Nintendo has a habit of making products outside of their main game and console lines difficult to find in order to drive fans crazy and drum up hype, as you may have noticed when trying to find specific, hard-to-come-by Amiibo. Now, the NES Classic Edition will sit among the ranks of legendary items as well, as Nintendo is killing off the product worldwide.
The mini version of the original Nintendo Entertainment System, packing 30 classic games playable in glorious HD, is being discontinued worldwide, shortly after news broke that it would be discontinued in North America. If you still want one, you’re now at the mercy of online resellers (or massive luck at a retailer) and insanely inflated prices, so you’re either not going to get one, or you’re going to have to find a way to use it for food and shelter after you spend all your money on it. We’re open to creative suggestions.
In a statement to IGN, a Nintendo representative said, “We understand that it has been difficult for many consumers to find a system, and for that we apologize. We have paid close attention to consumer feedback, and we greatly appreciate the incredible level of consumer interest and support for this product.”
They absolutely do understand that, and it’s why they’re pulling the plug. The system has been a lesson in creating demand by restricting supply from the start, securing its status as a hot holiday gift and leaving the impression that everyone in the Universe wanted one, since it was sold out everywhere from the get-go. If they ever decide to produce more—which they’ve of course left the door open for, telling Eurogamer, “If production resumes in the future, an update will be posted on the official Nintendo website”—they’ll have more buyers ready and waiting, motivated in part by fear that it may just disappear again.
That same feeling will probably translate over to its likely successor, which could very well be an “SNES Classic.” Nintendo is conditioning us to snap these items up as quickly as we can to ensure that we don’t miss out, and it’s working. They know such a followup would meet immediate success, but they’re no doubt waiting for the perfect time to strike—probably around the fall of 2017.
(image: Nintendo)
Want more stories like this? Become a subscriber and support the site!
—The Mary Sue has a strict comment policy that forbids, but is not limited to, personal insults toward anyone, hate speech, and trolling.—
Follow The Mary Sue on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest, & Google+.
