Please support Game Informer. Print magazine subscriptions are less than $2 per issue
Report: Nintendo To Cease Wii Production In Near Future
According to a Japanese website, Nintendo will soon be ending production of its successful Wii console.
CVG reported on a picture that was posted on Nintendo's Japanese website. According to the article, a line of in the top right of the photo (above) of two Wii units translates to "manufacturing is scheduled to end soon."
If true, this would mark the end of the line for a console that helped re-establish Nintendo as a major player in the home console market. It has sold over 100 million units since its release in 2006. We've seen reports that it still been outselling Nintendo's Wii U as recently as this past summer.
Source: CVG
Our Take:
While it's likely the move is being made because Nintendo feels that the Wii might be undermining sales of the Wii U, I think it would be a mistake to totally end production of the unit. At this point, the Wii is cheap to produce, and could likely have a few more years of success as a budget console or in emerging markets. Perhaps Nintendo is looking to launch stripped down Wii Mini console in the U.S., Japan, and the rest of the world?
I’d like to ask you to support Game Informer’s continued coverage of games with a subscription. For less than two dollars per issue, we mail you a full year of 10 print magazines, each with cover stories and preview features filled with exclusive details about the most exciting upcoming games. We profile and interview game creators. We look back on the rich history of gaming, and we celebrate what’s next.
Here on the website, we offer much of our content for free, including game reviews, daily news, videos, event coverage, and more – all with minimal ads.
We do so with a small editorial team, alongside contributing paid writers from around the world – over 65 individuals from 9 countries around the world, just in the last couple of years.
It’s not possible without support.
In a time when game makers and games coverage have faced hard struggles and layoffs, the future of this 30+ year magazine and community is at risk. Our new standalone magazine subscription is the number one way you can keep us alive – and we believe you’ll get a pretty fantastic gaming magazine in your mailbox every few weeks for your trouble.
Thank you.
