Reggie Fils-Aime Discusses NES Mini Demand and Apologises to Those That Missed Out

Walmart had 10 this morning, so the last of them must still be trickling out. I stopped in for something and people were line up in electronics to get them.

If Nintendo does not want to make them, you would think they could contract it out to someone else. It might raise the price a bit since another hand on the cookie jar would want a cut, but people have paid well over MSRP for them, so I done people would mind if the price was $5-$10 higher just to have it readily available.

I think Reggie gave a fair response. I still wish retailers had tried to combat scalpers better, such as limiting how many could be purchased at one time. However, the system was a holiday novelty item that blew up. Nintendo likely didn't put a longstanding manufacturing contract in place for the classic and even the fact that they pushed a second printing was an unexpected boon. Going back now would have likely been more hassle than it is worth from a business perspective. You can't buy all the products and no company can produce them indefinitely. No one has unlimited resources...hits the nail on the head. No matter, Nintendo makes tons of other stuff for me to buy. I do hope they make the classic a product series and an holiday thing annually.

EDIT: Cleaned up text a bit for clarity.

I eagerly await hearing how Reggie is a liar for the 37,000th time.

At the end of the day it is still a missed opportunity for sales which would then mean money in their pocket. All I see from his response is a scalper success story.

Reggie "nothing to announce" Fils-Amie

They didn't anticipate the demand?
Lies.

They knew what they were doing. Sell a specified number for a quick buck, shut it down quickly to keep options open for VC sales exploitation on Switch etc.

Reggie is a bloody liar. Like,
"OMG, totally didn't expect a highly desirable novelty item based around our most iconic console to sell well?! WHO'D HAVE THOUGHT??"

Utter BS. Here's an idea- spend the cash to produce more? Actually, no. Sadly, due to unprecedented demand, we had to CANCEL IT. Because that makes perfect sense.

@gardevoir7 Reggie 'Teleprompter BS' Fils Aime

At least they were smart enough not to ask him if they'll handle the mini SNES differently. The answer would be "we have nothing to announce at this time" , and the actual result would be no.

Making them annually sounds like a good idea. Imagine, Every year a new set of retro games to play.

The SNES Mini, if it indeed exists, will have twice as many units produced, but will have the same run time as this debacle. Mark my words.

Take the money and run.

Nintendo tends to be a very conservative company when it comes to production.

Unlike MSFT & Sony, they dont have other gigantic lines of businesses to offset weakness in the gaming segment. Nintendo's nightmare would be to reproduce Atari's situation from the early 80s. Nintendo also tries to keep enough capital in reserve to be able to live through a flop like the Wii U. This strategy cuts both ways...while it serves to limit losses,in reverse, it also limits big hits, at least initially.

That being said, how could they NOT see the popularity of this product? The fact that Nintendo doesnt recognize its own nostalgic value is ridiculous.

"but it could have been more"
Im pretty sure that, when no one can find your damn product, you cant sell more of it :^)

Even though I got these two systems, many people I know still does not believe that these exist. If Nintendo is ignoring money, they had done a good job of doing it.

@PanurgeJr Well he does kind of set himself up for it as Nintendo's public front.
It's the guy's job.

If you want to see only sweetness and light, that's up to you. But you can't mock people for calling Reggie out on his corporate PR BS

And I thought SJW's were the whiniest...

*Braces for the incoming hate

I don't want your apology Reggie, I want the damn thing.

There is a lot of Nintendo apologetics in this page. They screw up with the NES Classic period.

That's bull!! No way they don't have the resources to keep the mini on the shelf along with 3DS and the switch! It would make sense if the mini wasn't selling but we all know those results. And so now they might do an SNES mini?!? I'll reserve this time around!

@Davidiam007 Hate missile launched....

@Jessica286 "REGGIE DIDN'T DO NO DRUGS!"

No one would give two about one if it wasn't rare, and they owned it for a year. Just a small niche like Reggie thought would be interested. People see the money being made, and the value they are more into the monetary value of it. MONEY. Nintendo is smart enough to see this.

@HappyMaskedGuy Not the point of my comment...

And people who say Reggie is obviously a liar are as uncritical and reflexive in their thinking as the people they attempt to insult with the label "apologist".

We don't want your apologies, we want you to manufacture more.

'...from our perspective, it's important to recognize where our future is and the key areas that we need to drive.'. Your 'future' is the same as your past: Make hardware that allows you to recycle your catalog of IP and occasionally add a couple of new titles to each generation. How many times have we bought the same titles? We were lined up like effing lemmings to buy 30 not new games (again) and you pulled the cliff out from under us before we could jump off of it. Reggie, latch on to the teat of your cash-cow and squeeze out the hardware so we can buy it. smh.

Still haven't used mine yet

@PanurgeJr I'm very flexible in my thinking. I've never labelled anyone as an apologist either. But Reggie is a professional, talented manipulator of truths. It's his job. I think it's in fans' interests to criticize his performance in his position. Which ultimately benefits the company.

@HappyMaskedGuy hahaha!

@shaneoh
Same.
Still unopened.
Too many other machines to play.
I will play it soon though.

Its easy to sit at home and peg Nintendo as being naive on the nostalgic power of their own products. No way could anyone have predicted the response of.this thing. I feel Nintendo wasn't expecting this response and went into it with NES Classic as more of side/niche product. Considering the failure of the Wii U and the sort of general anti-Nintendo sentiment that seemed to permeate through the gaming community, I don't blame them for playing this one conservatively

Oh, Mr. Reggie....
Btw, if you don't like Mr. Reggie, why don't you put Reggie Mii face as the Evil Lord for Miitopia ?
A Sweetful Revenge, eh ?

People a little harsh on Reggie.

I mean, I'm not particularly fond of him, but I think he means well. A lot of decisions come from corporate Japan and he's left picking up the pieces, having to apologize for stuff he has no control over...

Idk. I can empathize with his situation

Limited resources? Fine, so don't waste time and money producing the New 2DS XL, yet another overpriced, stripped-down model of a seven-year-old handheld. Spend those resources more efficiently and pump out some more NES Minis instead. Problem solved.

Boooooooooo!

The problem seems to be that they weren't committed to this product as a place where their old games land for players of their dedicated systems.

Add to that the popularity lifting YouTube videos with super easy instructions for installing all NES ROMs complete with easy-to-use links to get them and it seems it was just not worth the trouble, unfortunately.

2.3 million is a decent amount and I'm betting it could have sold many times that, but it didn't fit into long term strategy. It was a mistake to introduce such a tasty morsel without a long term plan, but probably not a mistake to pull it, in the end... though, I'd rather there be a bunch on retail shelves all the time, and everybody who wanted one got one.

Anyway, I wonder if they'll do an NES amiibo that unlocks a set of games to play on Switch with a wireless replica NES controller. That's how I think of my NES classic anyway, a tiny cute replica that can also play games!

It was a marketing piece, not a sell as many as possible product, that's their current consoles which need to return on current game development. Nintendo knows how to make noise from their not-first market position lol

Bullcrap. Go screw yourself Reggie you greasy pimp. I even got one and I still think you and Nintendo suck and are full of crap.

Why are certain people upset that Nintendo aren't producing enough Switches while also not producing enough NES Minis?
Nintendo has limited resources and manufacturing isn't magic. I thought Amiibo manufacturing showed that.

@MadAdam81 The Amiibo situation was manufactured shortage... managed scarcity. Because when it comes to marketing and creating buzz, Nintendo are arrogant backwards and unimaginative asshats. If you think there were any real shortages, I've got a bridge to sell you. Reggie is full of corporate crap.

@legendwaker either they make more NES Minis or they focus on making enough Nintendo Switches.
Manufacturing isn't magic, it has real world concerns.

@Tsusasi The Amiibo initially was a Wii U accessory. A huge amount of people who never owned a Wii U were buying Amiibo.
Amiibo, NES Minis and Pokemon Go all had 100s or 1000s times more demand than anyone's most optimistic estimation, and they couldn't magically increase their stock enough to satisfy demand.
And now Nintendo wisely need to focus on making enough Switches because obviously that's their most important pillar.

@MadAdam81 Nope. Nintendo were fully aware of the demand for Amiibo. They short ran everything. They then further manipulated supply and availability by entering into exclusive retail agreements well after the shortages. And they knew from preorders what they had with the mini. Preorders had to be cancelled because of the demand. It sold out repeatedly and they had every chance to ramp up to meet demand. Thanks for drinking the koolaide though.

@thesilverbrick I'm sure more resources were added to Switch production as well.

If they can't keep up with demand, and want to focus on newer stuff, why don't they just license it to another company to manufacture for them? Sega's done that for years with all their Sega console remakes.

Same with the Virtual Console, seeing as Nintendo practically gave up on the 3DS one, the WiiU one is starting to slow, and the Switch one doesn't exist yet. They should put somebody else in charge of rereleasing their old games, and such. Like M2 or something.

This NES Classic wouldn't be so much of a problem if Nintendo didn't have scalpers lined up to hoard everything they release. I just read about a guy who admitted he paid a cashier to hold 42 units for him.

@Jessica286

^
^
This.

I don't want the apology, I wanted to be able to walk into the store, pick it up and run home to play it. When other companies make plug n plays, they make them Easily Available.

Plus if a bunch of amateurs can devote time to making these games easily available to play For Free on their computer, surely you Nintendo, can take a little time to make supply meet demand.

And don't ever tell us that you didn't expect the huge demand for one of the greatest, most iconic and nostalgic videogame consoles of all time wrapped up in a neat little plug n play to not sell well. That's a steaming load and people are tired of this particular excuse. You used it with amiibo for multiple waves, you used it for other stuff.

One of these days, your short stocking practices and overused excuses are going to come back to bite you in the worst ways. Please stop.

I'm still calling BS on this. Sure, Nintendo doesn't have "unlimited" resources, but they have more than enough to produce enough of this product to meet the obviously unmet demand. When a company isn't producing more of a product that they KNOW is still in high demand, it means there is more value in its discontinuation to them. Unless this had to do with licensing, this is fully on Nintendo. As for me, I'm disappointed. I would have enjoyed owning one of these things, but more than anything, I just want one of those controllers. Can we at least have those?

I was lucky enough to get one a few weeks ago, but I can't find a second controller anywhere! When the classic was first released there were no systems but plenty of controllers. I should have bought one back then.

Reggie's comment may not satisfy the faithful, especially those who, like me, were unable to find an NES Classic, but he didn't have to make the comment at all. It was a courtesy, and a (sort-of) apology for something he in all likelihood had minimal control over.

@HappyMaskedGuy

You are the reason you can't have nice things.

While it is completely understandable why people are upset over the stock issues with the NES mini, I also understand that Reggie's hands are tied. He doesn't have control over many issues related to the problem, and as a public face of the company he has to do his best to ease tensions. I'm sure there are plenty of things he is unable to disclose and that is a shame both for us and for him as he will be ridiculed regardless of what he says.

The more this drags on the more I think the NES Classic was a stop gap for the Wii U short fall. The Switch wasn't ready for the holidays. Nintendo needed something so they manufactured this.

It is the only way you can explain not making anymore. They were making a huge profit on this, I imagine.

If what he says is true, I can't imagine there will be an SNES Classic. You know, got to think about the future.

i glad i was able to get one from the final bestbuy shipment on monday.

@Ryu_Niiyama 'You can't buy all the products and no company can produce them indefinitely.'

....what?

Stop being an apologist and trying to rationalize this, because what you said makes no sense. I could walk into a store now and buy a PS4. I could walk into a store now and buy a new phone in whatever model I want. I could walk into a store now and buy one of the classic Mega Drive mini consoles. I could walk into a store now and buy pretty much whatever I went in for. Nintendo is the ONLY one who has consistent issues with supply and demand.

As others have pointed out, it is an underhanded business tactic designed to drive up demand. Unfortunately it doesn't work and Nintendo consistently misses out on money. They sold 2.3million, it could have been 5 or 7 million if they hadn't pissed their consumers off and then abruptly canceled a popular product.

If you haven't watched the Jimquisition episode on this I suggest you do so, and then maybe you'll stop your apologist ways. Also, blaming the retailers for scalpers? REALLY??

What a load of crap. It was incompetence and now sealed with lies.

Tell me what was the point of it being announced in July and then released 4 months later in November? What possibly could that have allowed for? Seeing the demand? Ramping up production? Not when you're dealing with Nintendo.

I've personally forgiven Nintendo. They messed up, but I can fully understand why they would want to focus resources on 3DS and Switch. What I can never forgive is the attitude of scalpers.

Nintendo knew exactly what they were doing by stopping the NES Mini production. As far as I believe the Nintendo Classics aren't there to make money, they are there to popularize their brands (quite similar to the smartphone and tablet apps which are first and foremost merchandise).

Don't get why people are attacking Reggie like he personally made them himself but hey. Shoot the messenger.

But anyway let's quote him. "We had originally planned for this to be a product for last holiday. We just didn't anticipate how incredible the response would be."

What do I take away from this? It was a short run, limited edition device for the run up to Christmas. Nothing more, nothing less. A bit like in music where an artist releases 500 pressings on vinyl and you have to snap it up. As far as the scalpers are concerned? Just don't buy them. There might even be a batch made for next Christmas and they're remaining tight lipped.

In the cold light of day none of this is worth crying over.

@thesilverbrick Yeah, it's better to spend resources in an overpriced, stripped-down model of a 34 year old console. Don't get me wrong, I'm also against that "new 2DS" model, but I saw your opinion in another article about abandoning the 3DS and focusing on the Switch and well, if the 3DS is too old already (for you) then shouldn't this one qualify as old too?

Personally, despite the success of this thing, the wise thing to do is to invest resources in both the 3DS and the Switch. There's no point in abandoning the 3DS right now as long as the switch library isn't solid enough and despite being old these hanhelds still sell incredibly well and have more market to exploit than this thing, and currently, than even the Switch. Abandoning them at this point and focusing on the switch is a risky bet, since the customers are still showing a lot of interest.

I do agree that the Switch needs more attention though, since at some point, the 3DS will die and the Switch will carry on, however, this have to be a slow process, which I believe it's the thing Nintendo has as strategy.This one on the other hand... it's market starts and ends with the console. Sure, they can sell accessories and stuff, but despite it's huge success, it's simply not enough to even compare to consoles that have the VC option and a growing library. Once the nostalgia ends, it's success will die... and fast. I do see why they decide not to wait for it to happen.

@WiltonRoots It was never called a Limited Edition device.

@SLIGEACH_EIRE doesn't matter it was blatantly obvious.

As others have said, all reggie said adds up to we are gonna scalp ya on virtual console again so haha sorry princess but your wallet is meant to purchase these games on another nintendo castle.

I have to wonder if hackers cracking the thing wide open contributed to its early demise too.

The resourcing part is total bs. Its already been developed and built. Its just production runs. Could at least come up with something credible reg.

@SLIGEACH_EIRE because "classic" and "mini" and the stone-set number of games don't tend to scream just that. If Nintendo had wanted to reboot the console, it would have had cards or at least its own Virtual Console.

Give a few months, Reggie will do something right and you'll all be praising the guy.

@dizzy_boy Not round here they won't...Fire Reggie is the mantra in these parts.

"Lies" and "Nintendo apologists" in the comments as usual - from the same people who genuinely believe that fans are capable of criticism. Reggie already said what was their logic in estimating the target audience - and it's sad, but true. You want them to spam nostalgic consoles while listening to the wise and oh so critical internet who constantly ridicules 2D platformers and pixel graphics for their mere existence? That's really a "pick one" situation. I've voiced my thoughts on how Nintendo could take their own steps mostly to prop their own confidence in their legacy's shelf life, but they're just fan blabbering in themselves. The way things are, the vox populi doesn't do a good job informing where the wallets may flock, and a limited edition with a limited number of games (implying there aren't numerous people who would rather have a different selection) doesn't look like a long-term manufacturing investment anyway. If they're worried about their resources, it's more of an indication that they're more concerned about trying to catch up with the Switch demand. And then there's New 2DS XL, too. Both must matter more than giving people a piece of hardware they just proceed to hack and pirate other NES games on right out of the box.

If Nintendo is convinced by the sales, we might see more classic minis like these someday. Otherwise, discontinuing a successful product is always baffling, but the company has given their reasons. Take it or leave it, but don't pretend you'd act or speak any differently in Nintendo's or Reggie's shoes. We're all saintly experts on the couch.

@PanurgeJr I know right?

Keep the focus where it belongs, on the Switch and 3DS. Sony only put out one console and have far greater profits. I agree with Reggie that Nintendo don't have the resources to produce 3 different consoles.

This clearly isn't the case. It was never advertised as limited edition or limited run or just a holiday product. I think it used up spare parts and was a marketing tool. Simple as.

It was way more popular than most people expected, so it's no surprise that they struggled to meet demand initially. However, I would have expected them to continue making them while demand is this high.

I am one lucky son of a gun to have been gifted one, untouched by scalpers, no less! I am eternally grateful, but lament those unable to obtain one.

I think a nod to the classics is better than relying on it to drive sales. Even with using Mario, they generally try to keep his formula both a mixture of old and new to keep pushing Nintendo's IPs forward. If they produce NES Minis forever then I feel like that's a bit of a backwards step even though I would love one for myself. Keep innovating, Nintendo!

@Shane76 They were never available for preorder here in the States.

@WiltonRoots But what about his comment were he said demand will be met?

@Timppis Tell that to the people who want a NES Mini.

I think what people forget is that the NES Mini is a one sale and done device. It's fairly cheap so each unit doesn't make them that much money. If they sell you a 2DS, 3DS, Switch etc they can then sell you a load of games and make far more money. Nintendo is a business after all.

If people are so desperate to play NES games they can always buy a... NES.

It's always a fun time reading salty comments You can play NES games anyways, don't need a novelty emulation box for it. As others also said, you can find regular NES systems for cheap online, plus cartridges (cough Everdrive cough).

@Tasuki Except this is a Japan decision, not a Reggie decision. All regions were discontinued around the same time.

Excuses, excuses.

@BionicDodo Well, my NES stopped working in 2016 and got the GSOD, so I have to buy a new one.

Apologies don't stop scalpers, just saying.

There really wasn't any precdent for it to sell 2.3 million in such a short period of time. There's been tonnes of retro consoles before the NES mini and most of them just sat on store shelves, they weren't hot ticket items and they didn't have launch figures similar to actual console releases.

I wouldn't be surprised if Nintendo originally planned to put 1.5 million of these out, expecting to sell about 1 million at Christmas and then slowly sell the rest over 2017.

All the Nintendo apologists defending the indefensible for the 1,000,000th time.

The "we don't have unlimited resources" part of this makes a ton of sense - they don't have an unlimited number of factories and manufacturers, and with the Switch coming up they really needed to focus their resources on the new system, not a remake of their oldest one.

Those bemoaning lost sales are very narrow sighted.

A lot of these reactions remind me of the way my toddler reacts when I tell her that I can't buy her a rainbow or a pet monkey.

I think fans who love Nintendo think Nintendo loves them. It's a business that loves your money. As others have said, they will make more money on the eshop without the negative costs.

@GrailUK - So true. This is the most wildly successful bit of promotion and brand awareness I've ever seen from Nintendo.

@roy130390 The Mini NES isn't in any way just another model of a 32-year old console. While it emulates NES ROMs, it is architecturally entirely different from the NES. There's nothing else like it on the market (at least from Nintendo, anyway). I will agree it is a novelty device, to be sure, but with the insane amounts of hype and demand surrounding it, it is incredibly shortsighted and ridiculous for Nintendo to shift development and manufacturing resources into yet another model of the 3DS, when there are already several other options on the market for consumers to buy to play the 3DS library of games. With the NES Mini off the market, that particular console doesn't exist in any form in retail anymore, despite a rabid demand for it. You do see how ridiculous that is, right?

Nintendo may claim to be still supporting the 3DS, but we're likely going to see only low budget, low profile titles for the 3DS from here on out, at least from Nintendo itself, anyway. Spending research and development time and money on yet another iteration of such an archaic, tired handheld is not only a shameless attempt at a cash grab, but it is also incredibly shortsighted, given the fact that Nintendo can't keep store shelves stocked with the Switch, which anyone will tell you is far more of a hot ticket item at this moment than any model of the 3DS, never mind one lacking stereoscopic 3D, which really was the only thing that made the 3DS look even remotely technologically advanced when it released back in 2011. And this isn't the first time Nintendo has tried something like this. Remember the tremendous success of the GBA Micro? The Wii Mini? No? Exactly. Those were also last-minute attempts at a cash grab to capitalize on the library of a dying system. Nobody cared and those devices flopped when they hit the market. The same thing will happen with the New 2DS XL. Had they released the thing last holiday, right around the release of Sun and Moon and well before the Switch was here, I would've called it a brilliant move, but now there is a bigger, better, more beautiful device on which to play hand held Nintendo games. The 3DS, with its miserable low resolution screen, Stone Age pressure-based touchscreen and paltry processing power looks so incredibly sad now.

Does anyone happen to know how many 3DS consoles were sold over the holiday period last year? I'd be curious to compare that figure with the sales numbers for the NES Mini, and regardless of what the actual numbers are, it was impossible to find the NES mini in any store at any point, telling you where the demand really was (hint: it wasn't for the 3DS). It's terrible business sense to discontinue something that is selling very well and put more manufacturing resources into developing something that everyone can clearly see is on its way out, especially when the 3DS will only cannibalize market share that the Switch could and should have.

Would it be smart for Nintendo to release a physical "Virtual Console" for the next holiday season? One that that can ONLY download games from past consoles? Maybe release the console itself for $45 or $50 and enough space to download several hindered past classic titles.

Here's a thought..... use those factories to produce more NES Mini instead of New 2DS.....

If it was ALWAYS meant to be a holiday thing, then they should have just said "Limited Edition" or "this holiday only!" they would still sell out every single one, and no one would be upset because they knew it was limited edition.

oh well.

I think the possibility of them stopping production based on the system being hacked is pretty small. With how many different console's and options to play roms, including a multitude of Nintendo consoles, I couldn't really imagine this being a factor. I think it sucks that i wasn't able to snag one, but in the end it's just an "oh well" situation.

It's not like Reggie was the dude in charge of securing production of these things, so I don't think he should be chastised by the fans. Aren't most decisions made by NCL and NoA just takes care of distribution, localization, and marketing? I could very well be wrong.

101

Dang I wanted one

@Ryu_Niiyama There is no way around scalpers. Trust me, I know. I used to supply three stores in my country with games, way before people here used a credit card to buy things online. Once I bought 44 copies of a Pokemon game from the same retailer. Used 9 different identities to 3 different addresses. Of course, teh game was in high demand but also in very high supply, so no harm done.

@speedracer216 No, doesn't make sense. The profit for a New 2DSXL is higher than the retail value of a NES mini.

@thesilverbrick I agree that Nintendo dropped the ball regarding the NES mini. Looking at it now, it didn't make sense but only as to provide long time supporters and enthusiasts alike with an interesting piece of hardware. Period. Didn't make them a lot (maybe 7-12 dollars profit?) for sure.

In the other hand, you have to consider that the Switch and the 2DS XL are two way too different items, produced, almost for sure, by two different suppliers. In any case, Nintendo surely posed itself this question: "will the 2DS XL undermine ever slightly the Switch production". The answer must have been a definitely No (unless Nintendo is the stupidest company in the world).

@thesilverbrick You are just the example of how dumb and ignorant people can be (just like 90% comments here).

You people don't know how much Nintendo profit on NES mini, how much resourses they need spend, etc. 2.3kk its not a small number for this kind a product, please, go study how a manufacturer plant works. It's unbelievable how people that live on first world countries like majority here can be so ignorant and misinformed about how production works.

I wonder which sounds worse... This official explanation, or admitting that the NES Mini was nothing more than a brand marketing tool to get people talking about Nintendo again, and was never intended to meet potential demand in the first place?

Either way, it's basically become Reggie's job to take all the blame for something he has little to no control over. He has a surprisingly low position in the company now, after the ranking change up occurred following Iwata's passing. I'm not falling for that bait, the true blame rests with the top executives for their callousness, not Reggie. He's not innocent, to be sure, but he isn't the one we should be directing our ire towards.

Ultimately, though, this discontinuation won't make a whole lot of difference unless Nintendo does not announce VC at E3. If they do, then that's that. If they don't... That would be the time to give them hell for it.

@Agent721 That being said, how could they NOT see the popularity of this product? The fact that Nintendo doesnt recognize its own nostalgic value is ridiculous. It's not just ridiculous, they are lying. They knew about the demand, everyone else did too and they are the ones who created this product based on their belief in the demand. Conservative corporations don't create random products they are sure there is enough demand for. No, the truth is somewhere between Nintendo being conservative and not wanting to spend money to increase supply or secure more assembly line and their desire to create artificial scarcity.

I wish people would stop defending them. Their supply problems will never go away as long as people let them get away with like this.

@rennandovale And you're a classic example of what is wrong with the Internet and people in general. No need to resort to being rude and critical when someone has a difference of opinion or you perceive that you are somehow inexplicably superior to others.

@maceng As much as I love Nintendo, sometimes I do question their sanity. I've spent the past five years or so watching Nintendo make foolish decision after foolish decision, all the while sitting back and thinking, "They've got this all figured out. They know how to sell games and systems." And then the Wii U happened. You'll have to forgive me if I'm a bit skeptical when they discontinue a product that had unbelievable sales momentum.

I imagine they'll make a yearly thing of this, in that case. Once a year or so, just start producing NES Mini's. They know the demand is there, and its another money maker.

"Nintendoomed"? I'm starting to see a trend here, so I don't think that's a possibility anymore. Between NES Mini, Amiibo, Switch and that new 2DS abomination, Nintendo is well on their way to go places. They're doing something right, even if it may not always look like it from our point of view.

What part of supply and demand aren't they getting?
Answer - supply.

You see N, the demand is a great thing and all but it's the supply that makes the money.

@thesilverbrick It may have a completely different architecture from the NES, but in terms of functionality, which is the objective of it in the end, it's just a butchered NES Simply because it only plays NES games and it doesn't have the capacity to upgrade it's library. I do see how weird it sounds, but then I consider the production of a console that in the end, no matter how much people are passionate about it, it doesn't give and will never give the amount of money the 3DS still generates. Again, in terms of functionality, both consoles can deliver what the mini delivers and even more simply because of VC. Also, Nintendo is known for having supply problems, but in the end, if they decide to sell them again the market will be there because despite the many complaints people do, they never complain with their wallets.

We can't base on what "likely is going to happen". Right now, they are delivering Fire Emblem Echoes, will localize Monster Hunter Stories, Ever Oasis and Kirby's Blowout Blast. I wouldn't call any of those low budget titles. As long as 3DS sells well and there's a market to exploit, it's simply not wise to let it die instantly. Sure' there' s "beautiful" new device, that many, many of us haven't bought simply because it's library isn't big enough and it's price is ridiculous in many countries.

About the New 2DS we agree. It's price and design will make that only clueless people buy it thinking it's a new 3DS. I'm sure it will flop. I prefer that they invest resources in a better library for both the 3DS and the Switch.

Hint: Even if the mini NES outsold the 3DS on holiday, It's market is limited to people that want those 30 NES games, some hackers, and collectors. You can't expect that a console with a limited library of games from 30 years ago will keep selling well. You couldn't find one not only because it was being succesful, stock was really limited and that doesn't mean that its selling better and giving more profit than a handheld that can play the same games and sell way more because it isn't limited to a selection of 30 games.

http://www.polygon.com/2016/12/19/14006908/where-to-buy-a-nintendo-3ds If we are judging the success of a console based on not having enough stock, the 3DS had the same problem on holidays. Here's a quote from the writer:

"We’re located in a big city — the biggest in the country, in fact — yet each of the aforementioned retailers’ websites suggests that there’s not a single Nintendo 3DS to be found within a 250-mile radius. Customers are used to Nintendo hardware being scarce, but the Nintendo 3DS is no nostalgic stocking stuffer one-off like the NES Classic Edition. The handheld is Nintendo’s one remaining big-deal system, with recent games like Pokémon Sun and Moon meant to bolster the company’s sales quarter with high holiday sales."

I will seek out a modded one with 7-900 games installed on it. If I'm gonna go a few hundred dollars, I might as well go with the bonus plan!

@Crono1973

Im not defending them, just stating what I think is going on. And quite frankly, they need to do much better! This mini NES situation is a total fiasco!

Always nice to wake up to find that Sliggy has met my expectations. It gives me a sense of stability.

@PanurgeJr
huh? Sliggy stabilized you? you realised it after you woke up — with sliggy meeting your expectations? That was cryptic and oddly disturbing.

@joey302 If you are going to hack and emulate, you may as well do it with a Wii. Wireless controllers too.

@Priceless_Spork I meant that, like seeing the sun rise in the east in the morning, seeing Sliggy's behavior remain constant from day to day provides a sense of continuity. If one day he were to remain silent, or think rationally, or not insult people for liking 1-2-Switch, or not call me a liar for remembering that he condoned comparing owning a Wii U to being the victim of domestic violence, or just be positive there would be a profoundly traumatic sense of change, like seeing the sun rise in the west.

No unlimited resources? We are

LITERALLY

Paying for their resources.

@PanurgeJr
Not that again. Why bother starting that up?

@Priceless_Spork Because I think it's important for all the Sliggy apologists who wonder why so many people attack him to have as complete a view of him as possible.

@Beau_Skunk Have you heard the audio quality of those Sega plug and plays? If you're referring to the AtGames junk, it is terrible. Nintendo believes in producing a quality product. They would never sublicense production to another distributor. That's a disaster waiting to happen...

@PanurgeJr
You sound psychotic. Just relax and enjoy your life.

@MentalFear So you're a hoarding scalper, then? Because they're the only ones paying for these systems.

Gotta love the hyperbole from some salty users here. Like that conspiracy loon that said that Nintendo is limiting the production of Minis in order to "exploit" consumers on the VC. As if said consumers didn't had options. Some of them FREE options.

LOL

@Priceless_Spork I can understand thinking I ought to relax, but what I've written is hardly psychosis. One might also wonder if you too have replied enough to have reached the need-to-relax threshold.

@Crono1973 done....my Wii has 7200 retro games on a 32G card and even further, I grabbed an original Xbox modded with 64 different system emulators equaling 48,000 games!! It's a thing of beauty! I just Had to do it! I'm sick & Tired of waiting on Square, Nintendo, Konami, Capcom, Sega and others wasting the opportunities they have by sitting on their treasure chests of classics and not doing a darn thing with them. Now having said all that, I'm still and always will be a steadfast paying customer when it comes to retro releases and will pay over and over! ( I just picked up metal slug, wonder boy and Over Top on the Switch yesterday and Disney afternoon on PS4) and I got my eye on Namco museum for Switch this summer among others! 👍😊

@MentalFear he's an idiot! Limited resources my butt!! Realistically all companies have limited resources but are they saying they're totally incapable of maintaining Switch,3DS AND the NES mini simultaneously?? I doubt that very much. It makes no sense for them to kill production on a product in large demand and makes me think something else is going on...which I have no clue what that would be. I will only excuse this years from now if the Switch ends up with a large robust VC library!! Otherwise....baloney!

@joey302 when it comes to retro releases and will pay over and over! I have bought the VC games I want on several times too but the message it sends to these companies is that they needn't get in a hurry, even if I emulate I will still pay when they finally get around to releasing the games I want.

@Crono1973 not sure if their getting the message either way negative or positive idk. But as an adult gamer who's been gaming since the Atari 2600, I will always support retro releases when they come around. Let's hope with the Switch that they really go full tilt with this vc service and there's many hundreds of games and new added systems to choose from cause oh god when I envision what that service could be!! Jeez smh 🤦‍♂️

I just came here to see NintendoLife's usual sport:
"Todaaaaaaaaaaay, liiiiiiiiiiiiive from the NintendoLife arena, it's... Brutal! Reggie! Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaanslaughteeeeeeeeeerrrr!"

Every arceusdamn time they claim they didn't "anticipate" the demand! poopybutt demand will always be high for special Nintendo items. I'm really starting to just now think they're doing it on purpose. The Pokemon Go Plus, the Wii U GameCube controller adapter, the amiibo, the NES Classic. Just ridiculous.

@Lunarsickness Calm down dude, no profanity please...

Why are people wondering why they stopped selling them? They sold but each one had a horrible profit margin compared to the VC. Even a kid could quickly get it to run EVERY NES game. No profit long term there

@SLIGEACH_EIRE @freaksloan I don't really care. It's a limited edition console that was hard to get hold of, oh well... When you take a step back and assess things how much of an impact does that really have on your life? Whole heap of crying over nothing.

classic marketing move. Now the Snes mini has been announced. smh. $60 for an emulator. I feel sorry for the people who paid a premium price for the NES mini. Or maybe not. Noobs.

@Joeynator3000

Does that seriously offend you? He even censored it in a fun Nintendo themed way.

If youre this sensitive, maybe avoid the entire internet?

Again with all the completely nonsens critics.

First of all: Reggie has absolutely no reason to lie. PR talk? For what reason? If he said something about what you think is really going on that would have been bad for them? In what way?

Secondly: The NES mini is a debacle? How? Because they are completely sold out? How does that make any sense??

Thirdly and most importantly: You are talking as if you are entitled to get something like that. You are NOT!
They could have produced 5 in total and there would be no reason for anyone to be angry about it. This is just pure greed.

Why do you even think Nintendo is doing this "terrible" thing?
Do you accuse them to just want to annoy people? That doesn't make any sense!
Do you accuse them of only wanting to make money? Well no sh*t, they are a profit oriented company. They all want to make money first and foremost.

And anyone who doesn't agree to that nonsense is an apologist? That is just crazy.
Nintendo didn't do anything bad to anyone with this. They themselfs made money and probably got rid of unneeded spare parts. Anyone who got one can have fun playing with it, as that is what they wanted and anyone who wanted one but didn't get one should be neutral as they have nothing changed in their life. Would it have been better for anyone if they never produced that thing in the first place? No? Then does that mean them producing that was something positive? Yes, obvously.

@Kirgo

Okay Reggie. Registering as a Nintendo life commenter with a made up name is just pathetic.

Get back to work.

@MentalFear I'm the one that censored it.

@MentalFear Sorry for saying the truths that you don't want to hear.

@Joeynator3000

Very unprofessional to do so without noting that you did.

Also, yes, the original use of words was probably unnecessary so i do understand your decision.

@Kirgo

Is it okay if i disagree? Ill elaborate.

Reggie is a businessman. As an american businessman, he probably wants more nes minis to be made. Theres demand, hundreds of thousands of people willing to give them money. Common sense is to meet demand, and then stop production.

Nintendo Japan decided differently. For the same reasons they cut the headphone port from the GBA SP. Nintendo logic. Mere mortals are not to understand.

@HappyMaskedGuy As much as I love my Nintendo you Sir; have nailed it there.

@MentalFear So what you are saying is, that they are stopping production without any reason, even though it would make them more money? Sorry, that I don't believe they are doing something that makes absolutely no sense even if they were stupid... As long as there are possible reasons that DO make sense, like them using the capacity on producing something else instead, like the Switch or the new 2DS that might simply be more profitable to them.

@thesilverbrick @thesilverbrick
Except the 3ds/2ds line outsells the NES mini like 10 to 1, plus they make money from the sales of games. Even if Nintendo increased production to meet the demand, the NES mini is still a niche product with no added game revenue. I can't help but feel like most of the people that are being so obnoxiously vocal about the NES Mini only want one because it's supposedly rare. It's a novelty at best. As much as I love the NES, I grew up with it, let's not sit here and act like the majority of those games have aged well, really only a couple are still playable for more than a few minutes. And a true collector or someone who is into retro gaming would want an original NES with the actual cartridges anyway. Personally, I'd rather buy the few games out of those 30 that are worthwhile from the virtual console, than buy a retro shaped emulator and act like it's the real thing, or buy one just because it's the newest 'holy grail' for covetous consumers who fear missing out more than they have an actual interest in owning this year's tickle me Elmo or whatever.

@Mogster I'm not being an apologist for anything. That is the wonderful thing about recognizing that this is merely a product and that Nintendo is merely a business. If you want to have hurt feelings and outrage over a consumer product and its production process, by all means I won't attempt to stop you. However, don't expect me to feel the same. It is a product and one that cannot be produced indefinitely at the drop of a hat, no matter how much people complain and armchair analyze the impact it will have on Nintendo's bottom line. Simple as that. Call my very neutral response whatever you want. Matters very little in the grand scheme of things. Nintendo always does limited holiday runs of either bundles or novelty items. Sometimes you are lucky enough to buy them sometimes you aren't. That is just how it goes.

Retailers have the ability to limit sales to one per customer. They did so with amiibo and that at least gave those that legitimately wanted the product a chance to purchase it. Not a scalper proof method, but at least it is a chance. I think that is a reasonable hope to have of a retailer with a very limited stock item. Not required however. Nonetheless, I am not blaming them for human greed, merely hoping that other measures had been taken to mitigate it.

Nonetheless, have a wonderful day.

Edit: I have no need to listen to Jim Sterling rant about anything. I'll keep a level head on my shoulders, thanks.

@maceng Oh I know you can't stop them. Greed is the most basic human emotion... well that and anger and most people like to indulge. However, it at least gives a few more people a chance. That is all you can ask for really.

@WiltonRoots Shh. Logic and rationality are frowned upon here. I keep wondering how some folks handle honest crisis situations? Yet if you think about it... if a game system drives someone into a frothy keyboard banging rage, they must have a pretty good life. So at least that is working out for them.

So much hate over a limited edition console. I didnt get one either but Im not out for blood like so many here seem to be. People complaining about lack of supply. I can understand why the initial supply was small. How many retro consoles do you see shelf warming? Those Atari or Sega consoles in mini form line the tech aisle of Toys R Us for months. They don't sell much. Nintendo underestimated the demand. Perhaps they tried to increase the supply but could no longer source the parts needed for long.

Explain it to the shareholders, I hope they tear nintendo a new one for throwing this away.

@Lukeim64 I'm such a Nintendo fanboy. I just think that we should be calling on Nintendo to do the right thing. When they mess up, then lie to us- their fans and customers?? Well, that just isn't acceptable

Christ, the whinging on this thread.
Nintendo owes you nothing.
I didn't manage to get one. It's a shame, but I can play any of the games in several different forms. Other than that, the console itself is a novelty item; barely more than a toy - aren't we all a bit too old to get so worked up over missing out on it?

@HappyMaskedGuy It's pretty clear here from what Reggie said. It wasn't a device they planned to sell long term as they have other priorities(Switch and 3DS) AND they misjudged the demand of the NES classic. They're not making more despite the demand because they don't have infinite resources and it's not a key area for Nintendo's future.

It'd have been nice to get one, but it has no new games. I'd rather Nintendo focus on making and supplying Switches because the better they're able to manage that, the more support the system will get, which is better for the fans in the long run.

@Dr_Lugae I agree with you, but if this is down to finite resources, why put those resources into producing the 2DS XL? A console which, let's face it, just is not going to sell? I mean, who exactly asked for that?

The reason it came as a surprise is because nobody foresaw any need for it whatsoever.

Finite resources indeed.

@HappyMaskedGuy I'm surprised there so much hate and bickering over the cancellation of a glorified emulator.

@C-Olimar

Nintendolife. Where men cry over toys.
It could be a good strapline.

@ZeldaFan50 I think you might be reading to much into the negative responses to the NES mini situation. By pointing out that Nintendo are talking crap, doesn't mean I'm out with a placard,chaining myself to a fence and throwing Molotov cocktails.

Perspective is a valuable tool.

@WiltonRoots Look at Mr Superior over here. If you are so above all this, why are you in a comments section, a forum of opinions?

@HappyMaskedGuy What I mean was you could just download the games online instead of playing them on a plug and play for none of the price.

@ZeldaFan50 Yeah, but emulators are often spotty, and I prefer to buy officially.

@Mart1ndo You can always tell someone's argument is flawed when they try to belittle people with an opinion contrary to their own by referring to them as huffy children.

You disagree. So what?

Poor Reggie: the Sean Spicer of NoA.

@HappyMaskedGuy The question is, how do you know the new 2DS isn't more profitable to them?
I mean, we don't even know how much money they make with every NES Mini in the first place, only that it can't be a lot.
The Mini itself doesn't cost a lot and there is no additional income through games. Furthermore, part of the money they make with the NES Mini will most likely go to the various game publishers that own some of the games.

It's not far out there to think that the new 2DS + games will be more profitable to them, even if it does not sell a lot. Therefore using ressources on the NES Mini would be wasted, like Reggie said.

@HappyMaskedGuy Cheers. Just offering my opinions...

@Priceless_Spork That ScourgeJr guy is a psycho stalker and a liar. I find it best to ignore the thing. Have a look through his comments and you'll see his sick obsession with me. I really should report him.

Wow, you all are pissed, huh?

Too bad the VC is a thing (eventually) for the Switch.

@SLIGEACH_EIRE @PanurgeJr

I'm beginning to reach my limit with the spat you two are carrying on. I suggest you both ignore each other, and stop referring to each other (both explicitly and implicitly) from now on, otherwise I'll be recommending a ban for both of you.

The stupid reaction by fanboys to this proves that Nintendo really is for kids... or those with the mentality of kids.

I HAVE FURY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

@Mart1ndo More groundless, pathetic attempts to insult people. Sad wee man.

@Tasuki -and what makes you think Reggie is the one who made the decisions to discontinue the NES Mini? At least that's what your words imply.

The discontinuation is not his fault. No matter how much crap you and others like you fling at him. All of you who call him a liar, and try to defend yourselves with claims that in gist are "My criticism is legit!" are just throwing your crap cause Reggie is an easy target, when you aren't even acknowledging the fact that the fact the NES Mini has been discontinued has to do with the head company IN JAPAN, and not with Reggie.

@Mart1ndo Uh huh. Go attempt humour with someone else.

@Mart1ndo Not as cheap as your insults. You need to chill out a bit and stop being such a killjoy. Honestly.

Can I just point out that in a comments section, people are allowed to post an opinion about the subject in which we are actually reading about? If you disagree, and think Reggie is an infallible source of honesty, fine. But I'm sick to death of sideline trolls who have nothing better to do than insult those whose opinions differ from their own.

If you are all so above discussing Nintendo, in the comments section of a NINTENDO WEBSITE, then feel free to go save the world or bless others with your illustrious presence elsewhere.

We know, it's Nintendo, it's video games. It's not serious. But we enjoy discussing it. Is that such an objectionable means of relaxing? Sorry we aren't writing philosophical poetry or splitting atoms in our free time, like some Master Race members who honour us underlings with their godlike superiority- but we are mere mortals with nothing better to do. Apparently.

Will you not allow us idiots who know nothing to complain a bit about Reggie? It's a bit of fun. I know, we should be contributing to society as much as you whom we owe so much. But for now, we plebs have some free time. We can re-invent the wheel or cure cancer another time.

Alright, you two just...stop talking, move on.
Also... @HappyMaskedGuy one of the words you used counts as profanity, so...yeah.

@Joeynator3000 Ah yes. Sorry, I lost my inhibitions there. Sometimes i just get so determined to accurately describe a person it completely takes over!

@thesilverbrick How is 2DSXL a waste of time and money compared to NES Classic? They make money on every new game and accessory sold. NES Classic is a one and done, and probably not sold at a very high margin.

It was about the zeitgiest, and it worked. Nobody was talking about the Wii U's rotting corpse.
The headlines are worth more money than another million units, as percieved demand and brand awareness have made Switch's launch overwhelmingly positive, buzz-worthy, and supply constrained.

Wow, I haven't seen a comments section with this much murderous intent and tension between commenters in all my time here (and I recall a specific one that needed a major clean up).

The worst part is, this is all being driven by speculation. People making speculations based on them being convinced of nefarious dealings without a shred of evidence. Of course, anger will always have to be directed at someone and letting oit frustrations is usually the best way of dealing with it.

@Mart1ndo Good day, Sir.

After this and the Black New 3DS black Friday edition I am through with these 'limited holiday offerings.' At this point I do not care about the Classic SNES Mini. (Maybe by the time the N64 mini comeskirt around I will have had a change of heart ; )

@WhiteTrashGuy I totally get where you are coming from! I can no longer pre-order the new fire emblem as it is again going to be a limited run and I was unable to pick up my copy of mario kart due to the store not getting enough to fulfill their pre-orders and I pre-ordered it. I am done with the 3DS I am going to sell mine and just not worry about it anymore. just seems like you have to be someone who gets up early waits at the store to be the first one to get the item. The store I go to only got one copy of the collectors edition of fire emblem and that is all the store could pre-order and I was like REALLY they are going to pull that crap again! What a way to treat your fan base! I am not the only one that feels this way! I'm sure when people start to see that getting accessories and games for the Switch they will understand the frustration and may even decide to move to another platform all together as with the difficultly of getting a Switch I know people who ended up getting a PS4 instead!

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Nintendo dropped the ball by not allowing for pre-orders in some territories (North America for one). Had they allowed pre-orders, they would have had a better idea of the demand. Also, if Nintendo actually paid attention to their social media feeds, they would have had an idea on the level of demand too. I understand that Nintendo doesn't have unlimited resources and that this was a novelty holiday item. That said, Nintendo could have done practical steps to ensure more people and less scalpers got their hands on the NES Classic (retailers are also to blame on that one).

Reggie is an expert in using hundreds of words to say nothing in particular. A real example for all aspiring boardroom execs.

@lazerbyte
I tried not to preorder a Switch, but the BOTW Special Edition was just too much. The WiiU version was not going to cut it. What angers me now is that Wolf Link and Smash Bros. Link amiibo are non-existant. I wanted those for BOTW. I wanted to unlock Epona and Wolf Link to use on my adventure. There is no excuse for these stock shortages.

I kept saying that it was supposed to only have limited availability, but did people listen... no... they just kept complaining when it hit that limit... and when Nintendo raised that limit (which they didn't have to do) and they hit it again... more complaining.

@StarDust4Ever Actually, they have before with their "Nintendo Mini Classics" Game & Watch keychains, and those worked perfectly fine. Not all licensees are bad.
Sega & Namco had controllers with games built into them before, and those were kinda cool. But yeah, the sound quality on AtGames were a bit off.

@Beau_Skunk I have four G&W childhood originals, as well I bought a few of the keychain ones at Spencer's in my late teens to early 20s. Super Mario Bros had a hidden shortcut to Loop 3 that sadly doesn't work in the keychain version.

I have the SMB G&W keychain. It's actually pretty good, (even got over 999 points for it, beilieve it, or not) surprised it was never rereleased in the G&W Gallery games. (Guess Nintendo feared people would mistake it for the NES game.)

@MadAdam81 not even remotely true. Even before preorders opened for the NES Classic, the buzzz was over the top and everyne in the press covered it as the big holiday ticket. Then preorders sold out and scalpers immediately went to work... months before release. Then launch day continued that trend. The system itselfis very simply built, there were no component shortages, and it would have been no problem for nintendo to have ramped up production. They purposely did not. To say that Nintendo didn't know what the demand would be is naive at best. You basically regurgitated the company line at the time.