For the dismay of many, Nintendo decided recently to discontinue the production of the NES Classic Mini. Ever since its release by the end of last year, this tiny retro 8-bit system has scored a whooping number of 2.3 million units sold worldwide. A quantity that may seem rather high taking into account how difficult it has been to find one during the last months.
In a recent interview with Time, Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aimé has delved into the reasons that lead to this production shutdown. “We had originally planned for this to be a product for last holiday. We just did not anticipate how incredible the response would be,” he says. Adding extra shipments did not match that first demand level and now the NES Classic Mini scores on secondary markets a much higher price than its original $59. “We understand that people are frustrated about not being able to find the system, and for that we apologize,” he adds.
Further reasons include, of course, the arrival of the Nintendo Switch and also the continuation of their handheld empire. Another addition to the family, the 2DS XL, has just been announced for July 28. Nintendo is definitely surfing quite a golden wave and they plan to stay on top. “From our perspective it’s important to recognize where our future is and the key areas that we need to drive. We’ve got a lot going on right now and we don’t have unlimited resources.”
Saying Goodbye to the NES Classic Mini
Is this putting a definite end to the short revival of the NES spirit in recent years? Fils-Aime follows Nintendo’s official statement about not having further plans to bring it back as a product. However, considering the buzz that such a vintage platform has provoked so far, one may argue that there’s still a lot of potential rooted in nostalgia. So do not despair, we may it get it back into retail one day. We just hope this does not take another two decades, if possible.
Did you manage to get a NES Classic Mini? Do you believe the NES Classic model is far from being over? Let us know in the comment section down below!
