After months of speculation that Nintendo would end the production of its Wii U, the Japanese video game legend this week announced that the console's end is near.
An announcement on Nintendo's Japanese site informs consumers that "production is scheduled to end soon" in Japan, Kokatu reports. The announcement comes after reports last week that Nintendo had taken its final Wii U orders and planned to halt the production line on Nov. 11.
In the US, the Wii U is sold through third-party retailers, so sales will likely continue until inventory is exhausted.
A Nintendo spokesperson did not immediately respond to PCMag's request for comment. When these rumors first emerged in March, the company denied that it planned to end production. But it recently unveiled the Wii U's successor, the Nintendo Switch, a unique gadget that can work as a home game console and a handheld system. The Switch, which goes on sale in March, has a tablet form factor that is surrounded by an innovative set of controller grips and a dock.
The Wii U, meanwhile, was introduced in 2013 to compete with the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Fans hailed its potential to disrupt the conventional living room game experience with its giant touchpad controller. But after more than three years of weak sales, it's clear consumers didn't agree. By January 2014, Nintendo essentially admitted the Wii U was a flop, blaming part of the failure on the relative lack of games made for its console.
Even a significant price cut couldn't entice consumers, who instead flocked to the PlayStation and Xbox. A brief reprieve came in late 2014, when Nintendo released a Wii U version of its venerable Mario Kart franchise, which temporarily boosted sales.