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[LordOfLore]

Link.

Nintendo has pulled the plug on its much-loved, much-wanted miniature NES microconsole in Europe, as well as in North America and Japan.

In other words, the device has now been discontinued worldwide.

"We can confirm that we are no longer manufacturing the Nintendo Classic Mini: Nintendo Entertainment System," a Nintendo spokesperson told Eurogamer today.

"If production resumes in the future, an update will be posted on the official Nintendo website."

The mini NES launched late last year worldwide and immediately sold out. A shrunk-down version of the classic NES console, this device plugged into your TV and came preloaded with 30 games. It worked great, looked cool and was the perfect Christmas stocking filler - Nintendo was on to a hit.

Further shipments arrived in the run up to Christmas to try and meet demand, but the machine remained hard to find.

Nintendo then promised a post-Christmas refill of stock, but units never materialised in any great numbers.

Its sudden cancellation, despite continued demand, means many Nintendo fans will now never own the microconsole - unless they fork out for one of the many, many mini NES units now for sale on eBay.

The NES mini was priced £49.99 from Nintendo's official UK store, where stock was limited to one per customer.

But, on eBay, the prices run much, much higher. One seller has at least 10 NES minis, each for sale at £249.95.

That price is higher than the average eBay listing, but almost all are for substantially more than £100 - over double the device's intended price.

While scalping is inevitable, it's a shame to see such a cool piece of kit discontinued so soon after release. Last week, Nintendo surprised some by stating the hardware was simply never intended to be a long-term product.

Lock if old.

 

[I Wanna Be The Guy]

Sweet. Virtual console sooner rather than later. Glass half full.

 

[kami_sama]

Anyone surprised after the NA announcement?

 

[Robin64]

Never even saw it on shelves here in the UK, and it was barely available online too.

 

[jon bones]

did it's job - made everyone remember Nintendo

now its Year of the Switch

 

[BumblebeeCody]

Probably because no-one was buying it.[bad joke]

 

[Blanquito]

did it's job - made everyone remember Nintendo

now its Year of the Switch

Yeah, remember how many stupid decisions they make.

Many people are interested in the NES classic but not the switch.

 

[GlamFM]

Never seen one on store shelves.

As far as Im concerned they are discontinuing a product that was never for sale.

Fick dich Nintendo.

 

[Link_enfant]

Could the hack possibilities on the console have had influenced that in any way?

I'm so glad I had the chance to get it and its Famicom counterpart at their retail price

 

[Air Zombie Meat]

Shame. Would have bought one if I could.

 

[MissCauthon]

Why do these companies not simply re release the original NES, SNES. These consoles would sell millions for sure. Hell why not reprint some NES cartridges as well. People would go nuts and buy these retro consoles in brand new condition. I would pay top $$ to have a brand new real NES and SNES.

 

[Rellik]

I've never seen one in the UK.

 

[rockx4]

Could the hack possibilities on the console have had influenced that in any way?

I'm so glad I had the chance to get it and its Famicom counterpart at their retail price

Possibly, given people could toss any NES game on there. Why would people buy NES VC games on Switch if they could do that. But they can also do that with any other emulator.

 

[GlamFM]

Possibly, given people could toss any NES game on there. Why would people buy NES VC games on Switch if they could do that. But they can also do that with any other emulator.

My toaster can play NES games.

Don´t think the hack was a factor in this.

 

[xrnzaaas]

This is scalper's paradise.

Spoiler

or not, collectors already got it, (probably) no one else will pay 250 pounds for the hardware when you can emulate NES games on almost anything

 

[rockx4]

My toaster can play NES games.

Don´t think the hack was a factor in this.

I did acknowledge any emulator can do the same thing. Nintendo probably didn't want to bother manufacturing a device that did the same thing. I doubt the NES classic was much profit, if anything it was just to generate mindshare before the Switch launched.

 

[dex3108]

February 14, 2017

"Production for the Nintendo Classic Mini: NES continues, and NOE [Nintendo of Europe] will continue to ship units to retail on a regular basis," said a Nintendo UK representative.

http://www.techradar.com/news/dont-panic-nintendo-nes-mini-production-will-continue

 

[GlamFM]

I did acknowledge any emulator can do the same thing. Nintendo probably didn't want to bother manufacturing a device that did the same thing. I doubt the NES classic was much profit, if anything it was just to generate mindshare before the Switch launched.

I assume the classic mini was all profit actually.

I agree that it was just some sort of marketing-gag.

And a dick move by Nintendo.

 

[Jonneh3003]

I got one day 1 but a friend of mine who didn't preorder has been seeking them since launch. I feel like the point of the system was just to advertise the brand, sucks more people couldn't get their hands on them.

 

[dragonyeuw]

Could the hack possibilities on the console have had influenced that in any way?

Ultimately it's a closed box that Nintendo cannot further profit on through software and/or services. I also think they probably under-priced it, odd given how Nintendo is very protective about not devaluing their IPs. Maybe if it were MSRP $99.99 and had a little more margin it may be worth continued production. They may have looked at the hacking scene and thought, 'We're probably making little margin on this, now its hacked to hell and back. What's the point?'

 

[Azure Phoenix]

Shipments to the UK were almost non-existent after the initial 2 batches, our store was down to getting 1 or 2 odd units every couple of weeks and that supply dried up by March. You wouldn't even notice the difference with them discontinuing it here.

 

[Darrenf]

So stupid, sucks for people who couldn't get one. Glad I got mine though.

 

[Principate]

I assume the classic mini was all profit actually.

I agree that it was just some sort of marketing-gag.

And a dick move by Nintendo.

Sorta but compare the price of manufacturing and distributing the thing to the price of a single game. Selling those games individually would be far cheaper in the long hall. Hell releasing the collection on he switch as single retail card would be far cheaper and push company objectives.

 

[Bloodporne]

I want that SNES Mini now, get on that shit Nintendo.

 

[SkullplateMurray]

http://www.techradar.com/news/dont-panic-nintendo-nes-mini-production-will-continue

It's almost like when Eurogamer reported Wii U production would cease, and then Nintendo denied it. Then Wii U production ceased.

 

[leng jai]

As far as I'm concerned this thing never even existed.

 

[jon bones]

Yeah, remember how many stupid decisions they make.

Many people are interested in the NES classic but not the switch.

they should have bought the limited edition item, then? the whole point of it was to gain buzz, mission accomplished.

NES mini does nothing for Nintendo in 2017, whereas the Switch is their whole new platform going forward.

 

[Vitacat]

As far as I'm concerned this thing never even existed.

My thought as well. It was a hoax all along. Well played, Nintendo. Well played.

 

[Kthulhu]

I don't understand why Nintendo hates emulation outside of VC so much, yet they activity make it harder to play their games without downloading ROMs.

 

[playXray]

Why do these companies not simply re release the original NES, SNES. These consoles would sell millions for sure. Hell why not reprint some NES cartridges as well. People would go nuts and buy these retro consoles in brand new condition. I would pay top $$ to have a brand new real NES and SNES.

I think that would be too niche for what they are trying to achieve here. Anything with HDMI can hit the mainstream audience but I reckon having to hook up old RF leads and shit is too much hassle for most people.

 

[PSFan]

they should have bought the limited edition item, then? the whole point of it was to gain buzz, mission accomplished.

NES mini does nothing for Nintendo in 2017, whereas the Switch is their whole new platform going forward.

Please link me to where they said it was a "Limited Edition" or that the whole point was to "gain buzz". These fanboy delusions of what the point of the Mini was really need to stop.

 

[Cmerrill]

Nintendo, taking good care of the scalpers and leaving its less fortunate consumers high and dry. Typical.

Thanks, Nintendo.

 

[liquidtmd]

Please link me to where they said it was a "Limited Edition" or that the whole point was to "gain buzz". These fanboy delusions of what the point of the Mini was really need to stop.

.

They never once said limited edition. They never once said to gain buzz.

I get why they are doing it but Nintendo deserve the shit they are getting for this.

 

[JaffeLion]

makes sens.

 

[jon bones]

Please link me to where they said it was a "Limited Edition" or that the whole point was to "gain buzz". These fanboy delusions of what the point of the Mini was really need to stop.

someone calling me a fanboy - let alone someone named "PSFan" - is hilarious

 

[DiGiKerot]

Never even saw it on shelves here in the UK, and it was barely available online too.

I saw one on the shelf just this weekend.

In CEX. For £190.

 

[Deleted member 20415]

I'm really hoping that this is just a precursor to launching a second version with more games...

Long shot, I know, but it's the only thing that doesn't make my brain totally rot away with how dumb this whole thing has been.

 

[Bitch Pudding]

Never seen one on store shelves.

As far as Im concerned they are discontinuing a product that was never for sale.

Fick dich Nintendo.

Saturn Munich had quite a couple of them on the day Switch was released.

 

[MontyBrown]

The question is how long do I wait before I sell my wrapped versions?

Is the price likely to skyrocket and then go down, or steadily go up?

I can be patient.

 

[PSFan]

someone calling me a fanboy - let alone someone named "PSFan" - is hilarious

Nice deflection. A fan is not necessarily a fanboy. However, based on the posts I've seen from you in this and other topics where you think you know everything about why Nintendo does things, makes you sound like a fanboy.

And you still didn't link me to any source of your claims.

 

[FallingEdge]

The question is how long do I wait before I sell my wrapped versions?

Is the price likely to skyrocket and then go down, or steadily go up?

I can be patient.

Steadily go up imo. Things will prolly end up around 300. Although hacked versions have been sold for that much already.

 

[Cyborg]

Nintendo: we can earn more money if we re-sell all of the games on Switch. Lets just kill the Nes Mini.

This company is so gamer friendly

 

[ramparter]

Already disappeared from all greek stores a week before as soon as the US announcement was published.

 

[JaffeLion]

The question is how long do I wait before I sell my wrapped versions?

how many do you have? and why? Just to sell them later on at a higher price?

 

[airjoca]

Hmmm... maybe i'll go to a store after work. And buy a few...

 

[Toxi]

How can you kill what was never alive?

 

[Shredderi]

Wait it actually released and was being sold? Not like I ever saw one in a store. Or anywhere else.

 

[Falchion]

They better have some kind of backup plan if they are discontinuing this, but I doubt it.

 

[jufonuk]

holding onto mine.

 

[notaskwid]

Oh no, where will I find a device able to play classics such as Balloon Fight and Ice Climber.