Nintendo discontinuing NES Classic globally

[UPDATE]: While North America was the first market to see the NES Classic discontinued, it wasn't the only one. Eurogamer today received confirmation from Nintendo of Europe that the system is no longer in production for the European market. Additionally, Siliconera reported that Nintendo of Japan has at least temporarily halted production of its equivalent retro console, the Famicom Mini.

The original story follows below:

This month will see the last batch of NES Classic systems hit North American shelves, at least for the foreseeable future. Nintendo confirmed to IGN today that it is effectively discontinuing the product, as well as the compatible NES Classic Controller accessory.

"Throughout April, NOA territories will receive the last shipments of Nintendo Entertainment System: NES Classic Edition systems for this year," a representative told the site. "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."

While the phrasing leaves open the possibility of reissues in the future, the representative told IGN the NES Classic was never intended to be a long-term product, and the company doesn't plan on producing more for the US.

The NES Classic launched last November around the world, and proved a stopgap for Nintendo in a transitional holiday season with the Switch not yet launched and the Wii U nearing the end of its lifespan. The company underestimated demand for the NES Classic to the point that Nintendo president Tatsumi Kimishima apologized for shortages in February, adding the company would ramp up production. By that point, Nintendo had sold more than 1.5 million units of the NES Classic (and comparable systems like the Famicom Mini) worldwide.