Nintendo Announces Wii Successor; Set to Launch in 2012

We posted about a rumor last week that Nintendo would be announcing the Wii successor in the “weeks” ahead, but thanks to the official announcement made this morning in Japan, there wasn’t too much waiting involved at all. Though still sparse on details, Nintendo did verify that the console would be shown off during the E3 Expo in early June (7 – 9), which again isn’t a very long time to wait.

Similar to its goals with the Wii, Nintendo wants to release something special this next time around – a console that  again helps to revolutionize gaming. Though it might be easy to assume that Nintendo might release a 3D-capable console, especially with the great reception of the 3DS, Nintendo’s president shot the idea down by saying, “It’s difficult to make 3-D images a key feature, because 3-D televisions haven’t obtained wide acceptance yet“.

As someone who can’t even see in 3D, that news comes as a bit of relief, but I still have to wonder… what exactly does Nintendo have up its sleeve? Is motion gaming going to be taken to the next level, or is there something else that will take us all by surprise? With E3 right around the corner, we won’t have long to speculate, but we will have a little bit of a wait for the console’s launch, as it’s slated for release during 2012.

The terse announcement does nothing to clear up rumors surrounding the system, which has been linked to high-definition graphics, motion controls and a handheld touch screen. Less trustworthy industry sources have even indicated that the system’s rumored codename, “Project Cafe,” hints at its ability to shoot a cappuccino directly into your gaping mouth.