Technology
Nintendo’s NES Classic Edition was the top-selling console for June
Some things just get better with age.
The is one of those things. Nearly 35 years since its first release in 1985, the NES is still one of the most popular video game consoles on the market — or, well, the re-released miniature version is.
It makes sense. After all, the original Nintendo Entertainment System introduced ’80s kids to gaming with a range of now-classic games. Even multiple years down the line, fans still build emulators and attempt to port the games — in what are sometimes not-so-legal methods.
Nintendo answered the call of nostalgia in 2016 with the highly limited NES Classic Edition. It’s a palm-sized version of the original console that doesn’t have an actual cartridge slot, and instead came pre-loaded with 30 classic NES games including Donkey Kong and Balloon Fight. Demand was gigantic: So much so, the console was re-released in June of 2018 and beat out the PS4, Xbox One, and the Nintendo Switch for units sold.
According to the NPD Group, a market research company that tracks the video game industry, the NES Classic Edition was the highest unit-selling hardware platform for June. The $59 price point likely helped the NES Classic Edition take the most sold slot, but the PS4 beat it out for revenue.
US NPD HW – The NES Classic was June 2018’s highest unit-selling hardware platform, while the PlayStation 4 led the market in dollar sales. This is the first time a Nintendo Entertainment System console has led in monthly unit sales since NPD tracking began in 1995.
— Mat Piscatella (@MatPiscatella) August 1, 2018
There’s just one big problem: There aren’t enough units to fulfill demand. Back in 2016 the consoles sold out instantly from online stores, and long lines at bricks and mortar locations resulted in disappointed fans. For the re-release this past month, most online stores have sold out (GameStop and BestBuy still have some); there’s a chance a few units remain retail locations. There are still some on eBay, but those come with a higher price tag. (In 2016 some were going for upwards of $200; for now the consoles have leveled off around $100. Once they’re totally sold out, expect that price to rise again.)
Given the sales success, seems like there’s a good opportunity for Nintendo to re-release the NES Classic Edition yet again — or at least another classic console? For nostalgia’s sake.
!function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s){if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?
n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;
n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version=’2.0′;n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;
t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window,
document,’script’,’https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js’);
fbq(‘init’, ‘1453039084979896’);
if (window.mashKit) {
mashKit.gdpr.trackerFactory(function() {
fbq(‘track’, “PageView”);
}).render();
}
-
Entertainment6 days ago
What’s on the far side of the moon? Not darkness.
-
Business7 days ago
How Rubrik’s IPO paid off big for Greylock VC Asheem Chandna
-
Business6 days ago
TikTok faces a ban in the US, Tesla profits drop and healthcare data leaks
-
Business5 days ago
London’s first defense tech hackathon brings Ukraine war closer to the city’s startups
-
Business7 days ago
Photo-sharing community EyeEm will license users’ photos to train AI if they don’t delete them
-
Entertainment7 days ago
How to watch ‘The Idea of You’: Release date, streaming deals
-
Entertainment6 days ago
Mark Zuckerberg has found a new sense of style. Why?
-
Business5 days ago
Humanoid robots are learning to fall well