The machine the OP describes sounds like the next generation Wii, which is likely about as soon as we'll see HD support, etc.

In fact, from this point forward, I think you can expect that most of Nintendo's future hardware updates will shatter the notion of formal, clearly-defined, console generations. Instead we'll see numerous, gradual, upgrades to the Wii brand a la GBA-->GBA SP and DS-->DS Lite, including DVD support (though I suspect this might be permanently MIA and/or coming via WiiWare), video upscaling, internal storage increases, and other, relatively minor, upgrades that have little-to-no impact on compatibility, brand perception/consumer confusion and, most importantly, price (and jibes nicely with Iwata's suggestion that the Wii might never see an official price drop).

As for any sort of dramatic update--defined here as any upgrade that requires conscious effort on the part of software makers to implement-- these would come at very, very infrequent intervals far exceeding the typical five year console lifespan. Things that fit into this category would be faster rendering ("more effects" in the OP's parlance), better audio format support, substanial Wii-mote functionality upgrades, etc.

I can't say I'm thrilled about this last prediction (as much as I love the Wii, I think we can all admit that we'd prefer better graphics/sound) but I think it makes a lot of sense when you look at how Nintendo is evolving their brand to encompass a much, much wider audience, far beyond what Sony has managed to do with the PlayStation brand (if they managed to expand it all, at least in NA and Japan).

Think of it, HD graphics won't help. The complainers basically are:
-Nintendo haters
-PS3/360 fanboys
-Graphics whores
-Nintendo fans who want more

The first three may never get a wii anyways, and the last may already have one.

 Nope not those 2,  it's the infamous Sega's 32X and sega CD which all connected to the Sega mega drive a.k.a Sega Genesis.

 Also, why would developers develop the same game twice for the same console? 

it makes no business sense, so like I said, the peripheral your looking for can only and will only EVER be an external USB powered scaler and NOTHING ELSE, and that's assuming it'll ever be made in the first place.

A Wii 2 somewhere in 2011 with PS360 today's graphics and much better online would be great for me.

But a HD peripherals this year or next one would not (at least for me).

man I love the wii too. But give up on this idea. it is so not gonna happen due to all the inpractical things associated with this idea, as mentioned by alot of people. If you want to see your wii in HD. just go out and buy a nice external upscaler that you connect your video leads into.


The best you can hope for form Nintendo is if they reelase a Wii version 2 or something that is beefed up alittle more with firmware update to 720p support. Otherwise you will have to wait for next gen.

Nintendo will not create a add-on like that one...
In fact I don't believe their next consoles is going to be as powerful as the PS3... Thats Nintendo Philosophy Fun over Graphics... Everybody should know that already

agree, all power of wii is price and fun grafic, i dont say good. see gt5 prologue. never wii could make that.

wii with HD dvd ???? stupid. HD=blueray and BLueray=sony....and you really think they sell for nothing. as i say all power of wii is price.

Does the Wii have the hardware support to output at 720p? I'm so tired of hearing this claim that a magical firmware update will suddenly allow 720p output. Don't you think they would have done this by now? The Gamecube never had HD output because it lacked hardware to output at HD resolutions (PS2 supported resolutions of up to 1280x1280 I think). And I'm inclined to believe the Wii lacks the necessary hardware to output at HD resolutions.

As for the peripheral, it makes no sense. Why buy a product to do something that your TV already does (upscale)? And as others said, there's no way that it could just make the picture look prettier unless it did all the processing itself. In which case the Wii would just be a DVD drive/Bluetooth hub.

Even if it the hardware supported it (I don't believe it does, but I could be mistaken), the lack of RAM makes this impossible.