Retailers in the US are reporting that a new model of the Wii is due for release later this year in America.

Christmas is coming. Now is the prime time for console manufacturers to lure people into buying their consoles. Sony has already made their move with a downgraded model of their PS3, and the 360 has seen a price cut and a new model released, the Xbox 360 Elite. Nintendo have yet to announce any sort of price cut or new model, but according to US retailers, Nintendo have something up their sleeves.

Exhibit A! The universal product code of the Wii has been updated to "045496880088″. Now, this didn't mean anything to us either, except for the ability to find out that the product's recommended retail price is $289.99 (in Canadian Dollars, which roughly translates to �144.50). And that's actually the only thing we know. But it's still interesting nonetheless.

So what have Nintendo got in store for us? The Japanese were promised a Wii capable of DVD playback for the holiday season, so perhaps that's it. New console colours and a possible bundle with a new game such as Super Mario Galaxy may also be on the cards.

Nintendo have updated the product database for the "New Pack" - it is now called Wii Play 'n Learn. The game that most fits with that is Big Brain Academy for Wii, so the pack could be a BBA bundle, but does the Play refer to Wii Play or simply the fact that you play Wii Sports?

Stay tuned to N-Europe for the latest on this rumour.