There needs to be more to it than just that. What kind of hardware upgrade would be involved? How long would I be without the Wii?I can''t really understand the question since it is almost certainly impossible from a technical and logistical stand point.

Lets look at it this way. Lets say that they do decide to allow users to upgrade and most every Wii user does. This basically means that Nintendo owns a lot of the market already. One of the things that causes third parties to create games for a console is how many consoles sold. More Super Wii's == More Third Party games == More Cash.

that question is irrelevent.... why would nintendo even do that? it would cost tons in manpower whereas new consoles can be done on a factory chain...

 You could absolutely do the upgrade in a chain factory sense too. You would really only need to insure that the flash drive goes out to a set person. Of course how efficient it would be would depend on what the upgrade actually is.

Belike, but you're making the huge assumption that the majority of Wii owners will take advantage of this relatively early on (color me skeptical), that Nintendo will have the facilities to handle such a massive and sudden demand (which will end quickly by your model, thus leaving some factories idle), that the next system will be compatible with the Wii without hamstringing it (possible, I suppose), and that Nintendo does not figure that it can make even more money by charging customers full price for a new system.

Two of those might be true, but I doubt all four will be. Still, I'd be okay with being wrong here, since it means I'm saving money and headaches.

This is the most absurd idea for the next Nintendo system I've heard yet.

Don't get me wrong; it'd be cool.

But seriously? The strain it'd put on Nintendo in the process would be insurmountable. They wouldn't be able to handle that mess, and then it'd all suddenly be over. The economic flaws we're dealing with here are ridiculous.

For transferring VC/Wiiware games I imagine there will be an option to input your Wii code on the new console, thus transfering your account so you can re-download for free.

Although whether WiiWare will be included depends on whether they will work on the new consoles controllers, or if old controllers are compatable.