Former Nintendo exec confirms NES and SNES Classics were made to sustain the company's business during Wii U's dark days
Nintendo Everything • • technology
Key Points:
- Former Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime revealed that the NES and SNES Classic Editions were created to support Nintendo's business during the struggling final years of the Wii U console.
- Nintendo faced significant sales declines after the Wii U's first year, prompting the company to launch the NES Classic Edition in 2016 and the SNES Classic Edition in 2017 to maintain holiday sales volume.
- Reggie explained that these micro legacy devices were part of a series of commercial strategies, including discontinuing the 8GB Wii U model and collaborating more with indie developers, to sustain the business while the Wii U was "on life support."
- Despite fan interest, Nintendo has not continued releasing similar classic consoles for systems like the N64 or Game Boy, likely due to the success of the Nintendo Switch and its extensive library of classic games.
- Additionally, Reggie shared insights on why Nintendo ended its partnership with Amazon during the Wii and DS era, citing an illegal demand from the retailer.