Nintendo Will Continue Wii U Production Despite Switch Launch Next Year
Nintendo has denied rumors that it is ending the production of the Wii U console. There were reports a few days ago that the gaming giant will be stopping Wii U production this Friday because of the release of its new Switch handheld/console hybrid device. Nintendo said that they have no plans to stop production and there are even upcoming titles which will be released soon.
Kotaku reported that multiple sources have actually confirmed that Nintendo will roll out its final Wii U console this Friday. Sources say that Nintendo did not want to comment about the topic but a Japanese site was able to talk to a spokesperson from the company. The spokesperson confirmed that Nintendo will be continuing the production of Wii U and the reports were untrue.
This was actually not the first time that this rumor surfaced. Earlier this year, Nikkei, a Japanese newspaper reported that Nintendo will be making way for the Switch (which was then codenamed NX). Nintendo denied this report as well. In April, Tatsumi Kimishima, Nintendo president said that they will "greatly reduce the amount of Wii U systems produced and shipped."
The gaming company has denied reports that have soon turned out to be true. It has once denied reports that the 3DS would be available on a bigger device. After a few months, the Nintendo 3DS XL was introduced.
Meanwhile, International Business Times said that a spokesperson confirmed the production of the Wii U console despite the Switch entering the gaming scene. It even mentioned that "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild" will be released soon under the Wii U platform.
It is said that the Wii U has never really lived up to the company's expectations when it comes to sales. It was introduced November 2012 and till September 2016, it has only sold 13.36 million consoles. Meanwhile, the Switch is scheduled to go on sale this March 2017. Specs, game titles and price will be officially released on January 13, 2017 in a special launch event in Tokyo, Japan.