Nintendo’s dream of a motion controlled future is over. Nintendo Japan has announced that production on the original Wii console, which debuted in 2006, has ended, with a statement on the company’s site reading simply “production over.” The news isn’t exactly surprising — Nintendo alluded to it at the beginning of the month — but it’s a quiet end for what was once the next big thing in gaming. The Wii’s ambitious and intuitive motion sensing controller and games like Wii Sports and New Super Mario Bros. helped the console sell more than 100 million units during its lifetime, while capturing a new demographic outside of the typical gaming audience — mainstream news stories about Wii bowling games in nursing homes were common after the Wii’s launch.
Game over: Nintendo ends production of the original Wii
is an entertainment editor covering streaming, virtual worlds, and every single Pokémon video game. Andrew joined The Verge in 2012, writing over 4,000 stories.
Unfortunately, Nintendo has failed to rekindle that same magic with the console's follow-up, the Wii U, which has seen tepid sales and lackluster game support. Despite those struggles, Nintendo is hoping that new releases, including the next flagship Super Mario title, will help it return to its past glories.
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