Well isn’t this interesting. Merely a day after Iwata shot down rumours about a new Wii/DS, Videogamer is reporting that Nintendo is planning on announcing a brand new console at the upcoming Game Developers Conference.

An unspecified source told Videogamer:

Keep in mind, at this point, this in only a rumor. It’s also worth noting that Sony is holding the GDC keynote this year, not Nintendo.

“Just heard a rumour that you may be interested in: Nintendo are going to announce a new platform at GDC. Some devs have already started work on it.”

The source wasn’t specific as to whether it would be the fabled Wii HD, a new iteration of the current DS hardware, or the inevitable DS2 but one thing’s for certain; if this is true, it’s certainly exciting news.

Here at Game Rant, we’ve got our money on a new DS. Looking at the latter third the quote, the source claims that developers have started work on this new system. If it were to be merely an upgrade to the current DS, why would developers need to “start work” on it? The latest DS iteration, the DSi, already includes a specific online service in DSiware, as well as playing all DS games. What more is there to add? From this, it’s likely that the new device is not merely a new version of the current system.

Unless of course, the new “platform” is the oft-rumoured DSi Virtual Console. Perhaps Capcom is working on a downloadable version of Golden Sun to coincide with the launch of Golden Sun 3 later this year? The possibilities are endless, and honestly quite exciting.

Then there’s the elephant in the room: the Wii HD. Could all the rumours finally be true? Will Nintendo release an upgrade to the current Wii system with HD-enabled graphics? Or was our reader “Aaron” correct in his evaluation of the entire situation in the comments of yesterday’s article?

If we were to see a Wii HD/ Wii 2, what would it entail? Lord knows that a mere graphical upgrade wouldn’t be enough to convince the millions of current Wii owners to buy a new system.

Logically, the DS2 seems most likely. The original DS hardware is now five years old (compared to the Wii’s three and a half years) and could do with an internal hardware update. I’m the last person to complain about graphics when playing my DS, but I can’t deny it would be nice to have my games look a little prettier.

One thing we can guarantee: If Nintendo does announce a new hardware platform at GDC, it will be backwards compatible with its predecessor, and it’s likely that the internet will explode around the time of announcement.

Stay tuned to GameRant for more news as it breaks.

What do you think of the proposed rumors? What are we going to see at GDC?

Source: Videogamer