Nintendo: Wii U will NOT support DVD or Blu-ray

Although Nintendo is finally attempting to increase the all-encompassing appeal of its Wii brand by throwing more processing and graphics power at the upcoming Wii U, the console won’t be the home entertainment platform some fans were hoping for.

Moreover, Nintendo of America’s vice president of corporate affairs, Cindy Gordon, has this week confirmed via News10 that the Wii U will not support the playback of DVD or Blu-ray discs.

And, in yet more potentially disappointing news for Nintendo lovers, Gordon also said that while the Wii U will indeed support backward compatibility with current-generation Wii software, it will not play host to GameCube titles.

It’s worth noting that the current Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 home consoles—both of which will remain viable low-cost hardware choices alongside the Wii U—offer disc-based media playback and easy film and TV downloads through their accomplished online platforms.

Nintendo’s persistent unwillingness to offer physical disc-based playback isn’t likely to sit well with prospective buyers. And, even though the original Wii has embraced content delivery systems such as Netflix, Nintendo isn’t best known for its proficiency where online services are concerned.

Here’s hoping that clunky and unwieldy tablet controller is more intuitive than it looks and doesn’t alienate an audience previously enamored by the Wii Remote and Nunchuk.