Although his statement could be an elaborate prima aprilis prank, Nintendo COO Reggie Fils-Aime stated that the Wii U would be arriving after April 1, 2012 and would co-exist on the market alongside the Wii, DSi, and 3DS. In a Forbes interview Fils-Aime said that the two major Nintendo consoles would be on the market simultaneously until they stop supporting the quickly aging original Wii.

The Wii U, announced at E3 this year, will consist of an HD console and a unique handheld controller with touchscreen. The entire package is compatible with older Wii games and the HD graphics and high-speed processor should bring Nintendo back into the pantheon of high-end home consoles currently populated by the PS3 and the XBox 360.

Fils-Aime made it clear that the Wii U controller is not a “tablet” but a new way of interacting with new and familiar games. For example, users can send a currently running game from the TV to the controller, allowing parents or significant others to watch Extreme Makeover: Home Edition while the gamer keeps playing.

via BGR