Analyst: Wii 1.5 possible before end of 2012

According to Sterne Agee analyst Arvind Bhatia, gamers may see the release of an upgraded Wii before 2012, which is when this console generation is expected to end (at the earliest). This would not be an entirely new system but rather, a Wii 1.5.

“It is possible Nintendo releases a slightly updated machine without a full upgrade – a Wii 1.5, if you will.”

This is not a completely outlandish idea, as one could argue that the DSi is a DS Lite 1.5 in that it is not an entirely new system.

Bhatia also mentioned that third-parties will begin to take share from Nintendo this year.

“Third-party publishers are aligning more towards the Wii console this year given the large (and rising) installed base and lower development costs for the Wii console…We expect third parties to take share from Nintendo.”