The rumor has been officially confirmed: Nintendo will not produce any more Wii U systems. They are shifting their console development to the upcoming Nintendo Switch system. In a statement to Game Informer, Nintendo stated: “We can confirm that as of today, all Wii U hardware that will be made available in the North American market for this fiscal year has already been shipped to our retail partners. We encourage anyone who wants Wii U to communicate with their preferred retail outlet to monitor availability.”
They also told Game Informer that production for the Japanese domestic market would also cease in the near future, but could not offer an exact time frame.
The Wii U was a generally well reviewed system, but it sold very poorly. It has moved between 13-14 million units since its release in 2012. To put that in perspective, Xbox One sales are estimated to be around 30 million, and PlayStation 4 around 40 million.
The Wii U finally brought a Nintendo system to the technological level of modern day consoles, but it never quite caught on with the public. It still had some great games to go with it, such as Splatoon and Mario Kart 8, but it never quite managed to make a dent in the Microsoft and Sony juggernaut sales.
The focus for Nintendo may be on the upcoming Switch console, but right now the company is all about Pokemon Sun and Moon and the NES Classic retro system. The new Pokemon games will release next week on November 18th, and the NES Classic system is nearly impossible to find, demanding insane prices from second-hand sellers. The Wii U is still available, but will not be for long. If you want one, you better go grab one soon.
Did the Wii U get a fair shake? Let us know in the comments below.
