Nintendo of America had announced that the Nintendo Entertainment System: NES Classic Edition had been discontinued in the region last week and has since added that the miniature replica was never intended to be a “long-term product.”
The plug and play device came with 30 pre-installed games and went on to take the world by storm to sell more than 1.5 million units worldwide – with Nintendo admitting that they had been surprised at consumer demand.
“Throughout April, [Nintendo of America] territories will receive the last shipments of Nintendo Entertainment System: NES Classic Edition systems for this year,” a Nintendo of America representative had shared in a statement.
“We encourage anyone interested in obtaining this system to check with retail outlets regarding availability. We understand that it has been difficult for many consumers to find a system, and for that, we apologise.
“We have paid close attention to consumer feedback, and we greatly appreciate the incredible level of consumer interest and support for this product.”
Now, in an additional comment to IGN, a representative added: “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.”
The NES Classic Edition will now become a collector’s item, with the NES Classic Controller similarly discontinued and the company not wanting to say whether there were any plans in the future for the nostalgia-driven brand.
