Nintendo announced that it will be bringing back the NES Classic Edition, the retro console that was infamously always out of stock due to massive demand.
The news coincides with Nintendo's announcement that it has dramatically increased SNES Classic Edition production to make sure that the supply of the company's second retro console will be enough to meet the expected demand.
NES Classic Edition To Return Summer 2018
Nintendo's announcement in April of the NES Classic Edition discontinuation was a surprising one, considering that the retro console had massive trouble staying on store shelves due to intense demand. Nintendo said that it sold 2.3 million units of the NES Classic Edition, further confusing customers as to why the company was pulling the plug on such a successful product.
In a press release, Nintendo revealed that it will give gamers who were not able to purchase the NES Classic Edition another chance next summer. The company will release new shipments for the retro console in the summer of 2018, with more information on specific dates for the return of the NES Classic Edition to follow.
In the same press release, the company added that shipments of the SNES Classic Edition, originally planned to cease by the end of the year, will instead continue into 2018. There will also be more units of the SNES Classic Edition on its Sept. 29 launch date in the United States compared to the number of NES Classic Edition consoles that were shipped during its release.
Is The NES Classic Edition Revival Good Or Bad?
For gamers who were disappointed by the NES Classic Edition supply shortage, the return of the retro console will undoubtedly be a good thing. This gives them another chance to buy the NES Classic Edition at its retail price of $59.99, and not for the hundreds of dollars that resellers are demanding for the device.
Nintendo, with the massive demand for the both the NES Classic Edition and SNES Classic Edition, and, to a lesser extent, the return of storied franchises in the Nintendo Switch, has discovered that nostalgia is a big factor in selling products to gamers. The pending return of the NES Classic Edition shows that Nintendo might actually be starting to listen to its customers and could mean even better plans for the company down the line.
However, given Nintendo's previous admission that its resources are limited, the NES Classic Edition once again taking up space in production lines could mean that there is less capacity to spend on increasing SNES Classic Edition and Nintendo Switch supply. Hopefully, this is not the case, though, as the latter two products are considerably more important for Nintendo than its first retro console.
