Nintendo reportedly stops Wii U production in late 2016

You might need to bid farewell to the Wii U sooner than you think. Nikkei sources claim that Nintendo is halting production of its struggling home console at the end of 2016, and that the gaming legend is already discontinuing some accessories. Nintendo hasn't confirmed anything (we've asked for comment), but it's easy to see this as preparation for the NX system you'll likely hear about this year. Just don't see this as a guarantee that the NX will ship this year, even if it's true -- stopping production doesn't mean that Nintendo is stopping sales, and it might keep the Wii U around for a while longer as it clears remaining stock.

Whatever the scoop might be, a production shutdown late this year would be logical. The Wii U was supposed to bank on the runaway success of the Wii and its motion controls, but its unique touchscreen-equipped gamepad and modest performance boost led some developers to skip the platform and leave it a distant third in sales. It's in Nintendo's interest to both cut its losses and show that the NX is coming soon.