Gone Too Soon?
Before the release of the Switch, Nintendo was able to drum up a lot of attention to their brand by unleashing nostalgic gold in to the world via the rebirth of the NES Classic in the US/EU and the Famicon Mini in Asia. The classic consoles were shrunken down in size, had a HDMI output, and had all the classic games built into the system. The re-imagining of these consoles did so well, that we saw the price for the units bloat locally due to an unbelievable demand. We truly hope that if you were interested in getting your hands on the NES Classic that you’ve done so already, because it seems like they’re going to be discontinuing its production in the US.
Nintendo released a statement to IGN, which says:
Throughout April, NOA territories will receive the last shipments of Nintendo Entertainment System: NES Classic Edition systems for this year. We encourage anyone interested in obtaining this system to check with retail outlets regarding availability. We understand that it has been difficult for many consumers to find a system, and for that we apologize. We have paid close attention to consumer feedback, and we greatly appreciate the incredible level of consumer interest and support for this product.
To which another representative of Nintendo adds:
NES Classic Edition wasn’t intended to be an ongoing, long-term product. However, due to high demand, we did add extra shipments to our original plans.
Yes, we do understand that this doesn’t affect us immediately, but the fact that Nintendo admits that the NES Classic was not intended to be a long-term product could mean that we might be seeing its supplies dwindle very soon or they may cease production for the Famicon Mini as well. And yes, we know that you can buy a Chinese bootleg of the device. But, if you’re the type who wants to purchase something that legit came from Nintendo, then we suggest that you pull the trigger soon.
