If you’ve been in any way interested in, or considering picking up one of Nintendo’s nifty NES Classic’s, then you’d better do your best to secure one soon.
That’s because Nintendo is wrapping up production of the units, and will be making their final shipments to retailers throughout April.
In a statement to IGN, a representative speaking on Nintendo’s behalf told them:
“Throughout April, NOA territories will receive the last shipments of Nintendo Entertainment System: NES Classic Edition systems for this year. We encourage anyone interested in obtaining this system to check with retail outlets regarding availability. 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.”
The NES Classic, which released last fall, is a miniature version of Nintendo’s breakthrough NES system, and comes with 30 classic games already wired into the unit.
While there was a generous amount of excitement for the NES Classic prior to its November 2016 launch, Nintendo’s strategy of limiting supply helped push it along to becoming an instant sensation throughout the 2016 holiday season; with retailers instantly selling out of the system as fresh shipments were trickled out to stores.
While the normal MSRP for the NES Classic is $59.99, enterprising re-sellers through Ebay are asking for approximately $200 on average, with some listings going for as much as $300.
Nintendo’s rep also told IGN that there are no plans to produce any extra NES Classic units beyond April, so this will truly be the end of the road if you hope to get one at a reasonable price.
What are your thoughts? Should Nintendo continue producing the NES Classic? Or, is it better for Nintendo to have limited the production of the device in order to make it more desirable and valuable?
Let us know your classic thoughts in the comments section below.
Classic Nintendo move! This reminds me of when PlayStation debuted a limited number of 20th Anniversary PS4s and they sold out before they even hit shelves. Afterwards, they sold for $1500 to almost $3000. But I do recall seeing a third party console that plays NES cartridges as well as N64 carts. I don’t know if it’s any good, but it could be worth looking into NB. It was at Play ‘n’ Trade in Garner some years ago.
This is crap! I’m pissed. I really wanted one, couldn’t get my hands on one (didn’t try hard enough because I thought I’d get one in like a year). But now it’s gonna be even harder to get. And there’s NO WAY I’m paying more than $100 for one! I saw an extra controller selling for $75 on eBay. WTF