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Wednesday, 9th October 2013
In Business In Japan,

Nintendo abandons Wii console for home market

Japan-based gaming company Nintendo has announced it has decided to stop making its Wii console for the home market and will instead concentrate its efforts on the Wii U, its successor.

The hardware was a worthy contender for the PlayStation 3 and the XBOX 360, with its emphasis on multiplayer and family fun proving to be a winning formula across the globe.

"Our new generation Wii U console is already on the market and allows users to play software originally designed for the Wii," a Nintendo spokesman told AFP. "This is part of the transition of our products to new models."

He added that the Wii will remain on sale in overseas markets, including its cheaper spin-off version the Wii Mini.

Sales of the Wii U have been strong in Japan but international audiences have been less inspired by the Wii's successor. However, Nintendo's profits have been boosted of late by the weak yen, which has led to cheaper exports.

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