Current Events > Nintendo had to discontinue the NES Classic Edition - here's why

(+) Yeah! (+)

I'm surprised no one has brought up any of these points, so here I go:


Virtual Console for the Nintendo Switch- Part of the reason the classic edition was released in the first place was to increase awareness of the virtual console. That is why Nintendo didn't include Contra, or the first Mega Man, or Castlevania III. There's a reason there were a handful of missing games. More people were buying the NES Classic Edition and, by not discontinuing it, that could affect Switch sales. NES Classic Edition is a threat to virtual console.

Piracy - Almost everyone knew how to modify and add more games to the original 30. By looking the other way, Nintendo would have been implying that getting unauthorized copies of games is perfectly legal and okay. They could not afford that, especially with the existance of Virtual Console. It could have hurt their business.

Scalping - Due to lack of stock, a lot of people were scalping the NES Classic Edition on eBay. Nintendo didn't want to be indirectly responsible for such questionable behavior. Doesn't affect Nintendo financially at all, if anything it would help them, but it could have hurt their reputation.

Licensing - Nintendo likes having control, and doesn't enjoy teaming up with companies very often. That is why Nintendo and Sony never made their console, that is why Nintendo was reluctant on releasing games like Donkey Kong 64 to the virtual console, and this is most likely why Nintendo wanted to discontinue the NES Classic Edition. There were games from Konami, Tecmo and Capcom, and Nintendo didn't want to rely on other companies for their success.

Expensive to produce? - Although there's no concrete evidence to back this up, I'm speculating that the NES Classic Edition was expensive to produce. Why else would they be so under-stocked? This would make sense why they would discontinue it.


This is just my opinion. Let me know if you have any input, or if you agree/disagree with my opinion.
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how about the fact that it sucked?

Shitty backwards compay - nuff said
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Chunkey Simmons posted...

Piracy

Scalping

Licensing

Expensive to produce?

All of those are dead wrong.
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Bandit_Keith posted...

Chunkey Simmons posted...

Piracy

Scalping

Licensing

Expensive to produce?

All of those are dead wrong.

Yeah but you're not explaining why
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Chunkey Simmons posted...

This is just my opinion. Let me know if you have any input, or if you agree/disagree with my opinion.

I thought it was because they're busting out the SNES classic.
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Chunkey Simmons posted...

Piracy - Almost everyone knew how to modify and add more games to the original 30.

They did?
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Nintendo already explained why. It is that plus them needing to get their consumers hopping whenever they say jump

Rainbow_Dashing posted...

I thought it was because they're busting out the SNES classic.

I don't see why they couldn't sell both of them simultaneously.

hyperpsycho posted...

They did?

A lot of people I didn't expect knew about it. Some people even tried to sell them at the game store for more because they had extra games.
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hyperpsycho posted...

Chunkey Simmons posted...

Piracy - Almost everyone knew how to modify and add more games to the original 30.

They did?

I don't even need the actual console.

I could just build one with a raspberry pi and a 3d printed console box and sell it off ebay.
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Two pallets in Reggie's garage. That's why.

Scalping - Due to lack of stock, a lot of people were scalping the NES Classic Edition on eBay. Nintendo didn't want to be indirectly responsible for such questionable behavior. Doesn't affect Nintendo financially at all, if anything it would help them, but it could have hurt their reputation.

Then give more stock.
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We don't want to help scalpers, so we're only going to let you buy it from scalpers. Logic not even once
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They're discontinuing it for the SNES classic and are gonna charge at least $99 if not more for it. Citing "manufacturing costs" and the games etc. Nintendo realized they sold the NES classic for too cheap, but it was too late.

Even if the higher MSRPs on these mini consoles going forward don't cause the same mad frenzy cause scalpers won't clear out stock anymore, it won't matter to Nintendo due to the higher margins.

I wouldn't be surprised if eventually (next year) they rerelease an updated NES mini with some minor tweaks at a price point of 99 or up as well. Just make these mini consoles a perennial "holiday" release with slightly different games or whatever a laugh all the way to the bank.

buddyboigiru posted...

Yeah but you're not explaining why

It seems obvious, but sure.

Piracy - The Wii was moddable effortlessly, but they didn't stop production of it. They just tried to stop the modding on future iterations.

Scalping - Nintendo wants demand to be high, which is why they artificially create shortages. They've done it for years. They don't give a shit about creating a market for scalpers.

Licensing - If they cared about licensing fees, they wouldn't have used anyone else's games in the first place. They can sell on their IPs alone.

Expensive to produce - They are cheap as fuck to produce.
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Nintendo had nothing for the 2016 holidays. That's the only reason it ever existed.

Questionmarktarius posted...

Nintendo had nothing for the 2016 holidays. That's the only reason it ever existed.

Also this.

megamanfreakXD posted...

Then give more stock.

That is my point, I don't believe Nintendo could afford to make new stock. Why else did they discontinue it?

Bandit_Keith posted...

They are cheap as fuck to produce

Then why would they discontinue it? Why did they never have stock available for consumers?
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Chunkey Simmons posted...

Why else did they discontinue it?

Because the vc is more profitable and the mini nes was to fill the holiday gap
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Chunkey Simmons posted...

Then why would they discontinue it?

limited edition
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ModLogic posted...

Shitty backwards compay - nuff said

This, it couldn't even play games from older system.
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I think it was always intended to be a limited run, and they probably didn't expect it to be quite as popular as it was since all of these games were already available on virtual console. Basically it was a novelty item that was way more successful than they thought it would be.
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Nintendo is notorious for always under-stocking everything they originally release.

I seriously doubt the NES Classic was "expensive to produce"

I imagine it was discontinued solely to make Switch Virtual Console more profitable.
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eston posted...

I think it was always intended to be a limited run, and they probably didn't expect it to be quite as popular as it was since all of these games were already available on virtual console. Basically it was a novelty item that was way more successful than they thought it would be.

It's hilarious how people can't wrap their heads around this
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Uhh... The NES classic edition hasn't been discontinued, best just got a shipment of them in yesterday.
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It has been officially discontinued
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