The console’s supply issues are about to get even worse – Nintendo has confirmed that the final NES Classic shipments for North America will be hitting this month.
The NES Classic Edition has struggled with supply issues since it was first released in November, with Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime saying that the console was intended to be for adults “who grew up playing NES as a kid…but had stepped away from the gaming category.” However, the console’s unexpected popularity among “more active gamers” led to more demand than the company had prepared for.
Back in January, Fils-Aime stated that the supply issues for NES Classic had been “largely addressed,” although that doesn’t appear to be the case for much longer – the final shipments of the system will be hitting North America later this month.
Speaking with IGN, a Nintendo representative has confirmed that the final shipments of the NES Classic Edition will be reaching North America this month. IGN reports that the company has no plans to produce more systems, and that the representative told them that the “NES Classic Edition wasn’t intended to be an ongoing, long-term product. However, due to high demand, we did add extra shipments to our original plans.”
As IGN points out, this doesn’t necessarily mean the NES Classic/Famicon Mini has been discontinued worldwide – at this time, Nintendo has nothing to announce regarding that.
