Nintendo dashes hopes of early Wii HD info

Claims of leaked early details for a Wii HD console are false, Nintendo of America head Reggie Fils-Aime says in a new interview with VentureBeat. The rumor, which described an upgraded console fast enough to output HD video and with permanent storage, is described as "pure rumor and speculation" by the executive that has been misinterpreted as fact by some outlets. Fils-Aime doesn't deny an eventual update but debunks the notion that Nintendo would gauge first reactions to an update by showing a prototype to developers.

"It’s not the way they would find out," he says.

The Nintendo official also attempts to justify the conscious delay in bringing the DSi to North America, noting that there's no immediate incentive to bring the camera- and SD-sporting handheld over to the continent given its higher pricing relative to the DS Lite and identical game support.

Nintendo has been under relatively little pressure to update its hardware since the introductions of the DS Lite and the Wii in 2004 and 2006 respectively, as both systems have continued to sell well overall despite technically superior alternatives. The DSi is known to be a response to strong Sony PSP sales in Japan but isn't as necessary in Europe or North America, where the DS Lite still maintains a tangible lead.

Filed under: gaming, gadgets
Other story tags: sony, Nintendo, PSP, Wii, DS, DSi