Nintendo NES Classic Edition Discontinued As Company Focuses On Nintendo Switch, Said They Learned From Experience

Nintendo has decided to discontinue the production of the NES Classic Edition as the company is looking to focus more on the Nintendo Switch and on smartphone games. Nintendo, though, did say they learned from the experience and it's something that they should apply in their next endeavor.

According to a report from ZDNet, Nintendo has already warned retailers that their April shipments of the classic console will be the last that they will see. This means that fans who are still looking to purchase the console can only do so through third-party resellers and likely at a premium price.

The report said that this doesn't mean Nintendo doesn't like money, as the reason for the discontinuation of the NES Classic Edition is the Nintendo Switch. The classic console has been a distraction for the short-term bet of the company the Switch, which is its latest console.

The NES Classic Edition has also been a distraction for Nintendo's long-term plan, which is smartphone games, thus the company decided to discontinue the console. The report said that the two plans provide the company with more option for monetization than just the initial transaction, which is what the company is only getting with the classic console.

Nintendo did say that they learned something from the experience. One lesson that the company should learn, as Nintendolife points out, is that not to treat small products that have high demand as something like a "niche limited edition product."

This mistake has not only caused the company to miss out on potential sales, but also damaged the goodwill that the device has generated. The report said that Nintendo should take this lesson in case it decides to produce another retro game in the future.

ZDNet reports that with the E3 coming up in a few months, it's possible that Nintendo could use that event to announce a new retro console, something that's based on the Super NES this time. For more news on Nintendo discontinuing the NES Classic Edition, check out the video below.