Analysts are already playing with possible ideas, so the unexpected console could be here sooner.

This is very promising news, despite the recession; the gaming community are obliged to continue developing technology to make life more enjoyable for us (well, those who take pleasure in gaming).

Wii 2 HD, the independent package?

However, many analysts have conveyed that this could be the only console that will be advanced heavily on the technical side, meaning the current Playstation and Xbox packages will not be improved too much, which is quite disappointing for most gamers but this opens up a wider market for the Wii developers.

Michael Pachter, who is an analyst for Games industry, expressed his feelings towards the issue.

“We do not expect a ‘new’ console in 2010, other than the long-rumoured high definition Wii, which is likely to upgrade the Wii to current console technology,” he said.

“We do not expect the ‘next’ generation to begin before 2013, if at all. We remain convinced that the publishers will resist the introduction of any video game hardware technology that requires a refresh of software, as the publishers have as yet to capitalize on the immense investments made in being competitive in the current cycle.”

“Because R&D costs are likely to flatten out with the benefits of a learning curve, we expect earnings leverage as the publishers are able to exploit R&D investments. In brief, we think that investors have it wrong so far this cycle, and think that investment in video game publishers will bear fruit for many years.”

What can we conclude from this?

It seems likely that you and I will have to wait at least 4-5 years before we have a more developed console on the shelves, as Pachter suggested. The gaming public can still be optimistic, because you never know, the way technology is developing, Wii 2 HD could be here earlier than gaming pundits originally anticipated, most probably for an affordable price too!

Personally, I look forward to see what Nintendo decide to develop in the years to come, because it will certainly change gaming as we know it!