Nintendo will stop manufacturing the Wii U by the end of 2016, according to a report from Japanese newspaper Nikkei.
According to the report, as translated by Polygon, the console manufacturer has already shut down production of certain Wii U accessories, and will cease production of the console itself later this year. The news would signal the final nail in the coffin for the failed dual-screen device, which Nintendo has already confirmed will be replaced with a new home console, codenamed “NX.”
According to the report, Nintendo has sold 12.6 million Wii U units since the console launched in 2012, fewer than either the PlayStation 4 or Xbox One have since their respective launches in 2013. Nintendo sold more than 100 million Wii consoles during the device’s eight-year lifespan. During a financial report earlier this year, Nintendo said it would push into new markets, including mobile software development; the company’s first project, the Miiverse-inspired networking app Miitomo, launched in Japan last week.
If accurate, some will take it as unofficial confirmation of the 2015 Wall Street Journal report that said Nintendo would launch the NX by the end of the year. However, the report specifically noted that the new console may not be ready to ship within that time frame. Nintendo said it would unveil the Nintendo NX to the public in 2016. In an interview with Time, Nintendo president Tatsumi Kimishima said the new platform will feel “unique and different.”
In the meantime, Nintendo still has a limited slate of games in development for the Wii U, including Star Fox Zero, Paper Mario Color Splash, Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE, and the upcoming Legend of Zelda game. It also said it would continue to supporting some of its most successful recent titles, Splatoon and Super Mario Maker, with new downloadable content rolling out this year. All of Nintendo’s publicly announced Wii U titles are expected to hit stores by the end of 2016.
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