A high-definition Wii has been rumoured almost since the original Wii came out in 2006, and the latest one describes Wii 2 as a game console with a Blu-Ray drive.

The rumour was published on the French www.Logic-sunrise.com web site, citing "an internal source of the marketing Nintendo France Service."

So this time the upcoming Wii 2 game console - which is expected to be released some time in the end of 2010 - will supposedly feature a Blu-Ray drive, possibly in an effort to compat piracy and keep up with the increasing popularity of the HD consumer electronics products. Wii 2 will also be able to play movies and of course games in HD and will be released worldwide, according to the published article.

During the company's latest update to Nintendo's investors on its strategy last week in Tokyo, Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata apparently touched upon the specifications of Nintendo's next generation console, indicating that the console would likely make use of HD visuals. This was reported at today's Nikkei Industrial Daily newspaper.

At the same event, there was another direct question about high-definition.

"Nothing has been decided," said hardware chief Mr Takeda, "but if all TVs become HD it will be natural to produce something that shows HD, in his opinion."

Analysts have been expected Nintendo to release a new Wii possibly next year, with functionality more like that of Microsoft?s Xbox 360 or Sony's PlayStation 3, and possibly a different controller.

A question about the infamous Wii Vitality Sensor (an upcoming Wii add-on that measures the user's pulse) was also asked during the event. "It's not just about measuring your pulse," Mr Iwata insists, "it will tell you other things." "Fun software is in store using it next year," he said.