Nintendo Imminent DS Refresh & Wii HD Development Rumors

Rumors seem to be drawn magnetically to Nintendo today, with both the DS and the Wii gaining coverage regarding their replacements.  The DS rumor is more imminent, with MCV claiming to have heard from a Japanese source that Nintendo plan to announce a new version of the handheld, complete with MP3 and camera functionality, on October 2nd at 5am GMT.

The new DS is being referred to as a "multimedia" model, and will supposedly be announced at a press conference kicking off in under two hours time (as of writing).  The suggestion is that the refreshed portable console will be in stores by Christmas.

Meanwhile the Wii is also subject of some replacement rumors, though the timescales are a little more generous.  Wired are suggesting that the hit motion-sensitive console will be reworked by 2011, with the inclusion of high-definition support being the key upgrade.  There's no word on whether that means the Wii HD would support Blu-ray movie playback or just improved gaming graphics.

As rumors go, the Wii HD suggestion is perhaps a little obvious.  Announced two years ago, in an industry where anything over six months is pretty much considered old, for Nintendo not to have tweaked the console by 2011 is almost unfathomable.

[via Engadget and Electronic House]