Nintendo Denies Report About Wii U Ending Production This Week

Earlier this week, it was reported that Nintendo would cease production on the Wii U this coming Friday, November 4. Multiple sources told Eurogamer this would be the case and Nintendo declined to comment on their story. Now, the Japan's IT Media quotes a Nintendo spokesperson as denying that production on the Wii U will end this week

"There is no change to our continuing [Wii U] production," the spokesperson said, as translated by Kotaku, stating that they were not aware of the specifics of the original report. That said, the person explained that reports about Wii U production coming to a close are "not true."

"Even though the Nintendo Switch is slated to go on sale, [Wii U] production is scheduled to continue," the spokesperson said, adding that more Wii U games are on the way, including The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

In March, Nikkei reported that Wii U production would wrap up by the end of 2016, a claim that Nintendo later denied. A month later, in April, Nintendo president Tatsumi Kimishima apparently suggested Wii U production would end by March 2018. Also that month, Kimishima concretely stated that Nintendo plans to "greatly reduce the amount of Wii U systems produced and shipped."

It's no secret that the Wii U has come up short. The system, which went on sale in November 2012, has sold 13.36 million units around the world as of September 30. This compares to more than 101 million units sold for the Wii. The Wii, of course, was a massive, global hit, and matching that success was always going to be a challenge for the Wii U.

The Nintendo Switch console is slated to go on sale in March 2017. It's a console/mobile hybrid device that you can play at home or on the go. The console's price, system specs, and launch lineup will be announced during an event in January 2017.