As we already know, it's going to be in HD.
In a few years, tech that has twice the performance of PS3, isn't more expensive than Wiis tech today, and that's the likely performance range we'll be seeing next gen. So, the console itself is going to be similarily priced.

What we won't see, is one console specific code for online, unless it can be linked to Miis, since that would take away the advantage of having multiple players per console.

I think BC is granted, so either the controller is compatible with Wii Remote, or Wii controllers would be compatible with the new console for BC.
The GC compatibility should also be there if there's BC for Wii, due to same architecture. The hardest part would be controller compatibility, which could be done with emulator. Even if GC games would be available via Shop Channel, it would be better option to make the BC in the first place, than to start building emulators for each game.

The console likely will have internal flash memory, in size of tens of gigabytes.

I'm not sure if BC is granted, Nintendo may want to keep selling Wii consoles as a cash cow for a while.

First if 360 or PS3 catch up (or at least begin to catch up) on market share as dominant console. (IE: Their motion controls or some other reason cause them to sell...) More likely, it will be the last not the first.

$300 is possible as a worse case, given inflation, etc... and as a way to milk early adopters. However they will be able to lower the price quickly if needed and they start that high.


I am sure they will be able to make it for under $200 and have better cpu and graphics than the 360 and ps3 by the time they launch...

I think these three predictions are extremely unlikely. 

1. Historically, it is always the most popular console that sells for the longest time, due to momentum. 

2. I doubt that it will be significantly more powerful than the Wii. Probably it will have the power to support Wii quality games in HD resolution, but that's it. 

3. $250 at maximum, but $200 is even more likely.

@Puffy: The difference in price would be what would still sell Wiis, and BC also would make upgrading from Wii to its successor easier.
If BC can help to transfer Wiis success to its successor, the upsides would win the downsides. In the end, if the BC can be done with reasonable cost, the only downside would be the old systems games sales could eat some of the new systems games sales.

It won't be called Wii+ or WiiHD.

It will be called the Super Wii.

I don't think many people care THAT much about HD, sure more than half of the people will have one, but I highly doubt they would refuse to buy a Wii just because it's in 480P (heck I have an HDTV and that didn't stop me from buying a Wii). If people really cared about how powerful the hardware was, Wii would have been behind at launch, more HDTV adoption won't change that.

HOWEVER, when Nintendo releases it's next console (2011 or 2012 is my guess), there will be a large HD majority worldwide, perfect time to support it.

I would be surprised if the next system was not 1080P.

I wouldn't rule out that Nintendo could launch first. Some reasons:

1- Your 'historical' argument is useless because (a) the strategic aspect is more imporant and (b) ANY good statistician will tell you that to make a prediction based on known data you need a big enough sample space. What am a saying? There have only been the NES,SNES,N64,GC (I'm not counting Wii) so to deduce that much just from these is rather presumptuous.

2- Sony has been the only 'twice-in-a-row' winner and they launched first so there's some incentive.

3- Nintendo might want to grab the bull by the horns: The other 2 consoles HAVE to stick it out because of the huge investments. Nintendo could drown them with an early launch.

This doesn't mean that I think they'll do it. I'm just saying some people here are overly presumptuous.

What would I like? For Ninty to go head-to-head with MS and Sony and launch something technically comptetitive. I'll still buy though - Doesn't matter to me what they do.

I think that they will keep their $250 price point. It will be full HD. I think that it will use the same control scheme as the Wii, unless Natal and the Wand are a success, then it will be slightly altered. I think the IR pointer is a little shifty, it doesn't work well when you are too close or too far away. Maybe they will use a new way for that. Obviously WM+ will be built in, or they will have a new tech, like some of the magnetic field wands that are out there that can detect your true location in space. The classic controller pro will be the traditional controller for use with virtual console, and games like Smash Bros., and may be offered wireless. And I think that they will use some form of proprietary HD-Disc format, such as HD-DVD (since it isn't mainstream anymore). 

Thats is my prediction if nintendo decides to continue with what they did with the Wii.

If they go a different route I expect a $300 price point with everything I stated, except with blu-ray support.

The "historical trends" argument is usually wrong, if people connect it to irrelevant coincidences, and call it the cause-effect relation, without detailing the relation.

For example, claiming that since shark attack and ice cream sales increase in the same months, ice cream attracts the shark, (instead of looking for a reasonable common cause, in this case, the summer season)

You did exactly the same with suggesting that  that historical first releases might have caused long term successes, without explaining the connection. Please, explain, why do you think that releasing early gives a significant advantage?