Please support Game Informer. Print magazine subscriptions are less than $2 per issue
The Wii Shop Channel To Close In 2019
The Wii Shop channel, the digital storefront for the Wii, will be closing in 2019. Nintendo made the announcement today, revealing that users will no longer be able to add Wii Points to their accounts starting March 27, 2018.
The shop has been open since 2006 and introduced the world to Nintendo's popular Virtual Console initiative. However, by 2011 the Wii Shop was largely overtaken by Nintendo's eshop, which is also functioning as the Switch's storefront for digital purchases as well as 3DS.
According to the press release, users will still be able to redownload purchases and use the Wii System Transfer to transfer data between the Wii and Wii U for the foreseeable future.
Our Take
It was bound to happen eventually but it's still a bummer to see the Wii Shop channel go under. We'll miss that frustratingly delightful earworm that is its music.
I’d like to ask you to support Game Informer’s continued coverage of games with a subscription. For less than two dollars per issue, we mail you a full year of 10 print magazines, each with cover stories and preview features filled with exclusive details about the most exciting upcoming games. We profile and interview game creators. We look back on the rich history of gaming, and we celebrate what’s next.
Here on the website, we offer much of our content for free, including game reviews, daily news, videos, event coverage, and more – all with minimal ads.
We do so with a small editorial team, alongside contributing paid writers from around the world – over 65 individuals from 9 countries around the world, just in the last couple of years.
It’s not possible without support.
In a time when game makers and games coverage have faced hard struggles and layoffs, the future of this 30+ year magazine and community is at risk. Our new standalone magazine subscription is the number one way you can keep us alive – and we believe you’ll get a pretty fantastic gaming magazine in your mailbox every few weeks for your trouble.
Thank you.
