It was inevitable that the console would be laid to rest, even Nintendo them selves indicated a few weeks ago that they intended to stop manufacturing the Wii for Japan, but we’re still surprised that it was removed so quickly. The company has now listed the console as “discontinued” on its Japanese website.
This isn’t a big deal of course, there are millions of Wii consoles in circulation and given that I’ve rarely known one to break down, I have high hopes that Wii will be around for years to come. I was never a huge fan on the console, but it did have its moments and it did sell incredibly well for a console that many deemed to stupid to fail.
Those wanting access to the Wii games catalogue will now have to settle for the backwards compatible Wii U or second hand hardware, at least once Jap retailers sell out of current stock. It’s already becoming common place for the console to be pulled from shelves in the UK, and it seems as we slowly shift to next-gen, it has become time to start digging the graves for the current gen.
Wii and Wii Mini may still be available in other countries, but I wouldn’t expect that to last much longer, if you still want in on the action, now would be a great time.
Thank you Engadget for providing us with this information.
Image courtesy of Engadget.
