Report: Next-Gen Wii HD Due by 2011

Nintendo is beginning to present its next generation hardware, dubbed Wii HD, to game developers and publishers, according to a report from What They Play.

Said to be "far more than a simple refresh of the current hardware," sources tell the site that the Wii HD is being billed as the true successor to the Wii and should launch by 2011. That fits with the predictions of key industry figures, who expect the next generation of consoles, including the PlayStation 4 and Xbox 720, to arrive by 2012.

Along with support for high definition resolutions, the new system is expected to sport backwards compatibility and a focus on digitally distributed content. Sources also indicate that Nintendo is once again placing special emphasis on the controller.

While these may seem like the ramblings of a no-name site attempting to gain traffic, especially as Nintendo is tomorrow throwing a a press event while word of a revised DS circulates, What They Play was co-founded by former EGM editor-in-chief John Davison. A long-time industry veteran, Davison also penned the report.

Davison further notes that something major is in the works at Nintendo, as the company has more than tripled its research and development costs since the Wii launched in 2006, with the company spending $370 million on R&D in 2007.