Pachter 'Absolutely Convinced' On Wii HD Rumors

The plausibility of rumors regarding a next generation "Wii HD" have been given a boost, in new comments by Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter. Pachter suggests that the common sentiment from hardcore gamers that Nintendo has abandoned them is something the company "has to overcome," and believes a "beefed up" high definition Wii console is "on the horizon." "A Wii HD would really position Nintendo well, which is why I'm absolutely convinced there is a Wii HD coming," says Pachter. "Businesswise, they can't have people saying that their machine is a toy for my mom." Rumors first emerged last week when veteran journalist John Davison reported that Nintendo was already making presentations for a new home console to publishers and developers. Writing on blog What They Play, Davison suggested that the new console was a wholly new format and not a hardware revision like the DSi. Although Davison didn't name his sources, the new console is alleged to be codenamed Wii HD (for high definition) and is on course for a 2011 release. No details of the console’s control system were hinted at, but his report claimed a greater emphasis on digital distribution and backwards compatibility. Even if true, given the alleged launch date, Nintendo is unlikely to make any official announcement for several years, but Pachter today supported the rumors, according to an AFP report following Nintendo’s recent press conference in Japan.