NES Classic Edition latest news: 1.5 million NES Classic units sold worldwide

Amee Florence Payno Friday, February 03, 2017

A screenshot of the Nintendo NES Classic Edition from its official trailer. | Nintendo

The NES Classic Edition console has sold more than 1.5 million units worldwide, Nintendo recently announced.

According to IGN, the announcement was made by the company at its corporate strategy meeting scheduled this week. A copy of the presentation of Nintendo president Tatsumi Kimishima at the earnings briefing, which was published by the company on its official website, also confirmed that the classic gaming console has sold more than 1.5 million units across the globe.

The NES Classic game console was released back in November 2016, sparking strong interest from old gamers who want to experience the nostalgia of having to play retro NES games once again. Because of the hype, Nintendo of America even admitted on Twitter that it was "working hard to keep up with consumer demand."

Because of the shortage, it was previously reported that some have accused Nintendo of creating artificial demand by deliberately understocking the NES Classic.

In his presentation, Kimishima also addressed the issue of the NES Classic Edition shortages by apologizing to consumers and retailers alike for the inconvenience they may have experienced during the ordeal. He also went on to explain that re-stocking the console took time because "some parts require time to procure." Nevertheless, the president guaranteed that the company is "working to increase production."

He also highlighted that the "nostalgic interest" in the NES Classic is an opportunity to draw consumers' attention to the company's upcoming gaming console, the Nintendo Switch.

The NES Classic is a miniature version of the old NES console which was launched back in 1985. With this nostalgic console, gamers â€” young and old â€” get to play 30 retro NES games, including "The Legend of Zelda," "Super Mario Bros." "Kirby's Adventure," "Donkey Kong," and "Pac-Man."

Interested gamers may try to purchase the much-coveted mini game console in local retailers such as Amazon, Best Buy, GameStop, Target, ToysRUs, and Walmart, among others.