It’s one thing for a new console to come out, but it’s something else when the previous console is halted altogether. According to the Japanese publication Nikkei, Nintendo will be stopping all production of the Wii U by the end of this year. Of course, this is presumably to get out of the way of the heavily rumored Nintendo NX, and also in part due to the terrible sales of the Wii U. It is a bit shocking since older consoles are usually still made and sold even after new ones are announced and put out to market.
Either this means Nintendo is really ready to put the Wii U firmly in the past, or perhaps there are just so many left in stock that halting production won’t hurt future sales. If true, it does mean the Wii U is, essentially, dead. The Nikkei article does say they believe the NX will be announced this year, but don’t go so far to confirm it will be released in 2016.
In the wake of possible upgrades from Microsoft and Sony, Nintendo should really strike while they have the chance. While consumers wonder about upgrade paths and trade-ins, Nintendo could push out a console and take hold of a shaky marketplace.
