Nintendo has announced a redesigned Wii console will be launched in the UK by Christmas.
The new model will be a slimmer, "streamlined" console, intended to sit horizontally by or beneath your TV. So a bit like the old Wii but a touch thinner.
It'll mean the end of GameCube compatibility, however; the new Wii won't be able to run GameCube games or play nice with GameCube accessories and controllers.
Wii-fresh
The new Wii will come in a bundle with Wii Party and Wii Sports, a Wii Remote Plus and nunchuck, and Nintendo has a variety of other penny-saving game bundles up its sleeve for harangued parents flailing around for something to keep the kids quiet over Christmas.
With a dearth of actual new consoles to keep the coffers ticking over this festive season, all the gaming manufacturers are scrabbling to make the best of what they have.
Sony just announced a PS3 price drop and new, cheaper PSP model, while Microsoft hopes to ride the Kinect wave for a second year.
Meanwhile, Nintendo is hard at work on its upcoming Wii U console, slated for release in April 2012.
No word from Nintendo on pricing for the "streamlined" new Wii console yet, but we expect it to be hitting the shops in time for the peak Christmas gift buying season – September to November.
From ONM
