Nintendo of Europe launching redesigned Wii, loses Gamecube support [Updated]

[Update] Nintendo of America has told Shacknews it does not currently have any plans to bring the revised Wii model to market in North America:

Nintendo of America does not currently have any plans to release the Wii bundle that was announced by Nintendo of Europe on Aug. 17. Consumers in the United States can currently purchase a Wii console bundled with the Mario Kart Wii game and Wii Wheel accessory for a suggested retail price of $149.99. The Wii Party game is available separately for a suggested retail price of $39.99.

The Wii hardware currently available at stores in North America is able to play Nintendo GameCube discs. We do not have any announcements to make about future hardware configurations.

[Original Story] Nintendo is introducing a redesigned Wii console this holiday season, with a few notable changes and a new bundle. Nintendo of Europe announced the streamlined system this morning, which is set to launch this October. The bundle includes Wii Party, the original Wii Sports, and a Wii Remote Plus with nunchuck.

The smaller console is designed to sit horizontally, rather than the vertical configuration of the current Wii. Nintendo also casually mentioned that the new Wii configuration is no longer backwards compatible with GameCube games. Other bundles are said to be coming for the holiday season.

Eurogamer reports that a Nintendo representative confirmed the old model is being discontinued and replaced. If you want an old-school Wii, now is probably the time to grab one.

Shacknews has contacted Nintendo of America to confirm North American release details.