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If you're still in the market for an NES Classic Edition, you'll want to redouble your search efforts pronto. Nintendo of America announced that it has officially discontinued production of the pint-sized gaming device and the last shipments for North American territories are on their way to retailers right now. Here's the official statement, as provided 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.”
A Nintendo representative added that Nintendo never meant for NES Classic Edition to be "an ongoing, long-term product," though it did manufacture more shipments than it initially planned. In other words, sounds like Nintendo intended for NES Classic to be a holiday 2016 phenomenon (it was) then made a few extra batches after that to satisfy some of the continuing craze.
NES Classic Edition was a massive success for Nintendo so I wouldn't look at this as a mysterious disappearance from the adorably undersized retro console market. Nintendo may be taking this chance to rethink the product in light of its popularity and come back with new-and-improved versions somewhere down the line. That's my assessment, anyway, we'll see how it bears out in the months ahead.
