Update: Nintendo has come out against what it says is "a current misperception about Wii U hardware."
"To clarify: Nintendo is working with its retail partners to simply rebalance the stock of the white 8GB and the black 32GB Wii U models in the market," Charlie Scibetta, director of corporate communications for Nintendo of America, said in a statement sent to Kotaku.
"Consumers looking for either model will continue to find them available."
Scibetta's statement, however, leaves plenty of wiggle room for Nintendo to pull the white console from store shelves. Hopefully, the company's June 11 Direct provides some answers, though we're not hopeful.
Original article...
Nintendo has reportedly issued a retailer recall of all basic edition bundles of its Wii U console.
The $300 basic bundle comes with an 8GB console and is missing some of the bonuses of the more expensive deluxe Wii U package, including added hard drive space, the game Nintendo Land, and a deluxe digital rewards program.
But Nintendo ordered retailers like GameStop to return all new and unopened basic edition Wii U bundles on June 18, the Tuesday following the E3 2013 in Los Angeles, according to Kotaku.
Chances are Nintendo will announce something at E3 that makes sense of this, like a price drop for the $350 32GB deluxe Wii U or a new Wii U bundle that will replace the basic set.
Nintendo's more intimate E3
Kotaku spoke with "a reliable retail source" with "a good track record." Nintendo and GameStop, meanwhile, have not been helpful.
But a user on the gaming forums neoGAF corroborated the story, also claiming that Wii U basic sets are being recalled, in a post with no connection to Kotaku's article.
Nintendo has a lot to prove at this year's E3; it announced in April that unlike in past years, it won't hold a press conference during E3 2013.
Instead, the game company will have several smaller briefings where press will get a close look at what it has to offer.
The Wii U had a slow start but we're hoping to see it pick up as Nintendo announces more first-party games in beloved series like Mario and The Legend of Zelda.
- Did Nintendo make the right call in not holding an E3 press conference? Here's why TechRadar thinks they chose the wrong year to skip.
