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Rumor of the Week: Blu-ray Wii!

October 29, 2009 To me, this would be nothing short of rad. Or at least rad for Blu-ray adoption. The most popular game console going is now offering up a model with Blu-ray playing capabilities?
That is the rumor circulating today - much thanks to Blu-ray.com for spotting the news! Basically, speculation is that Nintendo will launch next year a 'Wii 2,' which comes equipped with a full-fledged Blu-ray player.
The sourcing on the news is admittedly fuzzy - one Web site heard another Web site hear something from some Nintendo executive. Yet many of these gaming rumors have eventually come true...uh...hello, $299 PS3.
Still, I have my doubts about a Blu-ray Wii actually coming to fruition. One big doubt revolves around the fact that the a huge consumer allure for the Wii is that it's relatively cheap. Adding in a Blu-ray player is going to up its reasonable $199 price tag.
People didn't really buy the Wii for sophisticated gaming - where after a handful of blockbusters (i.e. Mario Kart, Wii Fit) things seem to have hit a wall with the console's offerings.
However, Nintendo is smart to come up with ways to boost the Wii. Hardware sales have been generally down from last year.
So with a pricier tag, will people flock to a Blu-ray Wii? It will be interesting to find out.

Posted by Susanne Ault on October 29, 2009 | Comments (0)