Iwata Talks Zelda Sequel, DS Successor and More

This is still all we've seen of the next console Zelda.

Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata sat down with the Asahi Shimbun for an interview on the 5th and provided lots of hints at upcoming plans for the Wii, DS, and DS's successor.

That's right, DS's successor. Iwata told the paper that high resolution image output and a sensor that can capture player's movements would be requirements for the followup system. However, he refused to comment on a release time frame, noting only, "DS saw its highest sales in North America in 2009."

Iwata appears to be keen on pushing the current DS even further. He expressed interest in expanding the current DS at Mac program to other shops. This program allows McDonalds patrons to connect online with their DS for special contents and demos.

Regarding the Wii, Iwata said that the marketplace "has started to accelerate again." This appears to be in direct contrast to his comments last year that the Wii market had slowed. For the Wii's year-end sales season, he said "In North American and Japan, we recorded the highest system sales for the past three years."

Iwata also made mention of two major pieces of the company's Wii strategy: the Vitality Sensor peripheral and the next Zelda game. The company plans on announcing games for the Vitality Sensor in July, with aim of a release as soon as possible. Regarding Zelda, the company will be releasing the much anticipated sequel before the end of this year.