Nintendo has time and again been criticized for not releasing enough titles for its "core" audience on the Wii console. The company believes that on the Wii U, gamers won't have the chance to sling those kinds of criticisms. The Wii U will bridge the gap between casual and hardcore, Nintendo says.

That's the Wii U, though. Its successor won't launch until next year, but already it seems as if Nintendo is starting to abandon the Wii. A quick look over the console's upcoming software lineup reveals only one first-party blockbuster in the form of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. Even third-party publishers seem to have already shifted their focus to developing big games for the new console.

Nintendo president Satoru Iwata says that that's not the case. Speaking to Gamasutra, he said, "When we consider the people who are first to purchase Wii U and the people who are going to purchase the Wii, I don't think there will be a great overlap between the two.

"I believe that those who are waiting to purchase the Wii now are the so-called 'late adopters' and the people waiting to purchase the Wii U are early adopters. So for the time after the Wii U [arrives in stores], I believe both systems will be on the market for some time.""

The question here is, just how long is "some time"? The GameCube got discontinued roughly three months after the Wii came out. That's still better than the Nintendo 64, which was discontinued almost as soon as the GameCube hit retail. The Nintendo 64, however, was being trounced by the PS2 at the time while the Wii is still the best selling seventh generation console so far, so it's likely that Nintendo will try to keep it in the market as long as it still sells. I give it around six months.

How long do you think the Wii will be sold alongside the Wii U? Sound off in the comments section or continue the discussion on the QJ.NET forums.

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