A report in Japanese newspaper Nikkei, states that the Wii U consoles haven’t been doing so well and will cease production before the end of 2016. It isn’t a secret the Wii has been struggling to sell even 10% of the units that the original Wii sold.
But somehow, Kotaku came out with a report that negated the statement from Nikkei. Nintendo responded to the discrepancy, saying:
“This isn’t an announcement from our company …. From the next quarter and thereafter as well, production [of the Wii U] is scheduled to continue.”
Nikkei has a reputation for having reliable sources, so we’ll just have to see whether this was an information leak that Nintendo is covering up or just a case of poor reporting. Nintendo doesn’t usually respond to rumors — so either way they thought this was a subject worthy of comment. If we’re looking at another leak, just like the newest prototype of the next gen controller, all we can do is wait and see how things play out.
This is the same thing that happened to the Gamecube, the system people reach for to play Super Smash Bros Melee. But unlike the Wii U, the GameCube was popular in its heyday and is still used today. Who knows if that will be the case with the Wii U, if they are discontinuing it. Perhaps it will become a novelty item?
Regardless of the Wii U’s future, the NX is due for its unveiling pretty soon. Perhaps the success of that console and what it offers will determine the ultimate fate of Wii U. With Nintendo having the Miitomo app coming out on mobile as well, maybe discontinuing the Wii U wouldn’t be such a bad idea — it sounds like success is a castle away.
