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Report: Nintendo will stop making Wii U consoles in 2016

Wii U
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Nintendo will stop manufacturing the Wii U by the end of 2016, according to a report from Japanese newspaper Nikkei.

According to the report, as translated by Polygon, the console manufacturer has already shut down production of certain Wii U accessories, and will cease production of the console itself later this year. The news would signal the final nail in the coffin for the failed dual-screen device, which Nintendo has already confirmed will be replaced with a new home console, codenamed “NX.”

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According to the report, Nintendo has sold 12.6 million Wii U units since the console launched in 2012, fewer than either the PlayStation 4 or Xbox One have since their respective launches in 2013. Nintendo sold more than 100 million Wii consoles during the device’s eight-year lifespan. During a financial report earlier this year, Nintendo said it would push into new markets, including mobile software development; the company’s first project, the Miiverse-inspired networking app Miitomo, launched in Japan last week.

If accurate, some will take it as unofficial confirmation of the 2015 Wall Street Journal report that said Nintendo would launch the NX by the end of the year. However, the report specifically noted that the new console may not be ready to ship within that time frame. Nintendo said it would unveil the Nintendo NX to the public in 2016. In an interview with Time, Nintendo president Tatsumi Kimishima said the new platform will feel “unique and different.”

In the meantime, Nintendo still has a limited slate of games in development for the Wii U, including Star Fox Zero, Paper Mario Color SplashTokyo Mirage Sessions #FE, and the upcoming Legend of Zelda game. It also said it would continue to supporting some of its most successful recent titles, Splatoon and Super Mario Maker, with new downloadable content rolling out this year. All of Nintendo’s publicly announced Wii U titles are expected to hit stores by the end of 2016.

Mike Epstein
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Michael is a New York-based tech and culture reporter, and a graduate of Northwestwern University’s Medill School of…
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It’s hard to find someone who was alive during the Wii’s heyday that hasn’t at least tried Wii Sports. It’s one of the bestselling games of all time, and its simple but accurate motion controls made everyone from young kids to seniors feel like they were an athlete for a few minutes. Those are big shoes to fill for any game trying to follow it up, and Nintendo Switch Sports is poised to reinvigorate the formula on April 29 with its reworked visuals and new sports offering.
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Wii U - Wii Sports Club All Sports Trailer
Pay to play
I was able to find Wii Sports Club on the Wii U eShop and download it for free. While free-to-play Wii Sports seems like a fantastic idea, it doesn’t last long. The first time I booted up the game, I had a 24-hour free trial to try any of the five sports -- tennis, bowling, golf, baseball, and boxing -- that I wanted. I got a bit of tennis and bowling in on my first day with the game, but didn't see everything it had to offer.
After that first day, it was time to pay up. I was given two payment options in-game that would then bring me the Nintendo eShop. I could purchase the individual sports for $10 each, which would give me access to them and their associated minigames forever. My other option was to pay $2 a day to access everything.
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Reinventing sports
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Gone clubbing
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Playing Wii Sports Club is a lonely experience in 2022.

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