So don't expect any concrete details until as late as possible

There was a time when each of The Big Three offered something a little different with their respective consoles. With motion-control billed as the main event at this generation of home consoles, Nintendo can take pride that it was the company that warmed up for the evening, and that it's still going strong today. So what can we expect from the Wii's successor then? Well, it looks like we're going to have to wait a while longer before we find out because that's the price we pay for innovative ideas being kept secret from the competition.

During the last general meeting of shareholders, Nintendo President, Satoru Iwata explained that the company is "developing new products all the time" and once a new product is released, development teams move straight onto the next project.

...we are of course studying and developing the next console to Wii. However, there is a big difference between studying a product and announcing what it is and when we will release it. I am afraid to say that the history of entertainment is also the history of imitation. A great idea will promptly be copied unless protected through patents. At the same time, it is really important for our business to positively surprise people.

Emphasis is on the "surprise" element as new products that have the inner-most details splashed about years before their release will suffer from the detrimental effects caused by such openness. Which is why Iwata prefers the release of information as late as possible:

Again, we are planning the next products for Nintendo's continuous growth, but we cannot tell you what, when and how we will release it here. Thank you for your understanding.

If the sales of Wii continue dropping Wii 2 in 2011 is not impossible...

Anyway good to hear they have unique ideas, I think they'll have the same approach of the 3DS: a powerful console (more than the PS3) with something disruptive, like the motion controls or the 3D on a portable console. Looking forward to Wii 2!

Just something tickle me about this Q&A with the shareholders. Iwata says: if we told you 3 years before release then it won't be a surprise anymore. Can we expected the super wii on 2013?

(which is a pity as i expected it to be release on 2012 with a presentation on E3 2011...)

Well, honestly you can't blame nintendo, they get copied most of the time when they come out with something new and fresh. I have a feeling it won't be long before they announce a new home console i'd say by next year we will hear from it.

An announcement for the Wii successor in 2011 seems unlikely, even with dropping hardware sales as it would make more sense for Nintendo to focus on the 3DS for the immediate future, but a 2012 announcement seems all but guaranteed.

It's good to hear that it won't just be a refreshed Wii with better graphics and network gaming; that window more or less closed in 2010. Their next console must offer gamers something genuinely innovative and refreshing.

An announcement at 2011 E3 is not unthinkable. Nintendo could set a preliminary date for Q4 2012 and delay it for Q1 2013.

This will take the wind out of Sony's sails because the way Sony is talking, they are expecting and wanting this generation to last another 5 years so that they can continue to chip away at that $4 some billion debt they incurred for the PS3 from 2006-2009.

Killiana1a said: An announcement at 2011 E3 is not unthinkable. Nintendo could set a preliminary date for Q4 2012 and delay it for Q1 2013. This will take the wind out of Sony's sails because the way Sony is talking, they are expecting and wanting this generation to last another 5 years so that they can continue to chip away at that $4 some billion debt they incurred for the PS3 from 2006-2009.

There is about zero chance of a Q1 launch, 2013 or otherwise. Unless manufacturing and OEM parts sourcing problems force a limited hardware launch, Nintendo's next console is guaranteed to be available for the holiday season of the year it debuts.

If Nintendo really wanted to go over the top with delayed announcements, then a likely scenario could be an E3 2012 announcement for a Q4 2012 launch.

That wouldn't be much less of a gap between the 3DS announcement and launch dates, which managed to remain a very well kept secret leading up to E3 2010 considering how many developers had already been working on games for the device.

ummmm....... source?

morenoingrato said: ummmm....... source?

no need, theres a picture, It has to be real.