Sources: Nintendo to announce HD console this summer for release later next year

Just as the Wii is seriously cooling down, Game Informer reports, citing multiple sources, that Nintendo will announce a “competitive” HD console at E3 “this summer, if not sooner.” From the report:

In fact, Nintendo is already showing publishers the system in an effort to get them interested and allow them plenty of time to start developing titles in anticipation of the system’s reported late 2012 launch. This advance support marks a change from when the Wii launched. At that time, several Western publishers were outright surprised by the announcement, and it affected the software support for the platform… 

“Nintendo is doing this one right,” said an anonymous source. “[It’s] not a gimmick like the Wii.” What else, beyond graphics, this may imply about the system is unknown. What kind of controls the system will support (we imagine a need for both classic analog configurations and motion controllers) or what level of software and infrastructure Nintendo will provide for online gaming is also unknown. However, it’s a positive sign that the system might be more than just an HD Wii.

When asked for comment, Game Informer had originally quoted a Nintendo spokesman as saying, “Stay tuned,” according to Infendo reader Milom. Game Informer has since changed that response to the boilerplate, “Nintendo does not comment on rumors or speculation.”

In any case, exciting times for Nintendo fans. That said, how do you think the new console will work?