DVD-Capable Wii To Debut In Japan

Long touted as a standard console feature, but quietly removed in more recent rundowns of the Wii's capabilities, new information has been revealed that Japan will be receiving a DVD-playback capable version of the Wii in 2007. A special supplemental guide to the Wii included with the September issue of the UK's Edge Magazine has revealed that Nintendo plans to release an enhanced Wii console, including the full DVD-movie playback feature, in Japan next year. Little is known yet on the exact nature of the enhanced Wii, including whether it will be otherwise identical to the standard console planned for worldwide release this year. In December 2001, Nintendo partnered with Panasonic to release the Q, a special enhanced and entirely redesigned stainless steel version of Nintendo's GameCube, which was capable of playing DVD movies, including Dolby 5.1 sound not available in the standard console hardware. This device also never made it out of Japan. Representatives from Nintendo of America have told Gamasutra that Nintendo currently has "nothing to announce in regards to the U.S. release" of the enhanced Wii console, so it remains possible that, like Nintendo's Q, the console may remain exclusive to the East.