This morning Nintendo confirmed that it will stop supporting the Wii Shop Channel. Various features of this important channel will cease to function gradually and the service will end definitively on January 31, 2019. The company indicated that it will also prevent Wii U users from entering and purchasing items in that shop.
This service started in 2006 and offers a large amount of software to download. For the players to plan everything and organize their content, Nintendo shared some important dates. Starting March 26, 2018, it will no longer be possible to add Wii Points in the store.
On the other hand, you will no longer be able to buy WiiWare games, virtual console, and Wii channels after Thursday, January 31, 2019. This also includes downloading free games or demos. Last but not least, Nintendo indicated that you can re-download all your content at the end of the service, but that in 2019 it will no longer be possible. The company also said that there will be more information on this last point.
The company recommended using the Wii Transfer System transfer tool, which allows bringing content from Wii to Wii U. Nintendo made it clear that this application will also close in the future, so it will soon detail its usage.
After all the services are turned off, you can continue to enjoy all the games you have on either Wii or Wii U, but you should keep in mind that once you delete them you will not be able to recover them.
Apparently, Nintendo is already thinking of leaving behind Wii, because this year it also ended support of the YouTube application on the console.
