Nintendo Formally Ceases NES Classic Output: Refocuses On The New Nintendo 2DS XL

Previous reports claimed Nintendo's decision to end the production of NES Classic Edition was baffling to just everyone as people tried to come up with reasons to even explain it. Nintendo recently admitted that they don't have enough bandwidth to continue manufacturing the diminutive retro console.

According to IGN, Nintendo marketed the NES Classic as a holiday stocking stuffer, and President Operating Officer Reggie Fils-Aime claimed that the console originally intended to sell it only for the 2016 holiday season. The NES Classic that includes 30 NES games for only $59.99 was launched worldwide in mid-November and got instantly sold out before the year 2016 ends.

Nintendo Company ramped up production and extended it into 2017. However, the company was still never able to meet the raging demand for the NES Classic. All the way until the discontinuation announcement earlier this month, since then stores sold through their small shipments as soon as they got them from Nintendo Company.

Nintendo has now shipped 2.3 million units of the NES Classic globally. The company last gave official numbers at the beginning of February, when the system had hit a sell through a total of 1.5 million consoles. At that time, Nintendo President Tatsumi Kimishima noted that some parts require time to procure, that the company was working to increase production of the NES Classic Edition.

According to GameSpot, it's still unclear what has changed in three months since then about Nintendo's lacking resources to continue selling the NES Classic. It seems Nintendo is going all-in-one on the Nintendo Switch while keeping alive the Nintendo 3DS.

Meanwhile, Nintendo announced a redesigned version of the 2DS, which will be called as the New Nintendo 2DS XL. The upcoming redesigned console will be identical to the New Nintendo 3DS XL, except without a 3D screen and will be available this coming July for $149.99.