Nintendo on Building a Better Wii
Reggie Fils-Aime talks about possible upgrades to the Wii and why they won't involve HD.
Reggie Fils-Aime is a confident man. The head of Nintendo in America is coming off a big Christmas for the company, with both Wii and DS selling about as fast as the company can make them. But as pleased as Fils-Aime is with the current state of Nintendo's affairs, he's still got an eye on the future.
Fils-Aime at the Wii launch in New YorkNintendo has a reputation of revamping its products not long after launch, such as when it trimmed the DS to create the DS Lite. Could the Wii come in for a makeover sometime soon?
"We're always looking for ways to improve our systems," Fils-Aime told GamePro in a recent interview. There is the DVD-equipped version of the Wii coming, at least in Japan, but Nintendo won't commit yet to bringing it to all territories.
Ever the salesman, Fils-Aime sidestepped specifics of further upgrades, saying only that, "it's a bit premature to be discussing any potential evolution".
One feature Wii owners won't be seeing is support for high-definition content. Fils-Aime cites a recent Center for Media Research study that said just 17 per cent of US households have an HD TV. Nintendo is siding with the 83 per cent who don't have one.
"We're intensely interested in better technology," he told GamePro, "but sometimes our definition of the right technology is different from other people's."
Alex Wollenschlaeger
Editor, Kikizo
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