"We are blowing away the competition! Quick change gears!"

Well, I doubt Berlusconi is anti-Nintendo.

2010? come on! Would you kill the fastest selling console? =/

Too early, that's my call.

agreed....i think they may release the codename for their new console(s) and some minute details, but I don't think they will be releasing upgrades for the wii

2010 would be a good year for a console redesign...

As far as I know, "la Repubblica" is quite a serious and well-respected newspaper and not some kind of rainbow press, but I could be wrong.

However, 2010 seems to be too early even for a redesign of the Wii, thinking that there haven't been a pricecut yet and that 2010 seems to be great in terms of software.
A new handheld is something I may could see in late 2010, but it seems a bit early too.

Berlusconi has really a big grip on medias, and this is a problem, but his arch-rival "Repubblica" is not pure at all, its not so covert aim was in the past to make its former director, Eugenio Scalfari, and its publisher, Carlo De Benedetti, become behind the scenes what Berlusconi became openly, instead. Repubblica always supported Prodi as candidate Prime Minister, and he became twice, if Prodi really was the leader of Centre-Left parties, as he naïvely believed, he wouldn't have been overthrown so easily twice by his own allies.    You can find not so clean ties between Prodi and De benedetti googling for Prodi De Benedetti Cirio OR SME. Searching De Benedetti Poste Italiane you'll find about him selling obsolete computers at inflated prices to Italian Post. What in both cases happened, or better, what judges absolutely didn't to him, despite blatant evidences, is beyond abnormality.

too early, I agree that we may see codenames and early details but now a full on new console and handheld

I think this info is pretty sketchy at best, and downright wrong at worst. Personally, I could see Nintendo releasing a new WiiPlus system, that's basically the same shell with some updated innards. It would be compatible with the Wii games and would offer some upgraded graphics and sounds, but not on the level of PS360. If this happens, I would predict Christmas 2010, because if they wait any later, then they might as well hold off for the actual Wii2 system. Keep in mind also that with the heavy developments that Sony and MS are putting into motion control, they might not be planning on releasing their new system for quite a while. In reality though, Sony claimed that the PS2 was a 10 yr system (as they did with the PS1), and yet they still released each of their systems about 5-6 years apart, per the norm Nintendo established long ago.

It is possible that Nintendo could announce the next Wii/DS at next years E3. It would make sense with the theory that Nintendo has diverted dev teams to begin work on the next generation of systems. Also the next generation should commence by 2011 so if Nintendo decides to hit the floor running they might launch their new console next fall. Microsoft launched 360 a year in advance to the competition and they saw great success. If Nintendo decides to do the same and cut the console life cycle short a year they could launch their new home and handheld both in 2010. But then again I expect Nintendo will stick to their five year life cycle and launch the next Wii in 2011!