the hardware’s capabilities."