Nintendo provided the following statement to IGN:
Throughout April, NOA territories will receive the last shipments of Nintendo Entertainment System: NES Classic Edition systems for this year. We encourage anyone interested in obtaining this system to check with retail outlets regarding availability. We understand that it has been difficult for many consumers to find a system, and for that we apologize. We have paid close attention to consumer feedback, and we greatly appreciate the incredible level of consumer interest and support for this product.
The NES Classic, which was sold across many retailers from Gamestop to Urban Outfitters and elsewhere, was a miniature version of the original Nintendo Entertainment System that could play 30 classic NES games out of the box, and could connect to modern HD televisions with updated ports.
Nintendo sold the NES Classic at many big-box retailers, including Amazon, Best Buy, Target, Walmart, and even Urban Outfitters, but it sold out almost immediately at every location it was sold. When Business Insider previously reached out to Gamestop about availability issues, one employee told us, “Nintendo is dropping the ball.”
Considering the massive hype around the NES Classic, especially since it was so rare to find, it’s a bit baffling that Nintendo would cut production for such a popular gadget.
We’ve reached out to the company for more information, particularly about whether or not Nintendo ever plans to restart North American production on the NES Classic at any point in the future.
If you’re still hoping to snag an NES Classic Edition, you might want to move quickly. Plenty of people are still reselling the consoles via eBay, but most of them cost at least double the original retail price. But don’t expect prices to get cheaper; as time goes on, these rare relics will only get more expensive.
This article was originally published on Business Insider. Copyright 2017.
