Nintendo to end production of Wii U by end of year, report claims

[Shawn Knight]

Nintendo's Wii U was released in November 2012, a full year before rivals Microsoft and Sony launched their respective next-generation consoles. Despite getting the jump on the competition, Nintendo's current console never really caught on with consumers for a multitude of reasons.

With its next console – codenamed NX – looming on the horizon, we're now hearing that the Wii U's days are numbered.

According to a new report from Japanese newspaper Nikkei (via GameSpot), Nintendo is planning to shut down production of the Wii U by the end of the year. Unsurprisingly, the publication cited poor sales as the reason for discontinuing production so soon but didn't mention when exactly Nintendo might stop selling the Wii U.

If true, one would reasonably assume that production of the NX would commence on or around the same time the Wii U departs.

Speaking of the NX, rumors last month suggested the new console would arrive as early as this year and sport industry-leading technology. A design patent from December details a unique controller that features just two thumbsticks; the rest of the gamepad is a digital display. A purported image of that device recently cropped up online although its authenticity couldn't be verified (some are convinced it's a fake).

Nintendo chief Tatsumi Kimishima revealed late last year that the NX is something different and unique. The executive also revealed that he didn't think there was any real meaning behind the codename which the late Satoru Iwata apparently came up with.

Lead image via Forbes

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/64194-nintendo-end-production-wii-u-end-year-report.html

 

[3volv3d]

I personally like Nintendo and it's wii idea concepts. They bought out motion controllers, and the big dogs decided to follow not long after, in their own ways.

I like that they take risks, and think outside the box, I just don't think their idea was fully realized before they decided to chuck this into markets.

A family console, for world where "Family" is a term that doesn't really exist, kids spending more time alone, glued to youtube, watching gamers play games rather than play themselves. Where can they go from here ?

 

[psycros]

I personally like Nintendo and it's wii idea concepts. They bought out motion controllers, and the big dogs decided to follow not long after, in their own ways.

I like that they take risks, and think outside the box, I just don't think their idea was fully realized before they decided to chuck this into markets.

A family console, for world where "Family" is a term that doesn't really exist, kids spending more time alone, glued to youtube, watching gamers play games rather than play themselves. Where can they go from here ?

A rather depressing take on the effect of technology on families, but unquestionably true. Honestly I think Nintendo might do well with a portable that has full Internet capability including making VOIP calls and sending texts. This would go a long way towards keeping kids from crying for their own cell phone, which no child under 15 has any need for. If that portable could plug right into a larger home console which could play the portable's games on a big screen as well as offering cutting-edge hardware for its own games, fans would rejoice. Add to that formula game streaming to and from computers and tablets and I think Nintendo's fortunes might turn around pretty quickly. They could even stream their own back catalog like they've been talking about for some time (I never heard if that got implemented on the Wii U or not). Android and iOS could undoubtedly handle streamed games at least up to Gamecube/3DS level so there's yet another revenue stream to be tapped.

 

[gingerbill]

Nintendo need to stop with the tacky gimmicks and regurgitating the same old IP's over and over and actually come up with a decent console and some good new games.

 

[Squid Surprise]

I personally like Nintendo and it's wii idea concepts. They bought out motion controllers, and the big dogs decided to follow not long after, in their own ways.

I like that they take risks, and think outside the box, I just don't think their idea was fully realized before they decided to chuck this into markets.

A family console, for world where "Family" is a term that doesn't really exist, kids spending more time alone, glued to youtube, watching gamers play games rather than play themselves. Where can they go from here ?

A rather depressing take on the effect of technology on families, but unquestionably true. Honestly I think Nintendo might do well with a portable that has full Internet capability including making VOIP calls and sending texts. This would go a long way towards keeping kids from crying for their own cell phone, which no child under 15 has any need for. If that portable could plug right into a larger home console which could play the portable's games on a big screen as well as offering cutting-edge hardware for its own games, fans would rejoice. Add to that formula game streaming to and from computers and tablets and I think Nintendo's fortunes might turn around pretty quickly. They could even stream their own back catalog like they've been talking about for some time (I never heard if that got implemented on the Wii U or not). Android and iOS could undoubtedly handle streamed games at least up to Gamecube/3DS level so there's yet another revenue stream to be tapped.

um.... isn't that the DS?

 

[J spot]

I really like my Wii U, because of the ability to play the games on the screen or the pad. Most of the time I've had it in a different room, not connected to a TV, and just played it on the pad. It's like having a really powerful hand held that doesn't get hot. The only thing is that I wish the screen was 1080p, since that's the resolution I've gotten used to because of the phones I've had. One of the greatest games I've ever played is Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze.

 

[stewi0001]

Sadly, I am probably done with Nintendo. At least as a console. They would only have like 5 good games and that was it. SNES was probably their best but back then their only competition was SEGA. N64 was only somewhat good because of Rareware.

Honestly, I think they should start to considering on stop making consoles and focus on game/software development. Heck I would play Mario and Zelda on my PC. They probably could still keep making their hand-helds still. I think they are still doing well on that market.

 

[Adhmuz]

I personally like Nintendo and it's wii idea concepts. They bought out motion controllers, and the big dogs decided to follow not long after, in their own ways.

"Nintendo GameCube was released in most territories in November and December 2006."

"The PS3 was released November 11, 2006, for Japan and November 17, 2006, for North America and Europe."

The PS3 launched with Sixaxis motion controls, before the Wii... I'll give it to you that the Wii had a better implementation and supported titles, but Sony never had to play catch up, they had it from day one. Only rumors would support otherwise.

As for the Wii U, well I was never a fan, but it never appealed to me nor was I ever it's intended audience. I honestly don't feel like I'm missing out on anything life changing, so to see it go so early in it's life is of no great concern. With any luck Nintendo has something good around the corner.

 

[amstech]

N64 was only somewhat good because of Rareware..

The N64 was voted the greatest console of all time, and had dozens of spectacular games including what many call the greatest game of all time.
If you missed gaming on an N64 as a kid, you missed the best console gaming experience offered to date, and I am truly sorry for your loss.

 

[stewi0001]

The N64 was voted the greatest console of all time, and had dozens of spectacular games including what many call the greatest game of all time.
If you missed gaming on an N64 as a kid, you missed the best console gaming experience offered to date, and I am truly sorry for your loss.

I had a N64, so I didn't miss out. But the majority of the great games for it, as I recall, was developed but RareWare.

 

[Uncle Al]

It it's day the Wii simply knocked the socks off most users. My only disappointment was they never rolled any of the games (that I can think of) over to the PC. Their little 9 hole golf game was a blast and I've never found anything else that really measured up......

 

[Reallyhow]

You guys should probably update this article to reflect the fact that it isn't true:

http://www.polygon.com/2016/3/23/11289948/nintendo-cancels-wii-u-nx-mobile

 

[J spot]

I personally like Nintendo and it's wii idea concepts. They bought out motion controllers, and the big dogs decided to follow not long after, in their own ways.

"Nintendo GameCube was released in most territories in November and December 2006."

"The PS3 was released November 11, 2006, for Japan and November 17, 2006, for North America and Europe."

The PS3 launched with Sixaxis motion controls, before the Wii... I'll give it to you that the Wii had a better implementation and supported titles, but Sony never had to play catch up, they had it from day one. Only rumors would support otherwise.

As for the Wii U, well I was never a fan, but it never appealed to me nor was I ever it's intended audience. I honestly don't feel like I'm missing out on anything life changing, so to see it go so early in it's life is of no great concern. With any luck Nintendo has something good around the corner.

I think you meant the Wii, not the Game Cube.

As far as copying Nintendo with the Sixaxis. The PS3 may have come out days before the Wii, but the general view was that they were copying the Wii with the Sixaxis. There was even this famous meme of the Sony executives introducing the controller and saying something like, "We've been working on it since 1993."

I can't believe it has been this long, but Sony introduced the PS3 controller, and everybody hated it, and the press was extremely negative. And then Nintendo introduced the Wiimote. And back then it was the talk of the town. It was extremely popular. Then I think like a year later Sony introduced the Sixaxis. While claiming that they didn't add the motion controlling because of the Wii.

So as you can see, even though the PS3 came out a few days before the Wii, Nintendo is regarded as the one who introduced motion controller.

 

[Adhmuz]

I think you meant the Wii, not the Game Cube.

I did yes.

As far as copying Nintendo with the Sixaxis. The PS3 may have come out days before the Wii, but the general view was that they were copying the Wii with the Sixaxis. There was even this famous meme of the Sony executives introducing the controller and saying something like, "We've been working on it since 1993."

I can't believe it has been this long, but Sony introduced the PS3 controller, and everybody hated it, and the press was extremely negative. And then Nintendo introduced the Wiimote. And back then it was the talk of the town. It was extremely popular. Then I think like a year later Sony introduced the Sixaxis. While claiming that they didn't add the motion controlling because of the Wii.

Depends who you ask, if your referring to the boomerang remote thing they had on display back in the day, yes that received tremendously bad press, I don't think that had anything to do with the choice to move to Sixaxis. Sony was in a legal battle with the owners of the Dualshock technology they had been using for years, they couldn't get it settled in time for the release of the PS3 so they turned they're attention to a gimmicky feature. So Nintendo happened to be pushing it as their primary attraction, just coincidence, but some see otherwise. Dualshock was eventually incorporated once the legal issues were settled.

So as you can see, even though the PS3 came out a few days before the Wii, Nintendo is regarded as the one who introduced motion controller.

Which is fine, if you care for motion controls, but Sony had it out before them as a band-aid to the missing Dualshock feature, not as a main feature like Nintendo so naturally they got all the attention, also it appealed better to their target audience.