The End Is Nigh? Wii Production to Stop in Japan

Word on the street is that Nintendo plans to cease production of the Wii console in Japan sometime soon, as stated on the Nintendo website. Of course it’s all in Japanese, and the news only hit the interwebs once a Japanese to English translator tweeted the mention.

Nintendo of Europe also confirmed the update with Eurogamer, telling them as of now that the production halt only applies to Japan, and there has been no further mention of when the Wii will have it’s final curtain call.

Seeing as how there also has not been any details on whether or not this will eventually apply to the rest of the known world, you had best go ahead and get ready for the inevitable. The news shouldn’t be too much of a shock, seeing as how Nintendo stopped making games for the consoles last year.

Time to hit the old dusty trail?

After seven years, the Wii has no doubt run its course, which has been a fairly good run considering it passed the 100 million units sold mark last year. In case you didn’t know, that makes it the best-selling console of the current generation. It sounds crazy until you remember how crazy people were about the Wii when it first dropped. So it’s safe to say that with the millions of Wiis still roaming the earth Nintendo probably isn’t too concerned that all of the known world will go up in flames at the news. The Wii U on the other hand…

Accurate.

Perhaps they wanted to give the struggling Wii U a chance? Considering I already have a blank check prepared for other next gen consoles, only time will tell how this decision will impact the Wii U market. If there is one. Then again, I’m also probably just still mad about the fact that I can’t play Bayonetta 2 on any other console. 

That’s not to say the Wii U isn’t a solid console on its own. It’s capable of playing old Wii games, and apparently there was also a recent update that allows you to also play them directly on the game pad. No DRM, free online, a decent game lineup and it even has some Indie support, so technically you should be buying this anyway, right?

….I’m still not getting a Wii U though. Yeah, Nintendo, I said it! You can’t make me! Regardless, what do you guys think about the news? A ploy to help the Wii U? Or is it just the impending next-gen striking again?