Nintendo's Wii console, its mainstay for the past seven years and what could arguably be considered the machine that introduced the world to the potential benefits of motion controlled gaming - even if it is only really good for dance games - may soon come to its official end, with Nintendo halting production of the little guy.
Sort-of announced on the Nintendo website, via a translated "Production will soon end," bit of text, this could mean official support for the Wii is finally coming to an end - despite the fact that games for it are still outselling a lot of Wii U titles.
The end of the production run will give Nintendo a chance to focus even more attention on its current ailing Wii U business and much more profitable 3DS. Of course the handheld was hardly a success story when it was first released, so Nintendo supporters have been pointing to the history of it as an example of how the Wii U may fare as its game library increases and its hardware gets cheaper.
The big challenge though, will come when Microsoft and Sony release their next-gen systems in November. If the Wii U sells a fair few units this Christmas, despite the increased competition, it will be hailed as a competitor. But if the holidays aren't kind to Nintendo's current flagship system, it will be seen as a dud, potentially set to go the way of the Dreamcast.
If you want a Wii with the best chance of surviving the next few years, now might be the time to buy a new one. I'd grab a second hand one if I were you. Those will be around for years.