Four months before the launch of Nintendo's new console, Nintendo Switch, the Japanese company announced that they will be stopping the production of their older home console, Wii U. Wii U was released in 2012 and has sold 13.36 million units so far.
The demise of Wii U has been heavily rumored in the past few months although Nintendo tried to keep it hushed up and gave mixed messages. In a statement to the Japanese site IT Daily back in March 2016, Nintendo refuted the rumors and claimed that Wii U would be in production "into the next fiscal year and beyond".
Later, company president Tatsumi Kimishima stated on their official website that they would "greatly reduce the amount of Wii U systems" during the financial year ending March 2017.
However, the rumors of Wii U's immediate end did not disappear and only gained traction. Recently, Eurogamer reported that multiple sources confirmed that it would be the last week of production for the home console. After another public denial by Nintendo, the Japanese company finally confirmed that the end has come for Wii U.
In a statement to Kotaku, Nintendo of America confirmed that all available units of the Wii U has been shipped as of November 10 and consumers are encouraged to refer to preferred outlet stores for the availability of the home console.
Wii U's demise may not be a surprise for gamers and those in the industry. The game console has not been popular among users and the sales numbers paled against its predecessor, Wii, which sold for 101 million units. Wii U has also failed to compete with its competitors, such as PlayStation 4, and had a smaller software library for its users.
On the other hand, there has been much excitement surrounding the upcoming Nintendo Switch, releasing in March 2017. The hybrid console, allowing you to play at home or on the go, has been anticipated as one of the biggest hits of 2017. It has already been confirmed that two "legendary Super Mario" games, Super Sunshine HD and Super Mario Galaxy 3, will be available on Nintendo Switch, according to iTech Post.
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