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Nintendo NES Classic: Mini Console Production Will Continue, Nintendo Confirms

By Josh Moorcroft
Published on: 23:11 PST, Feb 14, 2017

Nintendo has confirmed that production of its mini console, the NES Classic Edition will continue. Amidst reports this week that production of the rare console will soon grind to a halt, Nintendo has reassured fans that this is not true and production of the NES Mini will continue.

According to TechRadar, Nintendo released a statement quashing any rumors that they were planning to end production of the console, saying “Production for the Nintendo Classic Mini: NES continues, and NOE [Nintendo of Europe] will continue to ship units to retail on a regular basis.” With that in mind, whilst Nintendo didn’t confirm for exactly how long production of the console will continue, it looks to be for the foreseeable future, which should help ease current stock issues with the console.

Speculation around the NES Classic’s future began last week when a NeoGAF user claiming to work for a “large nordic retailer” posted that production of the console is set to come to an end. According to Geek, the user confirmed that his store will be “receiving a few more shipments before everything dries up.” The user further claimed that the store would be receiving its last shipment in either April or May and the company may not be able to fulfill all orders that have been placed so far.

At the time of the post, it was unknown whether or not production of the Classic Mini was ending only in Norway, however, Nintendo of Europe’s confirmation that production will continue appears to rule out even that. With that in mind, those that have placed a back-order for the console should at least have it fulfilled at some point.

The NES Classic Edition launched in Japan, Australia, North America, and Europe in November 2016. However, due to limited supply, it sold out almost immediately. Since its limited release, fans have taken to online auction sites in order to snap up a console, paying up to five times the original retail price of the console. Whilst Nintendo has continued to release limited quantities of the console to retailers, it remains incredibly difficult to get hold of, which is why many fans have turned to the aforementioned online auction sites.

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Nintendo’s President Tatsumi Kimishima recently apologized to fans for stock issues in relation to the NES Classic, saying “In November last year, we brought back the nostalgic Famicom and NES home consoles in palm-sized versions and shipped the entire quantity of Nintendo Classic Mini Family Computer units we initially prepared for each market. We apologize to our consumers and retail partners for the inconvenience caused by product shortages. Some parts require time to produce, but we are working to increase production.”

Whilst Nintendo may currently have plans to continue producing the retro reboot console, a large portion of the company’s efforts are likely to be focused on the Nintendo Switch. The company’s seventh major home console is set to be released on March 3 and Nintendo is keen to ensure that the same stock availability issues from the NES Classic Mini aren’t repeated. That being said, pre-order availability with retailers has been somewhat limited ahead of the console’s release next month.

Exactly how long production of the NES Classic Mini will continue remains to be seen. However, Nintendo appears confident that they will be available to fulfill existing and future orders for the console, even after the release of their next major console, the Switch on March 3.

[Featured Image by Nintendo]

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