Nintendo has announced a brand new Wii model set to hit the UK before Christmas.
Aside from that, it will also sit horizontally rather than vertically. We'll publish some pictures as soon as we get them.
The console will be released as part of a new value bundle with Wii Party and Wii Sports included. A number of other value bundles will be announced this autumn.
The news comes shortly after Sony announced an global PS3 price cut at its GamesCom conference in Cologne last night and a new PSP model with a €99 price tag.
Comments
32 comments so far...
TheCrimsonFenix on 17 Aug '11 said:
" The bombshell (and sit down for this) is that it will sit horizontally rather than vertically. "
Oh noez. The world will rebel as we speak.
lee8225 on 17 Aug '11 said:
So it will look like a wii U then?!
Nice one Ninty, you would think they would have learned after the 3DS debacle, just blur the lines between your current and next system!
Or maybe they just really liked the ambassador programme?!
monkeyd_93 on 17 Aug '11 said:
release a new model that looks like the wii u...but not the wii u? this is going to confuse some people
sakaspuds on 17 Aug '11 said:
if theres one system out now that doest need a remodel its wii, its probably because they have found a way of making it much cheaper (and probably even smaller/lighter) taking away gamecube compatibility not sure thats a smart move, if you peeps at cvg speak to nintendo at any point please beg them to include some type of hardware upscaling of gamecube/wii games on the wii-u just doubling the internal resolution would make such a big difference on hdtvs just look how pretty the games are on dolphin, and thats emulated in software nintendo can code right to the hardware it shouldnt be very hard to doalso on a more personal note, i know all these motion features are very important to you guys, but why not make them optional? the wii zeldas are the first ones i've not played much of and i'm a die hard zelda fan, because i really dont enjoy using the wiimote
BOYD1981 on 17 Aug '11 said:
They're going to spoil us with ferrero rocher?
higgins78 on 17 Aug '11 said:
LOSE Gamecube compatibility!? Oh Ninny, the reason (for me) the Wii gets more than its fair share of attention is that while I am waiting for the next AAA Wii exclusive game to be released I can fill in the time going back over the numerous AAA Gamecube titles I still have in my locker. Backwards compatibility is a big issue going forward...PS3 broke promises, 360 is more than fiddly, 3DS region locked...only the Wii made it hassle-free. I hope the WiiU allows that we play Wii titles with the same ease...
RustySpoon80 on 17 Aug '11 said:
Surely everyone has a wii by now.
Also how does it look like a WiiU? If anything the WiiU looks like a regular Wii. Mine currently sits horizontally - collecting dust.
Stryker89 on 17 Aug '11 said:
Bit late for this, isn't it Nintendo? It does look like the Wii U, although I'm confident Nintendo will change the design to the Wii U console before it's released, it looks hideous.
PMIKE5 on 17 Aug '11 said:
Ah good. If there's one thing the Wii needed, it was less games.
oOo ZOMBIE oOo on 17 Aug '11 said:
I will never see why backwards compatability is such a bug bear for the current generation consoles,I thought technology was improving but sony,microsoft and now nintendo have made a mess of it.
By the way I know someone at sony scee and they are working on a backwards compatabilty patch for ps3!
ricflair on 17 Aug '11 said:
The Wii is only slightly being out sold by the other consoles, according to vgchartz it's outsold the 360 this year. So there are obviously plenty of people to sell to and it's still a fair way short of the PS2's total.
But surely Nintendo want to encourage people to buy the Wii U, not the Wii. Although we don't know what the final design of the Wii U will be, I can see them changing it a bit to avoid the DS/3DS confusion.
Imaduck on 17 Aug '11 said:
Well there goes 90% of their sales ...... bookends are meant to match up!
almanac2015 on 17 Aug '11 said:
How odd. Losing PS2 compatibility didn't exactly do the PS3 any favours. I'm lucky enough to have a PS2 compatible PS3 but could understand the frustration. So why does the Wii lose GC compatibility, especially this late in the life cycle?
Balladeer on 17 Aug '11 said:
Nintendo really confuse me at times. They make great decisions, like the 3DS price cut and ambassador programme... and then they go and do something like this.
http://www.mdjunction.com/components/com_joomlaboard/uploaded/images/moron.gif
lordirongut on 17 Aug '11 said:
That's a definite no-no for me and my launch Wii because I'm sure I've played more 'Cube games on it than Wii games! Just the other week, in fact, I completed Tales of Symphonia, which stomps all over its Wiiquel.
photoboy on 17 Aug '11 said:
I would imagine they're saving money by removing the GC controller ports and the two memory card slots, as the CPU/GPU are essentially clocked up versions of the same chips in the GC and would therefore always be capable of running GC titles.
ianson on 17 Aug '11 said:
Right, let me get this straight:
Ninty release 3DS and state that they believe slow adoption rate is in part due to the fact that consumers think it is another updated DS rather than a new console generation.
Ninty do an abysmal announcement for the WiiU that leaves even some hardcore gamers - who know the industry - wondering if it is just a handheld overclocker for the wii since they don't show off the console itself only the controller.
Ninty release an updated Wii console that LOOKS like the WiiU console.
Talk about refusing to learn from your mistakes; what kind of internal design cycle allows for such moronic decisions? They should have called the WiiU the Wii2 they should have called this the Wii Lite. The 3DS should have been called the Dimensionator...
cooloneuk on 17 Aug '11 said:
Just one question.
Why?
What's the point in launching a new model Wii just 12 months before the next console is due to come out?
gmcb007 on 17 Aug '11 said:
First Sony are doing it with the PSP and now Nintendo with the Wii. Where the hell do these guys get their optimism from?
Imaduck on 17 Aug '11 said:
Delusion/Optimism, they're the same thing now
damianwhitley on 17 Aug '11 said:
NOOOOOoooooh well. Who really cares? Haven't touched my Wii in 8 months anyway
This will just be Nintendo clearing inventory by making a cheaper unit.
Very_Silver_Ownz on 17 Aug '11 said:
Keep saying Wii U...Wii U Wii U Wii U. It sounds like a police car's siren.
PS3Tard on 17 Aug '11 said:
Still not buying one.
djreplay on 17 Aug '11 said:
Ha Ha, Good one Duck.
Bigalstevens83 on 17 Aug '11 said:
Good job I am planning on getting my Wii next month.
KippDynamite on 17 Aug '11 said:
Perhaps this is to compete with the newly redisigned PSP?
MakoChanX on 17 Aug '11 said:
I am all up for a Wii remodel, but taking away the Gamecube compatibilty? I still enjoy playing the odd gamecube game from time to time so, no thank you.
SoupDetective on 17 Aug '11 said:
I have no idea who this is being marketed towards. Who doesn't have one? And why would they want to play smash bros without the most suitable (gamecube) controller?
Imaduck on 18 Aug '11 said:
It's reasonable to give the Wii a lick of new paint, Sony and MS did it, wack a few £'s off and add photos or your new target audience to the box, but why remove things?! Why not clean up rough edges and make the new version the version of the console you want people to remember, the console at it's finest?
TheCrimsonFenix on 22 Aug '11 said:
It was bad enough that I've seen this spamming s**t all over the site over the weekend but being quoted by it is the last straw!
TheCrimsonFenix on 23 Aug '11 said:
MD1500 on 26 Aug '11 said:
Apparently, it will retail for £80 and be exactly the same size as the old Wii.
And the Wii U looks far fatter. I assume that's not going to be their final case design.