Nintendo: Don't expect a new console any time soon

Speaking to Reuters at the BMO Capital Markets Interactive Entertainment Conference yesterday, Nintendo US boss Reggie Fils-Aime said that Wii had a long life ahead of it and we shouldn't expect a next gen machine from the company any time soon.

"We believe the role of a new console, a new system, is to bring great new entertainment ideas to life," he said. "We launched (the Wii and DS) those systems when we had great ideas that would benefit either from a touch screen or from a Wii remote.

"We will consider the launch of new consoles when we have got great new entertaining ideas that can only be done with a new console.

"As we sit here today the Wii console has a long run ahead of it, (the DS too). At some point we will launch the DSi here in the Americas. So as we look at the near term for us its all about maximizing the opportunity with the (Wii and DS)."

The exec also said he was "very optimistic" that Nintendo would have a strong Christmas, despite the fact many of his company counterparts, speaking at the conference yesterday, erred on the side of caution on the subject of Holiday sales.