The Wii U has had a complicated history. Released as the successor to the original Wii, Nintendo planned the Wii U to accommodate for the motion-based console’s flaws while introducing a new tablet system and enhanced graphics. To their credit, the Wii U did introduce a variety of strong titles. We have the console to thank for Splatoon, Bayonetta 2, Tokyo Mirage Sessions and Mario Kart 8, just to name a few. But Wii U consoles won’t be available for much longer. According to Eurogamer, the Nintendo Wii U production line will come to a close Friday, Nov 4 2016.
The news might come as a shock at first, but more information reveals Nintendo’s decision may just be a smart business move. According to Eurogamer, Wii U’s last round of orders were relatively small. This isn’t the first time that Nintendo has started pulling the Wii U off the market, either. Last month, the last round of Wii U units were sold by Nintendo in the UK, with retail sales ending Oct 1, 2016. And for Nintendo’s final production line, analyst Daniel Ahmad clocks the last batch of units at approximately 240,000.
Nintendo will ship another ~240,000 units to retail and then thats it.
So if you want a brand new Wii U (haha) then buy it now ? https://t.co/qruDJZjm4u
— Daniel Ahmad (@ZhugeEX) November 1, 2016
It’s safe to say why Nintendo is pulling their console off of store shelves. It’s no secret that the gaming giant is getting ready for the release of the Nintendo Switch, originally codenamed “Nintendo NX,” which is a hybrid gaming console built for a mixture of living room and on-the-go gaming. Ending the production line is signaling that Nintendo is putting aside their past work and placing their entire console focus on the Switch. But cutting production short of the holiday season does sound like a risky move. Even if most interested players already have a Wii U in their homes. In the meantime, keep checking back as more news develops on the Wii U and Nintendo Switch.
