NOV. 1, 2007 • With parts stocks wearing out, Nintendo announced that it would no longer repair 1980s vintage Famicom (NES) consoles. More than 62 million units of the console were sold worldwide. Repairs of the subsequent Super Famicon (SNES), will also cease.
Impact: It’s probably less amazing that Nintendo is ceasing repairs of these now ancient consoles, and more amazing that consumers were still sending the units in for repair. With the Wii’s Virtual Console adding more classic catalog titles all of the time, this move is another gentle nudge for gamers young and old to bring home a Wii.