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(EU? Norway?) NES Classic Mini reaching EOL - production ceasing

O

old manatee

Banned
Maybe the new version will have internet access so that we can buy a broad selection of classic games at reasonable prices, and an account system so that the games can be played on the Switch, too.
 
S

Sho_Nuff82

Member
KratosEnergyDrink said:
Only if some people are dumb enough to buy this thing from them. It does not matter anyway "scalpers" are not a big problem because they never can buy relevant amounts of hardware.

People who waited with their Nes mini preorder because they hoped it would be cheaper after holiday are angry now and blame scalpers... as if scalpers bought 100.000 and not only a few hundred.

It was clear from the beginning that the Mini was only a limited run for holidays.
Click to expand...

Scalpers are only an issue because Nintendo treats certain hardware, software, and accessories the way Nike treats shoes. Though Nike is better at generating hype and delivering, because they ship just enough to be less than 5% off of true demand. Enough scarcity to necessitate lines, but not enough to make the after market lucrative.

I've posted about this before but there dozens of articles about this practice. Nintendo is just completely inept at gauging demand, either through a disconnect with their fans or their retail partners. Anything they try to drip feed will fall way, way short of true demand, driving up prices.
 
P

papercan55

Member
Maintenance said:
I guess that's why Nintendo stopped making the DS and the 3DS, since they were/are heavily compromised.

Oh wait.
Click to expand...

that's not the same at all.
they kept making wii, DS and 3DS because they could update the firmware or at least attempt to stop piracy, they can't do anything to stop it on the original NES mini without making changes to the production line.
The NES mini is also far easier to exploit and puts a large dent in there hopes for virtual console sales on the switch, which we all know will consist mainly of N.E.S games trickled out every month.
 
SmokedMeat

SmokedMeat

Gamer™
KratosEnergyDrink said:
NES Mini is hacked and is used to play illegal ROMs.

I don't think Nintendo has much interest in supporting a heavy compromised device thats tempt people to download illegal ROMs.

Would not be the first dedicated gaming device that had been killed by pirates, and sadly it will not be the last.
Click to expand...

They supported 3DS and Wii.
 
F

FHIZ

Member
Can't urn out of NES Classic stock if you don't produce any.

CmEqXHX.png
 
B

Boke1879

Member
If they truly ended this then I'll try to find another one and just hold on to them both.

If there is ever a SNES classic I'm jumping on that the first chance I get.
 
M

Maintenance

Member
papercan55 said:
that's not the same at all.
they kept making wii, DS and 3DS because they could update the firmware or at least attempt to stop piracy, they can't do anything to stop it on the original NES mini.
The NES mini is also far easier to exploit and puts a large dent in there hopes for virtual console sales on the switch, which we all know will consist mainly of N.E.S games trickled out every month.
Click to expand...

Such a huge dent in VC sales that I'm going to have to ask for the receipts.
 
L

L.O.R.D

Member
Maintenance said:
Not for the DS they couldn't. And that sold even more.

Plus the 3DS is wide open now, they tried to stop that multiple times now and failed.
Click to expand...

that's why i didn't say anything about the DS,i know they didn't patch it,the DSi got patched.
but even with that,you have to buy flash cart to be able to play those pirated games.
in the 3DS you don't have to buy anything.
 
E

ElBoxyBrown

Banned
KratosEnergyDrink said:
Only if some people are dumb enough to buy this thing from them. It does not matter anyway "scalpers" are not a big problem because they never can buy relevant amounts of hardware.

People who waited with their Nes mini preorder because they hoped it would be cheaper after holiday are angry now and blame scalpers... as if scalpers bought 100.000 and not only a few hundred.

It was clear from the beginning that the Mini was only a limited run for holidays.
Click to expand...

Nintendo never made it clear it was limited in their advertisements.
 
SmokedMeat

SmokedMeat

Gamer™
Guess I might as well cancel my NES controller preorder that never came in after months of waiting.

I doubt it's ever going to arrive even if this news isn't true.
 
S

Sho_Nuff82

Member
KratosEnergyDrink said:
NES Mini is hacked and is used to play illegal ROMs.

I don't think Nintendo has much interest in supporting a heavy compromised device thats tempt people to download illegal ROMs.

Would not be the first dedicated gaming device that had been killed by pirates, and sadly it will not be the last.
Click to expand...

This would make sense, but Nintendo doesn't actually make any software revenue from the classic mini. They aren't "losing" anything other than hypothetical sales of those same ROMs at some nebulous point in the future on different hardware.

If someone just wants to run an NES emulator, there are dozens of ways to do that without this hardware. It's incredibly shortsighted to cut this hardware if that were the reasoning.
 
E

EmiPrime

Member
The Exploder said:
Maybe the new version will have internet access so that we can buy a broad selection of classic games at reasonable prices, and an account system so that the games can be played on the Switch, too.
Click to expand...

In an ideal world. Too bad Nintendo don't have the online chops to do that and are instead the sort of company that releases a console 6 months before its online service is fully ready and requires the use of a smartphone.
 
PAULINK

PAULINK

I microwave steaks.
Man I sold mine with intentiona of buying it back, because they'd surely be in great supply. Guess I need to really search for one before they're gone for good.
 
D

dragonyeuw

Member
asagami_ said:
The fact this was a limited item to sell in Holidays is something people don't get? The demand was underestimated, of course, but it's not like Nintendo wanted to do money with this. It was more brand awareness that any thing.

Well, I hope see the Nes Classic Mini toy. You know, without games.
Click to expand...

Yeah, what company wants to make money on a product with obvious demand? What kind of strategy is that? /s Also, why would one of the most well known companies on earth need to pimp a product like this for 'brand awareness'.

Reggie is on record as saying they were working to get more of these on shelves. So it would seem it wasn't just a thing for Xmas.
 
Z

Zombie James

Banned
GlassAwful said:
Think of it this way. Nintendo would rather you be forced to hack a $200-300 device in order to play all their games then to so easily and cheaply give it up to you in the NES Classic.
Click to expand...

Think about what you're suggesting, that Nintendo in cancelling a highly successful product because people are getting too much value out of it? They're fucked if they actually think this way.
 
P

papercan55

Member
Maintenance said:
Such a huge dent in VC sales that I'm going to have to ask for the receipts.
Click to expand...

They will be no receipts to show you because they have seemingly stopped this issue before it does affect them in the long run.
People are far happier to pay $2 for a N.E.S game, and then have the option to add as many new ones as they like for free, why the hell would you pay over twice that price on the virtual console and without the option for free content.
 
F

Fularu

Banned
papercan55 said:
that's not the same at all.
they kept making wii, DS and 3DS because they could update the firmware or at least attempt to stop piracy, they can't do anything to stop it on the original NES mini without making changes to the production line.
The NES mini is also far easier to exploit and puts a large dent in there hopes for virtual console sales on the switch, which we all know will consist mainly of N.E.S games trickled out every month.
Click to expand...
Someone savvy enough to "hack" th nes mini is savvy enough to slap together a retropie setup. I seriously doubt the hack has anything to do with the NES Mini discountinuation.

It's prety obvious it was always going to be a single holoday item.
 
D

Deadpool_X

Banned
I have to assume that, what's actually going on is that they've seen the ridiculous demand for the Switch and have temporarily shut down production of the Classic to convert those lines over to Switch production. Once they have caught up with demand on the Switch, they will probably move back to producing Classics, although perhaps as a second edition model with more/different games or upgradability via card slot or wireless adapter.

So yes, the current sku is EOL and being discontinued, but I would be wholly shocked if, knowing the demand that still exists for the product, they refuse to make any more in the future.
 
H

Hermii

Member
You gotta wonder what Nintendo board meetings are like.

So we have nothing for this holiday exept Pokemon. Our division in France suggested to us to make a nes emulator based on cheap mobile parts and try to bank in on Nostalgia. We could model the unit on a NES

Board: Great idea, I bet well sell a few hundred tousand units worldwide. Whatever you do, dont overproduce.

A few months later: The NES mini is a great success! Its sold out everywhere. Should we inchrease production?

Board: Cease production. We will make more if we sell these games on the virtual console.
 
E

Ernest

Banned
I would love for journalists to get some intel about all the behind the scenes machinations of this thing. It boggles my mind that something with so much market potential could get so fucked, even for Nintendo.

This was probably the most "shared" product announcement I've ever seen on facebook, and Nintendo claims they're "proud" of the 1.5 million units they've sold, yet they could've easily sold 5 million by now. I just don't get this.

The only explanation might be that they want people to buy these games as virtual console games and they won't if everyone has one of these things - which is dumb for various reasons.
 
SmokedMeat

SmokedMeat

Gamer™
papercan55 said:
They will be no receipts to show you because they have seemingly stopped this issue before it does affect them in the long run.
People are far happier to pay $2 for a N.E.S game, and then have the option to add as many new ones as they like for free, why the hell would you pay over twice that price on the virtual console and without the option for free content.
Click to expand...

You realize people do this shit all the time with emulators right? NES mini didn't suddenly usher in a practice that's never existed.
 
spookyfish

spookyfish

Member
GlassAwful said:
My guess is they feel the product devalues the perceived worth of these roms especially since the hardware was so quickly hacked to run their entire library and then some.

In other words, I bet they will abandon this concept so you can look forward to high virtual console prices.
Click to expand...

This explanation actually makes sense.
 
E

ElBoxyBrown

Banned
Deadpool_X said:
I have to assume that, what's actually going on is that they've seen the ridiculous demand for the Switch and have temporarily shut down production of the Classic to convert those lines over to Switch production. Once they have caught up with demand on the Switch, they will probably move back to producing Classics, although perhaps as a second edition model with more/different games or upgradability via card slot or wireless adapter.
Click to expand...

Then demand will be gone for a Mini. We're talking waiting till possibly the summer to see another Mini restock. That's insane.
 
M

Maxim726X

Member
So you have a hot product that everyone wants but is sold out everywhere, and the solution is to stop making it?

Huh. Bold strategy.
 
O

outunderthestars

Banned
DigitalScrap said:
Hopefully this is just for the Scandinavian region. If Nintendo really is stopping production/shipments everywhere, that is insane.

I guess I'll never get one at this rate. I wanted one for myself and one as a gift for someone (since before Christmas).

Meanwhile, we have people like this selling them for double the price. Come on Nintendo.

YmyeIGyl.jpg
Click to expand...

There is a criaglist scalper here in NJ that sent me a photo of 73 NES classics. He says he has friends at two Walmarts and that he just buys entire shipments from them before they put the units on the floor.
 
S

saskuatch

Member
Deadpool_X said:
I have to assume that, what's actually going on is that they've seen the ridiculous demand for the Switch and have temporarily shut down production of the Classic to convert those lines over to Switch production. Once they have caught up with demand on the Switch, they will probably move back to producing Classics, although perhaps as a second edition model with more/different games or upgradability via card slot or wireless adapter.

So yes, the current sku is EOL and being discontinued, but I would be wholly shocked if, knowing the demand that still exists for the product, they refuse to make any more in the future.
Click to expand...

Uh I highly doubt the mini and switch are in the same manufacturing plants. It's like saying because of the new iPhone there will be calculator shortages....
 
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