Nintendo to end production on the Wii U this week in preparation for the Switch’s release [Update]

Update 10/02/16: Nintendo has denied that it’s shutting down Wii U production in a statement sent to IT Media.

“Even though the Nintendo Switch is slated to go on sale, [Wii U] production is scheduled to continue,” reads the statement sent to the publication by Nintendo

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Nintendo’s Wii U will be remembered by most as Nintendo’s most significant misstep since the release of the Virtual Boy. Despite the fact that the console has one of the Japanese company’s best libraries in history, in typical Nintendo fashion, third-party developer support for the console has been nearly non-existent since its launch.

In total since its release in November of 2012, Nintendo’s Wii U sold just 13 million units. In comparison, the GameCube shipped 21 consoles during its run, the Nintendo 64 sold 32 million and the Wii sold 101 million.

Nintendo has declined to comment on the production of the Wii U being halted to a number of publications. Give the Nintendo Switch’s recent reveal and launch in just a few months, it’s likely that the company is shifting focus to its next video game console. The Switch is a hybrid home console-portable that allows users to take it on the go but then also plug it into a docking bay at home and play games on a television.

So if you’ve been waiting to pick up a Wii U in order to play stellar titles like Wind Waker HD, Splatoon and Super Mario 3D World, now could be your last opportunity.

[source]Eurogamer[/source]