Occassionally villified Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick has made another revelation bound to spark some interesting conversation, admitting that "the goal that I had [at Activision]...about 10 years ago was to take all the fun out of making video games."

The comment came during a Deutsche Bank Securities Technology Conference attended by GameSpot, during which Kotick spoke rather frankly regarding the company's culture, future and focus on profit.

The head of Activision Blizzard--one of, if not the, largest game publishers, known for such hits as Guitar Hero, Call of Duty and World of Warcraft--noted that the company's incentive program "really rewards profit and nothing else," adding that "skepticism, pessimism, and fear" are used to keep employees "focused on the deep... Read more

Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter, the crystal ball of gaming, now predicts that the next generation of consoles will debut no sooner than 2013.

"We do not expect the 'next' generation to begin before 2013, if at all," said Pachter in a newsletter today.

Specifically, Pachter said to not expect any new hardware in 2010 other than "the long-rumoured high definition Wii, which is likely to upgrade the Wii to current console technology."

"We remain convinced that the publishers will resist the introduction of any video game hardware technology that requires a refresh of software, as the publishers have as yet to capitalise on the immense investments made in being competitive in the current cycle," elaborated Pacther.

"We therefore think it is likely that the 'next' generation will begin after 2013, meaning that software sales are likely to grow by a compounded annual rate of 6-10 percent for another five years."

Publisher Ubisoft is expecting the next generation of consoles to start shipping by 2012, according to statements made by CEO Yves Guillemot.

"We have now enough to help us to grow the company for not only next year, but to get ready for the coming of the next generation consoles that are probably going to happen 2011, 2012," said Guillemot, according to GamesIndustry.biz.

Ubisoft has already begun readying for the new hardware, increasing its workforce to meet the demands of fresh technology.

"We have to be ready for [the next generation of hardware]. We are already hiring people and buying some technology and looking at some brands as well," he added, noting that Ubisoft will soon announce the acquisition of a new sports property.

Reports that a next-generation Wii will launch in 2011 and support high definition resolutions are nothing but "pure rumor and speculation," Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime has informed VentureBeat.

Word of a new Wii emerged from recently respected industry veteran and ex-EGM editor John Davison. He claimed to learn of the new hardware from multiple developers and publishers who had seen a presentation of new system.

However, Fils-Aime was clear that leaked information from confidential meetings was "not the way [the public] would find out" about Nintendo's plans.

Yet despite the denial, oft-cited Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter still believes that Nintendo is secretly tinkering away on a high definition-capable Wii.

"A Wii HD would really position Nintendo well, which is why I'm absolutely convinced there is a Wii HD coming," the analyst told AFP. "Businesswise, they can't have people saying that their machine is a toy for my mom."

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.