This week came confirmation from Nintendo Japan that it's ceasing production of the Wii, suggesting that the end is nigh for the system. Of course, in territories such as Europe and North America there's been data — during the Wii U's quietest months — placing the last-gen little box of wonders only narrowly behind its HD successor in sales; we've certainly argued on multiple occasions that pulling the plug now seems to be a pity.
It's natural for us to consider how this discontinuation affects Western markets, and a Nintendo of America representative has said the following to GameSpot on the matter.
The announcement that the Wii console has been discontinued is specific to Japan. There is no change in the status of Wii in the United States, and it is available for purchase this holiday season.
It's important to treat that statement with caution. While citing no change to status, the availability of the Wii this Holiday season in Western territories wasn't really in doubt; there's likely to be plenty of accumulated stock in stores and storage waiting to be sold. So availability is unlikely to be an issue in the remainder of 2013, but we'll have to see whether Nintendo of America and Nintendo of Europe actually have facilities and plans to manufacture more Wii units away from the central authority in Japan, or whether this statement is a fudge on the situation.
Either way, if you do need an affordable console with a huge catalogue of games this Holiday, the Wii could still be more than worth a punt.
[source gamespot.com]
Comments 32
They should still be focusing on the Wii U. It needs it.
@TheLilK98
i fully agree... and i think it is about time that they stop the wii...what i dont get is why they made a wii mini when they had released the wii u...
people here still dont know that there is a wii u.
This is stupid -.-
@withoutdk My sentiments exactly.
If you can't find a Wii new or used, then its time to move out of the underground cave in the woods.
"What happens once sold out, though?"
...buy a Wii U maybe?
I certainly hope it's not exclusice to Japan. I thought the whole point was to make sure that the Wii U is front-and-centre for the holidays. Anything less is a step backwards.
The sooner the Wii dies the better, the Wii U simply cannot survive with the Wii taking away its sales. Nintendo is losing potential game sales every time a Wii is sold.
But I thought they just released that new game pad thingy for the Wii?!?!?
Someone still doesn't have a Wii?
Personally, I want this as it increases the chance of the Wii Mini being launched in Australia. It just looks so damn cool!
Realistically, this is bad as the Wii U should get priority. What happened to Nintendo's habit to can their previous console when it gets a successor? I couldn't get a boxed GameCube because of that. Grr.
@Phantom_R
I don't.. T_T only 3DS
Nintendo, you NEED to start focusing more on the Wii U! I know these will keep selling, but come on!
@ULTRA-64 - It's only 9AM but you already have a lock on "Post of the Day".
The Wii U plays Wii games, 'nuff said.
Why is Nintendo purposely competing with itself? Sell Wii games but tell consumers they can play those on the new Wii U system and ONLY sell that! This makes no sense. Nintendo Japan apparently has the right idea. It's time Nintendo American & Europe follow suit.
@XavandSo I'm surprised the Wii Mini never launched in Australia, it'd be perfect for those in the middle of the Outback.
On topic, Nintendo should discontinue making Wiis for the Wii U now. There's probably already enough new unopened Wiis already on shelves for this holiday season anyways.
While part of me thinks that production of the Wii should continue, the better part knows the Wii U needs all of the focus it can get.
Ugh, the Wii should be taken out of the equation by now! Wii U is gonna have enough of a challenge going up against the other two newcomers, and having its predecessor also possibly taking away sales won't help.
But at the same time practically everybody has a Wii by now, so who knows.
Eh. Would be nice if all the Wiis just disppear. Wii U can play all Wii games ans then some. People looking for a Wii would have to get a U instead.
Also everyone has a Wii by now, but I've seen people go in store to buy a second one for their house. Wiis are still popular, strangely.
My interpretation is that Wii Family Edition and Wii Mini will still be manufactured... somewhere on China, for EU and US. Japan stopped the Wii production because it was selling way below the rest of the world and because it's the only market where the Family and Mini models were not released (were you aware of that?). Nintendo had a production line set up to make 1st model Wii consoles with GC support just for Japan, since for other markets the 1st model had already been phased out a long time ago. They concluded it was not worth it, so that line is being shutdown or even reconverted into manufacturing one of the later models for western markets.
Of course, Nintendo has not been clear on its plans.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't one of the Wii U's problems brand recognition and all around confusion on how this is different from the Wii?
If people think the two are one and the same, why not only sell the Wii U this Christmas? Especially considering the Wii U can do pretty much everything the Wii can do... and then some.
Reading the comments just shows that companies should never ever take decisions based on comments sections and forums. There's too much shortsigtness and ignorance.
Discountinuing the Wii when it still sells and gives revenue to a company is a terrible idea, not only economically but also in th eyes of customers. Many customers already feel "betrayed" because the wii was abandoned and ignored in the last 2 years and yet they still buy it because of its library. If Nintendo shuts down the wii to coax people to buy the wii u, it will only backfire and creat hostility.
And realize kids that the wii u is not selling because of the wii. It is not selling simply because there's nothing that catches the interest of people out there. I am not talking about the "traditional gamers" but the mainstream audiences. Blaming the wii because of the wii u sales is absurd and childish. If the Wii stil solds more is because that's what customers want and Nintendo should work to make the wii u interesting without taking choices to the cusomers.
Besides, The NES was still sold with the SNES in the market, the same for the PSOne, the gameboy advance and the PS2. In the end, the ones that decides when a console stops sellings are the customers with their wallets, not the companies.
I know many in this page, as well in all the videogame websites, are mostly gamers that thin kin black and white and that's fine. But when it comes to business and sales stuff, make a little research first before making a commentary. Real world is very different than the message forum one.
Why would ANYONE buy a Wii over a Wii U is beyond me at this point? Hint: Wii U can play Wii games and it will last much longer. The Wii is already dead.
@XavandSo The Wii mini only supports composite so there is no way of making it look even remotely acceptable.
@Trainer_DJ competitive price and software library. That's why people but game consoles. If people wants to play wii games they will buy a wii, not spending the double for a console they don't want or care. Backwards compatibility is more aimed to former customers than new ones.
@Trainer_DJ Cheapness, of course! The WiiU was DOA.
Who cares? They aren't even making games for it!?
That never mattered to the Wii's audience - they live off minigames and shovelware (still being made for it).
@SmaMan
GameCube games cannot be played on a Wii U system like an original Wii model.
@minotaurgamer
Exactly, the people who want to "fix" the brand recoginition problem want to get rid of the Wii but continue selling Wii games under the guise that the Wii U plays both. Not only would that confirm peoples' misconception that the Wii U is just another Wii as being true, what happens if they remove backwards compatibility like with the newer Wiis? Anyone remember the backlash from Sony removing the PS3's PS2 backwards-compatibility?
Just because people buy a Wii instead of a Wii U doesn't necessarily mean they'd also have had the money for a Wii U if the former didn't exist. Thats the exact same sort of logic people against used games like to use. Having a budget-friendly console is a wise decision, especially right now with the economy the way it is.
They need to kill the Wii as it's an anchor on the Wii U dragging it down and wrecking its sales potential. Potential lost on fools who think WiiU is a Wii system accessory and those who even more in general haven't figured out that it is a new system all together and not even an accessory which is wrong too. Advertising heavily would be smart in prime time showing the Mario and Zelda bundles, but that I imagine would be too smart for them to cash in on. It couldn't hurt to do a generalized ad showing third party stuff to get more interest (and kiss their butts.)
That's what everyone said about the DS. The 3DS looks fine to me
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