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Nintendo announces moratorium on Wii U repairs

9 Comments
By Casey Baseel, SoraNews24

With six years having passed since the release of the Switch, it seems like every other week there’s a rumor that we’re just days away from Nintendo unveiling a new system. None of that speculation has panned out yet, but what Nintendo Japan has announced is that the end is officially coming for one of its other consoles, the Wii U.

The Wii U hit store shelves in late 2012, and production completely ended just a little over four years later, in January of 2017. That’s a pretty short lifespan for modern video game hardware. By comparison, the Wii U’s predecessor, the Wii, was in production for nearly twice as long, roughly seven years. The Wii U’s speedy exit from the market means that Nintendo has already reached the end of its legal obligations to stock replacement parts and offer repair services for the hardware and its Wii U Gamepad. Because of that, Nintendo of Japan posted an announcement on its website and through its official Twitter account stating that once the current supply of replacement parts is used up, it will cease offering repair services for the Wii U.

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In its statement, Nintendo acknowledges that the nature of the moratorium means that it is unable to supply consumers with an exact date on which repair services will end, and apologizes while asking for their understanding on the matter. Ostensibly, though, Nintendo could have just chosen to shut down Wii U repair services as soon as all produced units were out of their warranty periods, so continuing the program until it’s used up all of its existing repair parts is going above and beyond what they’re legally required to do.

Nintendo, obviously, isn’t the only video game company that eventually sunsets after-sale support for its previous-generation hardware. There is a unique, and inconvenient, wrinkle though, in that Nintendo is far less likely than rivals Sony or Microsoft to offer for-sale digital versions of previous-generation games on its newest console. Another point to consider for retro game fans and historians is that the Wii U is backwards-compatible with the Wii, but the Switch isn’t backwards-compatible with either. So in effect, the end of repair service for the Wii U means the end of repair service for hardware needed to play physical-copy games of two entire Nintendo software generations.

So for gamers with a Wii U or Gamepad that’s in less-than-optimal condition, now’s the time to get it fixed.

Source: Nintendo via IT Media

Read more stories from SoraNews24.

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-- So long, PlayStation 4 – Sony announces it’s ending repair service for early PS4 models

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© SoraNews24

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

9 Comments
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@WA3TKG, why do you think that is something anyone cares about?

Perhaps you could make an intelligent comment, perhaps something about if Nintendo are going to refuse to fix them, perhaps they can release the full schematics and testing protocols to independent repair shops can fix them fully if they choose to?

4 ( +4 / -0 )

No support for it

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Modern consoles like the Wii U have so many parts that can wear out/break that ending support basically means the existing stock of those consoles in people's homes will become completely unusable within a few years.

This is a huge contrast to earlier generation consoles like the Nintendo Famicom (NES). Those things are 40 years old now, but if you walk into any second hand goods store (Hard Off, etc) and buy one from their junk section you'll probably find that it still works fine (if you can hook it up to your TV that is). Same with a Super Famicom (33 years old) or Nintendo 64 (26 years old). They used to build these things to last (ie didn't incorporate many moving parts that could wear out into the design) but not anymore.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

2017 it ended, wow. Recall buying my son one for his birthday, his beaming little face when he opened it up was lovely, I still have the photo.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Never owned any of it

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

CPTOMO

He swapped that with his friend for something.He has a Switch now, but he’s also into retro gaming too. I bought him SFC Mini and MD Mini 2 recently. He started getting into older gaming which I wholehearted approve of

I had to flog loads of gear after my marriage break up but I still have Wonder Mega and my AES which he’s started to enjoy playing with me.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

2017 it ended, wow. Recall buying my son one for his birthday, his beaming little face when he opened it up was lovely, I still have the photo.

Does it still work?

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

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