Yamauchi suggested Wii to IGN in early 2004?

I realize Nintendo obviously has been planning Wii for a few years, but I always assumed Iwata to be the father of the console. A find on the GA Forums linking to an IGN article suggests that Yamauchi may have, in fact, conceived the less tech, focus on gameplay strategy. From the thread: “The former NCL president dismissed the quick arrival of a next-generation console. Nintendo has no plans to release a so-called ‘next-generation’ videogame console at the next year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo in Las Vegas. We will rather make a new proposal that uses the GameCube at its core.”

Is there a history major in the room willing to shed some light on the facts? On a side note, the ex-Nintendo chief always reminded me of some Japanese mobster. It really was all in the family.