I always try to imagine what the final production run looks like at a factory for one of these. Is there usually some sort of ceremony for the very last unit rolling off the line? Or does it just run towards the end of the shift as normal, everything gets boxed up and shipped to retailers as normal, there just....isn't another shift after that? What happens with all the manufacturing hardrware?
It's not the same, but ‘Farewell, Etaoin Shrdlu’ (you can find it easily online) is a documentary about the last day that the New York Times used linotypes and hot metal typesetting before they switched to electronic/optical typesetting.
I think it's a wonderful, heartfelt, and technologically fascinating documentary. I recommend it when you have a half hour to spare.
> Last edit: "Sign language is used, among the many deaf printers". HA!
People with disabilities historically had very few job opportunities. Printing was latched onto in the late 20th century as the major trade career for the deaf--essentially every deaf trade school was teaching it. The noise of the printing machinery making spoken conversation difficult was probably a motivating factor, but it also appears that there was generally little issue with printers not being able to listen ([1] lists that most deaf printers in 1923 used written communication for tasks and their employees generally found deafness no handicap).
Ephemeral perhaps, but for almost every issue, there was likely someone -- somewhere -- that would frame and keep it, because someone in their family got a mention, an interview, or an article published in the New York Times.
It surprised me that the "new" in this documentary was not much different to my modern eye than the "old". Paper blocks were now moved around instead of lead blocks, but fully computerized layout was still relatively far away.
For things like this, they're generally produced in (large) batches on a line, then once the run is finished the line is retooled for whatever is next on the schedule.
If nintendo use a third party manufacturer then I can't imagine there was much ceremony. If they own their production facilities then maybe they had a little mini-party? Most likely it'd depend on the particular teams working in the factory and what the culture is like.
Having said that, they may not even have known when the run was finished that it was going to be the last (management still pondering whether to do another run, or stock from the previous run lasted longer than expected so no new product produced) so it may well have been a total non-event.
I don't think there's much room for sentiment on a factory floor where most things are automated. It's nice to imagine there's some nostalgic engineer who grew up with Nintendo consoles and personally put the finishing touches on the last 3DS or something like that... but it's more likely that the last one got pushed out and they went on making all the other consoles instead. Manufacturing hardware can most likely be repurposed and, if not, simply gets sold off for parts.
Factory has a retooling shutdown and then commences making something else if economy is good. If not, factory still has shutdown but the only thing commencing is an awkward all-hands meeting and a lot of paperwork.
As other comments mention, most Nintendo hardware is now made in China and I doubt they care, but there is also a factory in Uji staffed by Nintendo employees who definitely care.
I’m not sure what all they do these days, but at least they do a decent amount of serious testing and QA. They might have had a send off when authorizing the final models.
