Author Topic: Nikkei: Nintendo To Discontinue Wii U Production In 2016  (Read 11303 times)

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Offline Shaymin

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Nikkei: Nintendo To Discontinue Wii U Production In 2016
« on: March 23, 2016, 05:52:03 AM »

Doesn't mean a replacement is this year, though. UPDATED: Nintendo has responded.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/42329/nikkei-nintendo-to-discontinue-wii-u-production-in-2016

The Nikkei newspaper has published a report that may shed light on Nintendo's console plans for the year.

According to the report (original story: Japanese text) and translated by Tokyo game consultant Serkan Toto, Nintendo would wind down production of the Wii U this year and may have already stopped production of some accessories.

The paper does not confirm that a replacement model for the Wii U would release this year, but it appears that it will be unveiled as Nintendo indicated previously. Wii U production was slowed for a time in 2014 due to high quantity of existing stock.

UPDATE 3/23: Nintendo has issued a response to the Nikkei report: "We plan to continue to sell the Wii U next year".

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Offline alexdickdyke

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Re: Nikkei: Nintendo To Discontinue Wii U Production In 2016
« Reply #1 on: March 22, 2016, 02:28:55 PM »
any must-have accessories i should grab for the wii u?


Offline pokepal148

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Re: Nikkei: Nintendo To Discontinue Wii U Production In 2016
« Reply #2 on: March 22, 2016, 02:31:24 PM »
Amiibo? There aren't that many Wii U accessories.

Offline Ian Sane

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Re: Nikkei: Nintendo To Discontinue Wii U Production In 2016
« Reply #3 on: March 22, 2016, 02:39:04 PM »
Probably the most important accessory is that Gamecube controller adapter for SSB.  I wonder also if that Pokken controller is going to have much of a manufacturing run.

If the Wii U is not replaced this year I'm going to wracking my brain trying to figure out what Nintendo's plans are.  Unless they just have so many unsold Wii U's that they can go another year without making any more.

Zelda's on the NX, right?  We can end this charade that it isn't, right?

Offline Soren

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Re: Nikkei: Nintendo To Discontinue Wii U Production In 2016
« Reply #4 on: March 22, 2016, 02:47:57 PM »
We should find out how many Wii U's Nintendo expects to sell in the next fiscal year to have a better idea of what the console's plan is after Holiday 2016.
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Offline lolmonade

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Re: Nikkei: Nintendo To Discontinue Wii U Production In 2016
« Reply #5 on: March 22, 2016, 02:50:35 PM »
Zelda's on the NX, right?  We can end this charade that it isn't, right?


I'd be shocked if they didn't at least pull a Twilight Princess on it.  I mean, given the timing, it would seem kinda crazy to me that they'd limit the install base by the Wii U's.  At worst, maybe it's a game that comes out on NX in the future as a digital download option.
« Last Edit: March 22, 2016, 02:52:37 PM by lolmonade »

Offline Soren

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Re: Nikkei: Nintendo To Discontinue Wii U Production In 2016
« Reply #6 on: March 22, 2016, 02:55:33 PM »
Zelda's on the NX, right?  We can end this charade that it isn't, right?

I'd be shocked if they didn't at least pull a Twilight Princess on it.  I mean, given the timing, it would seem kinda crazy to me that they'd limit the install base by the Wii U's.  At worst, maybe it's a game that comes out on NX in the future as a digital download option.


It's coming out on Wii U. Let's end the charade that it isn't.
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Offline pokepal148

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Re: Nikkei: Nintendo To Discontinue Wii U Production In 2016
« Reply #7 on: March 22, 2016, 03:09:28 PM »
We should find out how many Wii U's Nintendo expects to sell in the next fiscal year to have a better idea of what the console's plan is after Holiday 2016.
No, that sounds reasonable which is why we won't do it. Nintendo fansites thrive on pointless speculation, not reason.

Offline azeke

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Re: Nikkei: Nintendo To Discontinue Wii U Production In 2016
« Reply #8 on: March 22, 2016, 03:15:34 PM »
any must-have accessories i should grab for the wii u?
I was thinking of getting extended gamepad battery, but i think i can live with standard one.

Also i ordered a new AC cable for gamepad just yesterday because cover on the old cable got torn and wiring is out in the open (it works but it keeps shocking me when i randomly touch it, voltage is low but still).

Probably the most important accessory is that Gamecube controller adapter for SSB.
There are a number of third party gamecube adapters that will be available even if Nintendo will cease producing official one.

The one from Mayflash is even compatible with both Wii U and PC which is a clear upgrade despite lower price.
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Offline mustbeburt

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Re: Nikkei: Nintendo To Discontinue Wii U Production In 2016
« Reply #9 on: March 22, 2016, 03:37:51 PM »
Let's say they don't pull a Twilight Princess (anything is possible this late in the game) and they just say "Too Bad" and release Zelda as a launch NX title.  If they did that, the WiiU would not get a proper Zelda or proper 3D Mario release.


Now that I'm thinking about it - WTF not getting a 3D Mario.  I loved 3D World, but not getting the successor to 64, Sunshine, and Galaxy bums me out.

Offline WindyMan

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Re: Nikkei: Nintendo To Discontinue Wii U Production In 2016
« Reply #10 on: March 22, 2016, 03:41:53 PM »

I'd be shocked if they didn't at least pull a Twilight Princess on it.  I mean, given the timing, it would seem kinda crazy to me that they'd limit the install base by the Wii U's.  At worst, maybe it's a game that comes out on NX in the future as a digital download option.


It's coming out on Wii U. Let's end the charade that it isn't.


Let's dispel once and for all with the fiction that Nintendo doesn't know what it's doing, it knows exactly what it is doing. The new Zelda game is going to come out for the Wii U and NX, just like Twilight Princess came out for GameCube and Wii.


The only question is whether or not Nintendo will push the game as the last must-have Wii U game or the first must-have NX game. After it became obvious the the GameCube was kaput, Nintendo positioned Twilight Princess as a Wii launch title and basically ignored the GameCube version when marketing it. I'm sure questions will be answered at E3, but it seems to me that the writing is on the wall at this point.
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Offline Soren

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Re: Nikkei: Nintendo To Discontinue Wii U Production In 2016
« Reply #11 on: March 22, 2016, 03:43:48 PM »
Wait, is 3D World not canon or something?


I definitely want a GamePad batter, charger and 2nd GamePad before those run out. Seeing as how NA folks still can't buy a 2nd GamePad we might not get it at all.
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Offline mustbeburt

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Re: Nikkei: Nintendo To Discontinue Wii U Production In 2016
« Reply #12 on: March 22, 2016, 03:47:46 PM »
I'm not saying 3D World isn't "canon". I loved it.  Beat it at least three times with different characters.  I just didn't feel like it was in the same vein as the others I mentioned.  Not that it had to be, but I was excited to see what that might be.

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Re: Nikkei: Nintendo To Discontinue Wii U Production In 2016
« Reply #13 on: March 22, 2016, 03:51:38 PM »
Now that I'm thinking about it - WTF not getting a 3D Mario.  I loved 3D World, but not getting the successor to 64, Sunshine, and Galaxy bums me out.

My guess is EAD Tokyo was working on one for it, but as the sales progressed the way they did it got bumped to being an NX launch title.
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Offline Fatty The Hutt

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Re: Nikkei: Nintendo To Discontinue Wii U Production In 2016
« Reply #14 on: March 22, 2016, 04:01:52 PM »
I find this news odd since the low Wii U sales in Japan that have been happening for a month or so have been blamed on stock shortages at stores and Nintendo says it is trying to rectify the shortage. Unless that's just B.S. and the low sales numbers are just a signal of waning public interest.
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Offline Ian Sane

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Re: Nikkei: Nintendo To Discontinue Wii U Production In 2016
« Reply #15 on: March 22, 2016, 04:16:59 PM »
We should find out how many Wii U's Nintendo expects to sell in the next fiscal year to have a better idea of what the console's plan is after Holiday 2016.

And then we'll take that amount and cut it in half.  Hasn't Nintendo's sales projections been overly optimistic over the last few years and they keep having to adjust them to be lower?

Regarding 3D Mario, considering Nintendo has not make a game in the style of 64 or Galaxy since Super Mario 3D Land came out I look at it as a sign that that template is what 3D Mario currently is.  The Wii U got 3D Mario, just not perhaps in the manner that you would have preferred.

With Zelda I consider an NX release a given, the Wii U release is the one I could see not happening.  But if it is a dual release like Twilight Princess I wonder what improvements the NX version will have.  I got the Cube version of Twilight Princess primarily because I already had a Cube and wasn't interested in other Wii launch titles and it just made no sense to me to buy a whole new console for a game readily available on a console I already owned.  Part of it was that the Wii version's key differences were the controls, which I was a iffy about anyway, and the world being flipped, and I figured since the game started on the Cube that that version had the world arranged as originally intended.  I didn't just see any point in buying the Wii at launch but it sounded like the Cube version was the one to get anyway.  It was a matter of personal preference with the Wii version not offering a clear advantage.

Now unlike the Wii/Cube situation the NX should provide clearly improved graphics over the Wii U.  If it doesn't then there is a whole different problem here.  Now will Zelda actually reflect that?  I don't care about the Gamepad so any Wii U exclusive usage there wouldn't matter to me.  But I don't usually like buying a console at launch and I only bought a Wii U last year so it would be nice to get some extra mileage out of it.  I'll guess I'll have to wait and see.

Offline ejamer

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Re: Nikkei: Nintendo To Discontinue Wii U Production In 2016
« Reply #16 on: March 22, 2016, 05:59:15 PM »
I finally bit the bullet on a pro controller earlier this year, guess that I'll do the same for the extended GamePad battery before long too.


It would be really nice if there was a way to get a spare/replacement gamepad without having to buy a full console, but that seems extremely unlikely at this point.
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Offline nickmitch

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Re: Nikkei: Nintendo To Discontinue Wii U Production In 2016
« Reply #17 on: March 22, 2016, 08:42:31 PM »
Wait, is 3D World not canon or something?

I think it's on the "Hero Fails" timeline.

Sidenote: I love my extended gamepad battery and HIGHLY recommend it.
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Offline Lemonade

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Re: Nikkei: Nintendo To Discontinue Wii U Production In 2016
« Reply #18 on: March 22, 2016, 09:18:58 PM »
As much as I love the Wii U, I will admit it has been a bit of a flop. This just makes me more excited for E3 and NX news.

Offline ShyGuy

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Re: Nikkei: Nintendo To Discontinue Wii U Production In 2016
« Reply #19 on: March 22, 2016, 10:05:13 PM »
Zelda's on the NX, right?  We can end this charade that it isn't, right?

I'd be shocked if they didn't at least pull a Twilight Princess on it.  I mean, given the timing, it would seem kinda crazy to me that they'd limit the install base by the Wii U's.  At worst, maybe it's a game that comes out on NX in the future as a digital download option.


It's coming out on Wii U. Let's end the charade that it isn't.

Let's stop pretending that Nintendo doesn't know what they are doing. They know exactly what they are doing.

Offline Enner

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Re: Nikkei: Nintendo To Discontinue Wii U Production In 2016
« Reply #20 on: March 23, 2016, 12:10:10 AM »
My poor #NX2017 flag....


Well, maybe Nikkei is projecting the end of production to be at December or something! That would mean... nothing to when the NX is releasing.

Offline broodwars

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Re: Nikkei: Nintendo To Discontinue Wii U Production In 2016
« Reply #21 on: March 23, 2016, 12:34:23 AM »
I can't say I'm surprised, not with the Wii U being Nintendo's 2nd biggest failure. I dunno...I have really mixed feelings about the Wii U, and it's something I'm sure I'll elaborate more on at a later time in a more appropriate place. Suffice it to say that probably the most damning thing about the Wii U is that most people who own one would probably have forgotten they even have one if it wasn't for the continual stream of stories like this throughout its existence. It has a good library and I don't regret buying it, but it's such a forgettable device and it never felt like Nintendo knew what they made it for.

Now that the Wii U may be officially dead from a manufacturing standpoint, let's finally see some news on what should hopefully be a much better Nintendo device in the NX.

*goes back to playing his growing mountain of Vita & PS4 games*
« Last Edit: March 23, 2016, 12:37:27 AM by broodwars »
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Offline SonofMrPeanut

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Re: Nikkei: Nintendo To Discontinue Wii U Production In 2016
« Reply #22 on: March 23, 2016, 04:05:24 AM »
Update:  Nintendo denied it.  They "plan" to continue production over the fiscal year and beyond.  However, they also planned on 3DS never getting another version, and we all know what happened there.  It's not their plan now to get rid of it quickly, but that's the natural order of hardware generations (with rare exceptions, like the PS2):  The confirmation of a new system's arrival kills the former platform.  The same thing happened for Nintendo with their "third pillar strategy" where the DS just became the sole portable.

http://mynintendonews.com/2016/03/23/nintendo-has-denied-the-nikkei-report-claiming-that-wii-u-production-is-shutting-down/
« Last Edit: March 23, 2016, 04:09:09 AM by SonofMrPeanut »

Offline lolmonade

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Re: Nikkei: Nintendo To Discontinue Wii U Production In 2016
« Reply #23 on: March 23, 2016, 08:27:44 AM »
Zelda's on the NX, right?  We can end this charade that it isn't, right?

I'd be shocked if they didn't at least pull a Twilight Princess on it.  I mean, given the timing, it would seem kinda crazy to me that they'd limit the install base by the Wii U's.  At worst, maybe it's a game that comes out on NX in the future as a digital download option.


It's coming out on Wii U. Let's end the charade that it isn't.

Let's stop pretending that Nintendo doesn't know what they are doing. They know exactly what they are doing.


Guess I wasn't clear.  I meant that it was for sure going to be on the Wii U, but I'd expect it to be a cross-platform game like Twilight Princess was.

Offline ejamer

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Re: Nikkei: Nintendo To Discontinue Wii U Production In 2016
« Reply #24 on: March 23, 2016, 09:30:06 AM »
Update:  Nintendo denied it.  They "plan" to continue production over the fiscal year and beyond.  However, they also planned on 3DS never getting another version, and we all know what happened there.  It's not their plan now to get rid of it quickly, but that's the natural order of hardware generations (with rare exceptions, like the PS2):  The confirmation of a new system's arrival kills the former platform.  The same thing happened for Nintendo with their "third pillar strategy" where the DS just became the sole portable.

http://mynintendonews.com/2016/03/23/nintendo-has-denied-the-nikkei-report-claiming-that-wii-u-production-is-shutting-down/


Wow, that sounds like PR bullshit.


Maybe there is some truth in that Wii U production is being slowed for now instead of entirely shut down right now - but with plenty of units already in the supply chain, demand being limited, and a successor on the way as soon as they can realistically make it happen, it's hard to believe these denials.
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