The NES Classic Edition to be Discontinued by Nintendo

NES Classic Edition

April looks like it’s going to be the last month gamers in North America can go out and get Nintendo’s NES Classic Edition. A representative for the company announced on Thursday that the popular retro console “wasn’t intended to be an ongoing, long-term product.” Nintendo has urged “anyone interested in obtaining this system to check with retail outlets regarding availability.” The company made no statement about the console’s availability outside of North America.

In addition to the NES Classic Edition, the Classic Controller will be discontinued as well. Third party accessories may continue to be produced, but Nintendo says the decision will be up to each separate manufacturer. There was no mention of any future Nintendo Classics products as many gamers were hoping for.

By January of this year, the NES Classic Edition sold over 1.5 million consoles, the game maker announced at its 3rd quarter fiscal results meeting. The device was initially released on November 10, 2016, just in time for the holiday season. The console, which came pre-loaded with 30 classic NES games, had notorious inventory problems shortly after its launch. The popularity of the NES Classic Edition led to the company releasing an advisory statement to shoppers to check the product’s availability with retailers.

In a statement to IGN, Nintendo of America again apologized for supply issues, saying that the company has “paid close attention to consumer feedback”, adding that they “greatly appreciate the incredible level of consumer interest and support for this product.” The representative for Nintendo explained that the product was supposed to have an even shorter lifespan, but the popularity of the Classic Edition forced Nintendo to “add extra shipments to our original plans.”

How will the discontinuation of the Classic Edition affect you? What is your opinion of the retro system? Let us know below!

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