Wii 2 on tap for 2011?

It's a big week for Nintendo rumors. First talk of a Nintendo DS with MP3 player and camera starts to make the rounds. Now comes an even bigger rumor: Nintendo will release a follow-up to the Wii in 2011.

The news comes from What They Play, an online video game guide for parents. In its story, the site describes the neew Wii console as a "true 'next generation' Nintendo" and "far more than a simple refresh of the current hardware." Currently dubbed "Wii HD" (a name that's no worse than "Wii" to begin with, I guess), it is said to revolve around the same kind of gameplay while upping the ante in the performance department. That would likely mean graphics that finally crawl out of the 1990s as well as real internal storage like a hard drive.

What's the proof of all of this? What They Play cites the usual "multiple sources" in the game industry but also notes that Nintendo is now spending $370 million on R&D in a year vs. just $34 million in 2003. You don't spend that kind of money without something in the pipeline.

And, of course, a new console makes nothing but sense. The Wii has captured the imagination of the world... because that's what you have to use to fill in the gaps where the Wii's graphics aren't up to snuff. Casual gamers are totally sold on the Wii, but hardcore gamers—the ones that spend all their disposable income on this stuff—are still playing their Xbox 360 and PS3. Can a next-gen Wii offer the best of both worlds: Innovative gameplay combined with an immersive audio-video experience? 2011 is barely two years away...

Poll: What do you want from your next Wii?