If this were a DSi -like upgrade, how could it use a Blu-ray drive to prevent piracy? All games would have to be made on DVDs to be able to play on both types of Wiis.

If it's not an upgrade, that means this would be the first time Nintendo released a full next-gen console only four years after its predecessor. Hell, they've never even done it in five, let alone four. Why would they do that on the heals of their fastest (and soon to be best) selling console ever?

This rumor is retarded.

And if for some insane reason it turns out true, I would be so pissed. I'm annoyed enough by their antics on the handheld front (DSi exclusives/exclusive features... the hell?). For far more expensive devices it's too much. And I don't see how they could possibly let you keep your VC/WW games. It'd probably be as bad as the PSP Go in that regard, but at least there's little reason to upgrade to a PSP Go. A Wii HD would be entirely different, especially if they started making Wii HD exclusives much like DSi exlusives.

John Carmack (and a few other high profile graphic engine designers) have come to the conclusion that Sparse Voxel Octrees are a much better way to represent geometry than polygons for real-time raytracing because they require simpler ray-intersection calculations; and with a properly designed GPU using this datastructure could result in 4 to 10 times the performance being achieved over conventional raytracing. There are two problems with this approach, it would require massive retraining of artists and being that they represent the vast bulk of game development costs today how efficient they're with a modeling paradigm matters far more than how efficient the hardware is with the datastructure it creates, and nVidia & ATI are reluctant to accept the conclusions of John Carmack because they would have to break compatibility with games that pre-date these new GPUs.

Don't get me wrong, the sparse voxel octree makes for a cool tech-demo and may show up in a couple of games, but it is unlikely to have the effect you anticipate because (as Nintendo has so adequately demonstrated with the Wii) graphics have hit a point where the extent that people care about high end graphics has been drastically reduced. Most developers (who don't make their money licencing technology and convincing people of the need to have the latest and greatest graphics) have already realized this, and it is likely in 2015 developers will continue trying to get decent performance out of a 5 year old $100 GPU rather than focus on trying to get superior graphics out of a new GPU that few people will buy.

lol is all i need to say... :P but i can't say just lol as that would be to short so i had to say this with it :P

     I feel that this would be more like the transition from GBA to DS than from DS to DSi.  Essentially, Nintendo would be releasing a console with blu-ray that was as powerful as 360 or PS3 or at least much closer to them in power than the Wii is.  So, that they could begin to tap the 50% of the gaming market that prefers prettier graphics and enjoys the big multiplatform titles that don't come to Wii plus have the added advantage of having Nintendo's core first party titles on the system.

     It wouldn't be seen as a competitor to Wii as it wouldn't be going after the same segment of the gaming market that the Wii appeals to essentially those that enjoy the Wii series games and the like.  If you were more interested in the newer console's offerings than Wii's, then you could trade in your Wii, so that Nintendo could send them back out to the casual market, and only have to pay $50.00 to $100.00 for the new console.

     The new console would probably be backwards compatable with earlier Wii games and might even upgrade their graphics to hd quality as blu-ray improves the quality of normal dvds.  However, the two systems would be receiving very different types of games at first.

The new Wii's (it could be called Super Wii or Revolution) games wouldn't be playable on the older Wii, but as with Twilight Princess (and some early NES and SNES games), there would be versions of certain games made available on both consoles that catered more to interests of each audience.

About a year or at most two after the new console has been on the market though, Nintendo would begin to try to bring the casuals to the new console with an exclusive Wii Sports or Wii Fit game.

Essentially what Wii don't, Super Wii or Revolution will.

     I don't know why Wii fans say people don't buy the hd consoles because 51.6 > 48.4.

A lot of people thought that when Wii received incredible sales, then, despite the tech differences, it would automatically pull all the games to it like PS2 did.  But the truth is this Christmas following a year of Wii sales decline, 360 and PS3 are getting Modern Warfare 2, and Wii is getting a port of a two year old game instead.

Why wouldn't Sony and Apple want Nintendo in? There will be more royalty for them if Nintendo is able to sell a shit load of consoles with BD drive. And even more money if all games on Nintendo consoles are on BD discs.

You make it sound like Nintendo is so desparate to get on the BD train so that they find a way in through a partner (Disney in this case)

51.6/2=25.8<48.4

Also, the Wii is get not a port, but New Super Mario Bros Wii. It could easily revive the Wii's momentum. The last game sold 19million.

Wii2... Q3 2010...

XD

I swear if this happens i will never buy another nintendo console.

No.  I feel that Disney is the company that is desparate for the market leader in videogames to have blu-ray.  Obviously a more powerful console could have better realized the concept art for Epic Mickey.  I also feel that they are considering putting Kingdoms Heart 3 on Wii, but Nomura is saying he will only do it on a console with the capabilities of the hd consoles and blu-ray so as not to compromise his vision for the game.

Last month a statement was made in Square Enix to the effect of the Wii doesn't match up with what Square is looking for in a console, but that in 2011 it will.