Italian Discontinuation of the NES Mini Seals Its Fate

If it wasn't for the fact that I have one I would've said it never even existed. It may as well not have.

I'm just thankful we got a new article for each regional confirmation.

There must be some analytics that this would compete with Switch or hurt virtual console, or the ongoing fear in general that roms/hacks hurt a company who still sells their back catalog.

Has to be issues with the manufacturer.......I bet they aren't happy and are working through the contract and will have a different manufacturer for the SNES Classic and we will see the NES Classic again sometime in the future

@Baker1000 No joke.

Rip nes classic. You had a good long run?

Not again...

The weak must make way for the strong.

@chewytapeworm

No we dont. Just need to play dirtier.

@Gerbwmu

Can you cite anything to back your idea?

Nintendo is 'quirky'. If they were a poor company they'd be called insane for some of their unfathomable decisions.

Europe actually was first, not fourth: it was confirmed by the Nordic importer, Bergsala, in February or March.

Mamma mia!

Barnacles! Never got one. It's funny, I thought finally a way for Nin to sell retro games and combat emulation. This announcement will undoubtedly boost Raspberry Pi sales.

6 months. The Galaxy Note 7 had a longer lifespan than that.

@MajinCubyan

More like, you had a run.

@k8sMum - just a hunch.........Nintendo is not fond of over saturation of their markets, but something here seems off and considering how easy this should be to pump out and sell, either the cost isn't worth the profit, or manufacturing has issues.....otherwise, why discontinue it until you can actually find one in a store. My guess is they are having issues with the manufacturer but won't say so for professional courtesy

This is a good move ultimately. Nintendo know they must focus on making the Switch a success.

Of course you can count on my country to ruin the fun for everyone else.
Nah, I know that this means Europe in its entirety, I'm just (un)amused that it's Italy delivering the news.
Join the NES Classic Losers' Couch, Europe.

There's aaaaaaaaalways a seeeeeeeat...

Very disappointed in this but I'm at least glad I grabbed a Famicom Mini before they were gone too.

RIP N.E.S. Mini. There were many people who "hacked" you to get more games. Many people waited to get restocks of you. And now they have to buy it from scalpers online.

The popular ones on ebay are ones over $250. There is one that is $310 and it has 41 bids! Why are people doing that when there are many old N.E.S.' for $100 with controllers and games? :/

Anyone know how many were produced worldwide?

Mamma Mia!

@ALinkttPresent They announced back a couple of months ago that they had sold 1.5 million.

https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/pdf/2017/170201_2e.pdf

You can probably add a bit more but it wouldn't be a lot as they've been like gold dust.

Dont want a nes mini anyway. I want the dendy mini.

@k8sMum The Goblins of the Warhammer universe support this claim wholeheartedly and then some.

No big deal. Emulation satisfies the itch, even if it's not perfect. I've bought VC titles again and again and I'm getting sick of buying the same titles over and over again, anyway. The NES Classic, though, will be a very expensive collector's item since very few were actually produced. I'm sure it could have sold five or six million if they'd just bothered to make them. But I think it's obvious that Nintendo would prefer to put the titles up on the Switch VC for $4.99 each and make $150 for those thirty titles instead of $60. Does anyone want to bet that the VC will make its appearance at E3? Anyone?

"Following North America, Japan and Australia, this marks Europe as the fourth territory confirmed to have stopped production of the popular device."

I'd argue with your use of the word "popular" there! Popular with Scalpers, sure, but for everyone else I'd say it was more of a frustrating device that nobody who wanted one could get their hands on.

If Nintendo had stocked this properly they could've had a real hit on their hands. It just feels like a lost opportunity and did a great deal of damage to the leeway people give Nintendo because of how beloved their games are.

My one hope is that they're discontinuing it in order to fix the hacking loopholes and then will re-release it, but time will tell...

@Gerbwmu At wholesale retailers make no profit. Its simply to pull people into a store.

Nintendo is also making maybe at most $2 per unit profit.

Plus consider its hardware, controller, cables and the licenses that had to be renegotiated for this device as it isnt VC, but a unique product.

Then consider that if profit is that low per unit, think how much license costs. Then realise the games are practically given away.

Then also notice this things lifespan. It made the Nintendo name loud. Suspiciously just in time.

This is a product that probably lasted longed than intended actually as the margins are very small and Nintendo, who many think hate money, was pretty much habding these out for free.

For fun I looked up the current prices on the NES Classic Mini and they're already up to $300. Some joker is also selling the empty box and inserts for $50. The only folks who benefit from this discontinuation are the resellers. Sad. And the SNES Classic Mini will follow the same path, I guarantee.

http://www.usgamer.net/articles/nes-classic-prices-rise-with-end-of-production-mini-famicom-discontinued-too

@BLP_Software - could be right. Definitely could have been a loss leader to keep them relevant for a few months. But these plug and play devices have been around, most notably Sega and Atari. Be interesting to hear what they say at the investors meeting about it.......if anything.

@BLP_Software

You are simply speculating. There are other comparable boxes on the market that have licensing for many more games that sell for less and make money. Nintendo never launches hardware at a loss especially not this.

@cleveland124 I am speculating.

Its also based on wholesale figures. And would you like the alternative equally likely answer?

It had massive piracy that affected both Nintedno and partners who licensed games to the box, and was also intended to purely get the brand awareness before Switch alongside Pokémon.

@BLP_Software

Piracy didn't affect this one bit. There were never substantial orders. The Nintendo coding team wrote a note to the hackers obviously realizing a system on a chip would not have an OS capable of preventing hacking. The controllers are nowhere. The controllers can be used on Wii U and Wii VC so if hacking is the concern why were those not shipped after November?

The market also doesn't overlap much. Many non-gamers at my work were interested in a mini because they had fond memories of the NES (the last system they owned). Those people aren't buying a Switch. Mario Run 80 million did far more for marketing then 1.5 million random people lucky enough to get a Switch. Reggie himself said he didn't think people that would buy VC games would also buy this.

Also, where did you get your wholesale figures? The specs are less than a raspberry pi so there is no way the hardware would force it to sell at a loss. Nobody knows what the licensing is.

The best theory I've heard on the limited stocks is the parts used were not available. Reggie mentioned difficulty obtaining parts and the mini uses some Wii/Wii U ports/compoments. A theory was they used that design to clear inventory and those items were no longer in production. Then it could be that the licensing agreements were expiring so they just discontinued at this point rather then start up production. It is a shame though, if produced well enough, it could have been Nintendo's best selling hardware for the fiscal year.

Nintendo priced it too cheap, many of those games are not Nintendo's so probably $10 or so will have to go to royalty payments to Konami, Namco, Tecmo, and Capcom.

While Nintendo still make a profit off each NES Mini, it's probably not much. Not worth their effort apparently.

Demand is slowing down (Before the discontinuation), the Famicom Mini is plentiful and even the NES MIni had it's price going down, one listing had it at less than $100, just this April. Of course, with the discontinuation announcement, price skyrocketed, but even now, the Famicom Mini can be found at just double it's SRP (The NES Mini, on the other hand, is over the top, at $350 via Amazon third party).

Nintendo, probably didn't want to recreate the Amiibo folly, where price skyrocketed to multiple times its srp only to have it crater to bargain bin prices (especially the Animal Crossing Amiibos). The Zelda Amiibos are an exception, thanks to Breath of the Wild.

I'm not new to gaming or collecting. This happens a lot and not just with Nintendo, but other companies as well. What is the point of hating on a company that put out something really cool that was going to be limited.
I don't need a link to prove that this was gonna be limited and I don't think Nintendo had to spell out for you guys. Seems to me the scalpers new. I knew. That's why when my preorder was cancelled, I was at my local store at midnight.
I have one cause I really wanted one. I purposely made time in advance to be able to get one.
Planned it with my wife and job because I knew this would be limited. Move on.

If this means we'll get Bubble Bobble and The older FF series on the Switch, then so be it!

@AlexSora89 Room for one more...

Snes mini up next?

Lookout Bulgaria, you might be next.

Fantastic news for those of us who managed to get a few extra, the value is going to sky rocket!

Another way to look at the nes mini is that it was a very quick cash grab to try and boost profits at a time nintendo sorely needed it. It's done its job, Switch has had a successful launch and its now no longer needed.

Looking forward to the Talking Point/Soap Box on the NES/Famicom Mini's demise. I was hoping to get a Famicom Mini, if only to display next to my Famicom Robot amiibo, like I did with my NES Mini and NES R.O.B. amiibo (first world problems, I know :/ ). That said, Nintendo keeps using phrases like "for now," and "temporarily," when talking about the Mini's discontinuation. Perhaps there's still hope...?

I never managed to get one, but I wasn't really trying too hard. If I saw one in the shop I'd have grabbed it.

Not a big issue for me though, I've got my Switch so I'm happy. Maybe they're planning on selling the NES Classic games library on the VC. 'Couldn't find a NES Classic? Now those games are available on the Switch VC!' ...but probably not.

Still don't understand this. Hope the shareholders get comprehensive answers at the next meeting.

No problem, I already made myself a solid mini retro console, thanks to RPi and some other stuff

Well, poopie.

EDIT: Argh... Of course it had to be "poopie"...

Well, crap.

I was gifted one last Christmas. I told her, "I absolutely deplore scalpers, and you shouldn't have paid so much for me." She insisted it was legit, which astounded me.

@chewytapeworm
That was one of the Simpsons' scariest scenes to me, actually. I don't know about the original dub but the Italian VAs did a fantastic job at sounding a mix between family members and braindead zombies.

I'm really concerned for Nintendo right now - they don't seem capable of having anything manufactured.

Have they discontinued Switch as well???

This guys explains it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWWYqORYUoc

@Moon Who knows? Given the Switch's success, I'd say more third parties might support the Virtual Console on the Switch than they did on Wii U, so Final Fantasy, Pac-Man, Double Dragon and Castevania could happen. Maybe this time, we'll see Sonic Advanced/Rush, too!

@liveswired The Switch is their focus console this gen so they would be stupid to discontinued it. I figure the NES Classic Edition is just a limited run type of deal, a filler product that they put on the market so to cater to consumer until their main focus, the Nintendo Switch is ready.

I got my hands on a Mini Famicom classic form Japan - but ironically - not a Mini Nes - I even have one of the official Mini Nes classic carry cases awaiting it's inhabitant. . .. :

Happy to have mine. Only saw it re stocked one time.
I've now added some missing games to a total of 43 classics, Arkanoid Tetris Contra Fire Emblem Gaiden etc..,

I had one at launch and sold it I was low on cash and thought I'd be able to pick one up nearer to Xmas, but was never able to get another one at retail , my own fault I guess. Though if I'm honest I was always keener on the Famicom model anyway as I love all things Japanese. So when the announced they were going to stop production I searched the internet for a reasonably priced Famicom edition and managed to get one from Solaris Japan for just over £100. Not too cheap but cheaper than what the NES models are now starting to go for on eBay. It's more of a nice little collectors piece for me as I already own a Famicom AV . I hope we see a SNES/SFC version is released in the future.

I've never seen this thing in shops anyway here in Italy.

@Gerbwmu the Sega and Atari versions of those things are crap though, they are all made by the same company. The sound is horrible, in some places the emulation is horrible and the controller barely works, it's a cheap peice of garbage. They use IR in the wireless versions so they require line of site to the console. Also they are mono composite, no HDMI. These things usually retail for $40 but they probably make them for next to nothing judging how cheaply made they are.

@Davidiam007

It was never claimed to be limited. In fact it was claimed the opposite. Reggie said they were surprised by the demand. He said they were increasing production and ONGOING DEMAND would be met. Why make that promise if you intend to immediately end production? I think that's the big problem here as Reggie in particular was giving buyers assurance that they would get one. And the fact that 1.5 million units was so inadequately low.

@spizzamarozzi Per l'appunto. Ho saputo che era commercializzato in Italia solo quando ho letto questa notizia XD

Some of the biggest ripoffs/disappointments Nintendo has ever made that I'm glad I never bought:

The NES Classic Series for GBA
Super Mario All-Stars for Wii
Urban Champions for NES & 3DS
Donkey Kong for NES
Wii Motion Plus
Metroid (all versions, the only version I got was the free one that came with Zero Mission, every other version is a ripoff)
Them toys with computer chip inside (Amiibos)
The Virtual Boy
This thing (the NES we-never-seen-it-in-store edition)

@cleveland124 seriously? He just stated that they would make more, but come on! You knew this wasn't going to last that long. They had a new console launching shortly afterwards that was going to more then likely have a virtual console.
The NES classic was never going to be their soul focus, but just a side adventure. It was nothing more then a quick cash grab and a project to test the waters with. I just think no matter what people are going to complain about it. People complained about the NES classic edition for having only 30 games, people complained about the games that were chosen, and complained about no online. Now people are complaining about it discontinuing. If they made two million more units and only 1000 complaining comment warriors purchased them, that would leave them with 1,999,000 units that retail stores would complain about.
I personally think they did the smart decision of only putting a handful out that sold quickly, then having extras sitting on a store shelf collecting dust.
Plus, it makes owning one even more special, cause I planned ahead and succeeded. I knew this was going to be majorly scalped so I did what I could to make sure I had one.

@Davidiam007

I knew Reggie was lying? http://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/reggie-fils-aime-no-switch-shortage-nes-classic/
“The good news, at least for consumers in the Americas, is we’re going to continue to make the NES Classic available,” he said. “With the ongoing level of supply, the ongoing demand is going to be met. We know the concern.”
There's the quote. There's no way to spin that as making more. Reggie said in January, after the mini was sold out over the holidays that in North America the mini would continue to be available, demand would be met, and he knows the concern of it being a limited item.

Alot of people were happy with the classic and wanted one. Alot of people complain about the Switch. Should Nintendo stop making the Switch?

@cleveland124 Reggie is just the PR he really doesn't make the big decisions. So they aren't allowed to change their plans? This is just videogames. This happens with EVERY company that makes desired products.
Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo, Marvel, DC, Apple, Samsung, Sega and so on. Are you new to videogames? Or collecting? I genuinely ask because I have seen these things since the 80s.

@Davidiam007

Nintendo's last statement is this was always intended ro be limited and they didn't change their minds. Reggie doesn't make decisions but he should know the plans and saying 3 months before discontinuing that everyone would get one is a mistake to me. There's an article in the frontpage now about how badly Nintendo messed up multiple things with nes classic now. It's not just Reggie's comments that were messed up here.

I own thousands of games and 2 Nes classics (one I'll keep boxed). Not really sure how that has any bearing on Nintendo dropping the ball here.

I didn't ask how many games. I asked how long. My point was companies(not just Nintendo) have done this before. I just think this is just one more thing people are latching on to, just to hate a company.

@Davidiam007

You don't collect a thousand games overnight, I thought that much was obvious. Name one other example of a mass produced electronics device that was wildly popular and was immediately discontinued right after one of their top employees said it was important that everybody wanted one got one and until discontinued was never described as limited.

I mean you can't possibly be arguing that killing off a product is the same thing as killing off a model. A model would be like Wii U's holiday bundle with Mario Kart or the Wii U 8 GB console. Killing off either of those doesn't really affect a person's ability to get/play Wii U games. Killing off a product is completely different. The NES classic is not a special edition Switch or a special edition 3DS. It is it's own product line. By killing it off you are killing that revenue stream completely. It would be like Nintendo killing off the Switch right now or like if Apple decided to kill off the Ipod when they made the iPhone. Those items are different product lines. I don't see any companies killing off successful product lines.

I'd much rather emulate ROMs agnostically anyway. No need to get Nintendo more money when their business practices continue to be insanely toxic to consumers. Why pay $2 - $5 for a game that's aged thirty?