Nintendo will continue promoting the Wii game console through 2011, and a "Wii 2" console launch won't take place until the current platform reaches 45 million units sold in the U.S. market.
As of now, the total Wii sales count stands at 30 million in the U.S., and selling 15 million more units seems like an ambitious goal before a Wii 2 could be released.
Nintendo America president Reggie Fils-Aimes recently confirmed the disappointing news as rumors began circulating that the Wii 2 could be available sometime next year. In addition, the Wii is said to be selling 23 percent better than the Sony PlayStation 2 during the same time in its lifecycle.
"As we sit here today we're saying the Wii has many, many more units to sell. After we've reached an installed base of 45 million here in the U.S., we can have a conversation about the next generation," Fils-Aime said.
The 30-million mark was reached earlier in the summer, although sales are slowing down.
Nintendo recently announced that a Wii price cut won't occur anytime soon, as all three game studios compete for lower consumer spending dollars this Christmas. The Wii already received a lone price cut earlier in the year, when the $249 price tag was dropped down to $199.
The Wii still has a strong following, but the Xbox 360 and PS3 have clearly made up ground. Weaker physical hardware and less streaming support, however, are now catching up to the Wii, and the Wii 2 is expected to help make up for some of these shortcomings.
Nintendo President Satoru Iwata also confirmed that the Japanese electronics company doesn't plan to move away from the DS mobile platform any time soon. The news isn't too surprising as Nintendo moves ahead with its 3DS plans, even though the device won't be launched in the U.S. until March 2011.
