Nintendo surprised fans this Wednesday (4/10) by announcing the imminent closure of online services for consoles Nintendo 3DS and Wii U.
According to the company, these services will be deactivated in mid-April 2024, with a precise date to be revealed soon.
Nintendo 3DS and Wii U will have online services closed
The announcement implies that, from April 2024, it will no longer be possible to play online on these platforms, as well as obtain data over the internet, such as leaderboards.
In addition Nintendo does not rule out the possibility of shutting down the servers before the scheduled date if any obstacle occurs to the continuation of services.
Image: Nintendo/Reproduction
The company took advantage of the announcement to express its gratitude for the players’ support and provide clarifications about the changes.
Despite the closure of online services, apps like “Pokémon Bank” and “Poké Transporter” will remain operational, although they are also destined to be discontinued at some point in the future.
A Nintendo states that the measure will affect all software, but some third-party games may be exceptions. Therefore, users should check with their respective publishers.
Finally, the company indicated that it will still be possible to receive software updates and download previously purchased games that are linked to the user’s account in the near future. This suggests that this feature is also at risk of disappearing.
It’s important to note that Street Pass will not be affected by this decision as it uses local data to interact with other devices.
However, SpotPass, which allowed users to receive new puzzle boards and other content, will be discontinued.
Image: Nintendo/Reproduction
It is worth remembering that Nintendo closed the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U digital store on March 27, making approximately a thousand games, which were only available in digital format, completely inaccessible, according to reports on the website VGC.
This sparked discussions about the preservation of video games. A recent survey found that 87% of classic games released in the US are no longer playable today.
The Nintendo 3DS, released in 2011, was a highly successful portable console, with more than 75 million units sold worldwide.
On the other hand, the Wii U It faced commercial difficulties, being considered the least successful desktop console in the company’s history, with just over 13 million units sold.
Despite this, the console received significant titles that were later adapted for the Nintendo Switch.
