Nintendo Discontinues NES Classic Edition Globally [Update]
Victim of its own success.
Update [April 19]: The NES Classic Edition has also been discontinued in Europe, a Nintendo spokesperson told Eurogamer. The console, which was called the NES Classic Mini in the territory, is no longer being manufactured in Europe. Combined with the discontinuation in Japan, that now means the miniature console is now out of print worldwide.
Original story follows [April 13].
After just six months on the market, Nintendo says it is discontinuing the NES Classic Edition in North America. Nintendo did not provide a specific reason for why the console is being discontinued, but the plug-and-play system has been plagued with supply issues; months after its launch it was still selling out almost as quickly as new shipments were released.
"Throughout April, NOA territories will receive the last shipments of Nintendo Entertainment System: NES Classic Edition systems for this year," Nintendo said in a statement.
"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."
Nintendo has only said, so far, that the NES Classic Edition is being discontinued in North America. When asked whether the discontinuation would be applied globally, a representative from Nintendo said, “Please see the statements made by Nintendo in other territories.”
The NES Classic Edition launched last November, coming preloaded with 30 classic NES games. When asked if these classic games will be made available on the Switch or another system, Nintendo only said “We have nothing to announce at this time.”
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