NES Classic Sells 1.5 Million Units – No Wonder It Was Sold Out!

If like me you thought the Nintendo NES Classic console would make a great Christmas gift for various friends and family, you likely also bought them all Cards Against Humanity instead, because no matter where you looked, the damn thing was sold out or the prices were getting jacked up on eBay.

Nintendo gets a lot of stick for their consoles these days, but the company knows how to make a decent buck. Their re-released console certainly put some cash in the bank for them too, as they revealed that they sold a staggering 1.5 million units so far, and that number will certainly continue to grow.

“We brought back the nostalgic Famicom and NES home consoles in palmsized versions and shipped the entire quantity of Nintendo Classic Mini Family Computer units we initially prepared for each market,” Nintendo president Tatsumi Kimishima said in the company’s latest earnings report. “We apologize to our consumers and retail partners for the inconvenience caused by product shortages. Some parts require time to procure, but we are working to increase production. We also see the nostalgic interest in these products as an opportunity to draw consumers’ attention to our latest game system, Nintendo Switch.”

I mean, I respect their apology to consumers, but well done them for selling them as fast as they can make them. At $60 it’s a tempting option for anyone who’s just been paid, offering up 30 classic games pre-installed, it’s a huge bundle of entertainment for the price of one modern AAA game release.

The Switch is set to launch in March for $300, and I’m sure Nintendo would like to sell a few million of those just a quickly too, but we shall see. Worst case, let’s hope they keep making NES Classics, as those not eager for the Switch likely can’t pass up some classic gaming for $60.