14 DAY TRIAL // Electronic Arts has dropped some new hints about a Nintendo Wii 2, which may be announced in the near future.
The Nintendo Wii was a sales phenomenon when it first came out, but, in recent years, things haven't been going so well, as the console has been overtaken by rivals like the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3.
As such, a successor to the Wii is being talked about, and analysts are even guessing that it will be formally confirmed at this year's E3 conference at the beginning of summer.
Electronic Arts has also decided to drop some hints about a Wii 2, with its EA Games Label President, Frank Gibeau, saying Nintendo is aware that the Wii's popularity is slipping, and is taking measures to address the situation.
"When you look at Nintendo, for a while there, it was all about the Wii being the biggest entertainment platform ever and capturing the mass market, and it faded away. Now, they’re coming back with a second act. I think they know that. They’re very self-aware as an organization and a very powerful brand," he said.
Nintendo, according to Gibeau, can't ignore the fact that the Wii isn't able to play games in high definition and even went so far as calling it a legacy console, like the PlayStation 2.
"They understand the dynamics and the fact that HD consoles is a booming part of business right now. Legacy platforms like PS2 and the Wii have dropped off significantly. They’re not stupid. They’re going to figure something out. They’re going to come back at it."
A successor to the Wii, either called a Wii 2 or Wii HD, has been speculated for quite some time, but now, with analysts and even game companies saying that a change is needed, it seems that Nintendo can't afford to ignore all the signs, especially since the Wii is losing its advantage over its rivals.
Is a Wii 2 necessary or should Nintendo focus its efforts on other things like quality games for the current console?