WonderSwan production begins to wind down

[Sqoon]

After trickling sales that have floated around sub-Xbox (800-1000 per week) levels for the past few months, Bandai has decided that they will stop mass production of their WonderSwan and WonderSwan Color handheld system and release them to stores only when the demand arises. There will also be no successor.

Pulling a Sega, Bandai purports that it will continue to support the dying system with original software, even as they start production on a new unnamed GBA project.

The WonderSwan received some momentum several years ago with high profile ports from Namco, Square and Capcom, which eclipsed most of the original software (such as my personal favorite, Star Hearts).

Source: GamesAreFun

[Blaine]

I assume this includes the SwanCrystal?

[Low]

Well, it's sad to see the system go down. Considering the stable of licenses on it, quite suprising too. *-neo

[Blaine]

It had a good run. When it was Wonderswan vs. GB, WS was a viable option. Graphics were a little tighter, sound was much better. Beatmania was the god of my handheld world when it came out.

You can out power the Gameboy and still hang around, you'll never be able to out popular it.

So even with the SwanCrystal it's just no match for the GBA.

But like I said, it was a nice run. Something like 3 or 4 years? Not bad at all.