Report: Nintendo to Stop Production of Wii U Consoles in 2016

nx this year :D with Zelda

Pre-Gen 7 console cycles were about 5 years. The Wii-U is approaching its 4th year. This doesn't overly surprise me. If they really want to knock it out of the park, backwards capability is going to be a high priority, however.

Nintendo of course denied it, but Nikkei's a more professional source than the usual internet places these things come from.

That said, it merely indicates Nintendo is switching to NX, something we long suspected. I daresay theyve got a warehouse full of Wii U's socked away somewhere to keep up with demand (its not exactly a big seller, after all) until NX takes over that retail space.

The Wii U marks the only Nintendo system I've never owned. But as mentioned, there were some standout titles that nearly tempted me.

Nintendo denies that this is true. : http://nintendoeverything.com/nintendo-denies-report-of-wii-u-ceasing-production-this-year/

This has been such a weird console generation. The Wii U hasn't even been out for 4 years yet and already we're getting the NX, to say nothing of the PS4 and the Xbox One getting incremental upgrades which may end up costing as much as a next-gen console (though I suspect they'll cut a deal with existing owners if that's the case, they'd pretty much have to in order to move units).

If the NX actually does launch this year or very early next year, this could serve as a real chance for Nintendo to shoot ahead of the competition. They're generally about a generation behind when it comes to hardware capabilities, but if most developers don't bother to take advantage of the upgrades offered by Sony and Microsoft that means it'll pretty much be an even playing field in that regard. Nintendo's also been good about keeping online free and they have been improving their online services at a painfully slow but steady rate; if they can offer a better online experience than they currently have while keeping it free with the NX that would be a further point in their favor. The trickiest part is still inevitably going to be same stumbling block they've had trouble with for years - actually getting decent third-party support for a home console.

It'll be tough for them, but the lukewarm reception to the vague future plans of Sony and Microsoft means that timing is almost certainly on their side for the first time in a while and Nintendo may very well shoot to the front again if they can just nail the execution.

AUSTIN PLS

Centering the console around the pad was a terrible idea, zero third party support as per usual and literally no reason to get the Wii U beyond a smattering of exclusives.

Nintendo needs to get its shit together. The Wii U was an even worse investment than the XBOX One.

I don't understand the love for the console, or the sentiment behind calling it a success. It had a half dozen games that were exceptional, and of those half dozen, even less that took advantage of their asynchronous screen. It debuted on nearly decade old tech, had terrible third party support, an antiquated online platform, and failed to deliver anything innovative outside of Mario Maker. I did not like the Wii, and I would say that this was even worse than that, and may be one of the worst major consoles in the last twenty years. I personally did not care for Splatoon, Super Mario 3D World, or Bayonetta, so that left me with Smash Brothers, Mario Maker, Nintendoland, and Mario Kart as the four titles I enjoyed over the consoles 4 year lifespan (not counting the Wind Waker remake).

Mario Maker and Splatoon are better proof of concept games than anything they had on the Wii, except maybe bowling. But those games came too late, and the mainstream interest in Wii was already over.

Vinny jokes that Mario is offensive to Italians all the time. This is likely a reference to that joke. Also, not wanting to offend people is not fear. It's courtesy.

I don't think there is anything solid to read into this news of Wii U stopping production. You can't read into it because stopping production, of an old console, might have MANY reasons. Moreover, it might not always the reasons any of us might think of directly that is the big reason.

It easy to say, "Well, it HAS to be 'this reason' or 'that reason'." I actully have another POV on why they are doing it, but I can't prove it any more definitively than anyone else - so I won't muddy the water with speculation.

I think the one conclusion you can have is that NX must be soon, and this move is at least 'lateral' confirmation of NX actually being 2016. The NX being soon is thrilling. Even if you aren't a fan of their games, which describes me well, a console launch is like the Super Bowl.

This is a big year for gaming: Computer VR, Nintendo NX, PS VR, and there are a number of big name games for PS4 and XBox One. This is a Uncharted 4 Year, this is The Division Year, this is a It is a big year in gaming from many perspectives.

Now that Nintendo has refuted those claims, can we get an update here @austin_walker?

Has Nintendo said anything about nx backward compatibility with wiiU games? i don't have a wiiU but i really want to play Windwaker HD.

Unless they have some kind of controller with an embedded screen in it some games would be weird to play on the NX.

@likeassur: Thanks for pointing this out!

I'm so glad I didn't buy a Wii U now. This is getting ridiculous. Nintendo just needs to stop with the gimmicky shit, and I think they would be fine. That being said, I think I'll wait on whatever their next console is too, unless it turns out to be something truly amazing, which I doubt.

First of all, craft a solid controller that can be tweaked and potentially evolve over the years, much like Sony and Microsoft have done, and then we'll talk. The Wii remote and nunchuck was awful, and the tablet controller just didn't feel right either. The Xbox and Playstation controllers are both fantastic and have only gotten better.

As a Wii U owner, I still couldn't be happier. I still find myself coming back to this console more than any other current-gen. The fact it's backwards compatible with older Nintendo consoles AND you don't have to pay for online console gaming always sits very, very well with me.

Also don't find the controller "gimmicky" whatever. I'd consider the fault in your choice of game if the gamepad feels like a gimmick. If you're playing a game that utilizes it poorly, then sure -- you'd probably want to switch to something else. But goddamn... doesn't it all come together perfectly with brilliantly-made games like Mario Maker. As much as I couldn't stand wiimotes and nunchucks for the Wii, I was surprised how much I grew to love the Wii U gamepad. I'm sure it helps that I have rather large hands that strong enough to hold it comfortably without ever getting tired, but I find it *almost* as comfortable as anything else out there.

If there is any truth to the initial report, it does sadden me quite a bit -- albeit not surprising given such low sales. Regardless they still have some fight left in them with some incredible games coming soon (and maybe a Mario Maker content expansion if a man can dream).

Just... keep making some games for the damn thing. That was my only problem with the Wii U.

Not unexpected, yet still a real shame. Hope the NX does better for Nintendo and us. Wii U had some great games but just not enough of them.

If you don't have a PC, I could see where you are coming from.

Ever try the pro controller? It is a solid device, and the general opinion about it is very high as well. A large chunk of the games worth playing on the Wii U work with the pro controller. There are also easily 10+ exclusives that I would say deserve a try if you are a game player. Yes, most of them are Nintendo games, so if that is not your thing then I get it. But if you are expecting something else then... I don't get it.

So I'm mainly asking myself this question: Do I care about enough the NX to be willing to hold off on getting a Wii U and essentially make a bet on whether or not the NX will have some Wii U compatibility for the two or three Wii U games I want?

Those Black Friday sales better be good.

The Wii U for what it is is just to damn expensive. For people like us it's an alternative but for people who want a new console and they see an Xbox one or Playstation 4 for the exact same price they're obviously going to purchase one of them two. I think in the UK it needs to be between the £120-£150 mark.

Gonna chime in here too in case you miss my tweets, @austin_walker (I'm iiotenki/Tom on Twitter!), but regarding the terminology ambiguity in your update, after skimming the original Nikkei piece and Nintendo's response in Japanese, only Business Insider's translation makes sense to me. In isolation, the term that's causing the difference between their translation and Kotaku's, 来期, can actually be translated both ways depending on context, but given that the original article discussed production ceasing this year and the way Nintendo's response is worded, I'm pretty confident that the Nintendo statement is meant to say that Wii U production will continue into at least into next fiscal year, too. Hope it helps!

I know he does, key word is that he jokes about it, he's not actually hurt by it. Also, everyone has to balance the line between writing good content that is honest and also contains jokes or references, and trying not to offend ANYONE. (in this case, about Mario, who is one of the least offensive characters one could think of)

However, if you really tried to not offend ANYONE, including irrational people, you couldn't write or create content, period.

Another poster compared it to making derogatory comments about the Irish, which isn't comparable at all but still makes my point... I'm about half Irish, and that stuff doesn't offend me at all - unless it's directly at me or another person in particular specifically, with the intent to hurt their feelings or abuse them. I'm like any rational person should be though, in this regard: I am not offended by things that the writer is clearly not trying to be offensive about, period. I wish everyone would live by that ideal instead of trying to be offended by everything.

I've heard good things about the pro controllers for both the Wii and Wii U, but that is an extra purchase. I shouldn't have to buy another controller right away just so I don't have to use the terrible controllers included. If Nintendo had decided to include a pro controller with the Wii and Wii U without increasing the cost to the consumer, which would be difficult given their price, then it would have been great. However, even though that would have helped, there are still a lot of games that require the special controllers packaged with the consoles. If Nintendo does the same thing with their new console, it's going to be hard not to think that they're just being pretentious, but I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

The controller is how you interact with the game, so no matter how good a game may be, it can easily be ruined by a bad controller. It's the main reason I never finished Mario Galaxy. The moronic and especially, unnecessary, motion controls just ruined it for me, along with the Wii remote and nunchuk just being awkward to hold. I'm fully aware that most of them are Nintendo games, but this is one of the most important things to me. I would like to play some of the exclusives, SSB for Wii U for example, but if interacting with them is a chore, then it's not worth my time or money.

Release 1 killer, or 5 semi-killer games within 12 months of the NX launch we'll talk. A lot of things hurt the Wii U but thinking that they could coast longer by spacing out their core franchises is what killed it (imo).

Launch with a Mario Maker. Maybe release a Metroid within six months. Box in Pikmin and a "pro" controller. I think any one of these could tip a lot of people's scale, but this concept of buying the hardware for the promise of maybe getting a new Zelda in the next 24-48 months seems to be wearing too thin for too many people.

Sooo... I don't understand why the title of this news article is at odds with the two statements which seem to imply that Wii U production isn't stopping. Someone please explain.

WE HAD A GOOD RUN MATES!! <3<3<3 #WiiU4EVA I'll always love my WiiU, got some of the best games I've ever played on it...