Last year, Nintendo's retro console re-release the NES Classic was one of the hottest Christmas gifts around, with a huge amount of demand making it very difficult for retailers to keep up. However, the system is still enjoying very healthy sales, as demonstrated by its stellar chart performance last month.
In April, the NES Classic managed to outsell both the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One, according to data from the NPD group. That's certainly impressive for a console that first hit the scene more than thirty years ago, even if it retails for a fraction of the price of current-generation systems.
April was an enormous month for Nintendo in terms of console sales. While the NES Classic claimed the number two spot, the charts were topped by the Switch, despite limited availability, as the new console-portable hybrid entered its second month on shelves.
Midway through April, Nintendo confirmed plans to discontinue the NES Classic, even though the system was obviously a runaway success. It seems that this announcement prompted a new impetus for anyone who hadn't yet managed to grab a console to pick one up, contributing to a very lucrative month of sales.
It's clear that Nintendo is onto something with the idea of re-releasing classic hardware with a selection of memorable games pre-loaded. There are persistent rumors that a SNES Classic is in the works for the 2017 holiday season, but the company is yet to make an official statement on the existence of such a project.
Either way, Nintendo has found a novel revenue stream with the NES Classic, and it would be surprising to see such a success story go without a follow-up. Retro consoles have been released countless times before, but we've never seen one go on to become such a phenomenon.
The NES Classic is available now, while stocks last.
Source: Venture Beat