It appears that Nintendo is discontinuing production of the Nintendo 3DS XL in Japan. Nintendo's online store for Japan currently lists all colors of the Nintendo 3DS LL (XL for other regions) as "out of production." However, the regular 3DS model appears to still be in production.

Gamers speculate that this is because of the release of the New 3DS and New 3DS LL in Japan, though it's still puzzling that the regular 3DS model is still in production in the region. This also goes against Nintendo's tradition of keeping older models on the market even when the newer versions are being sold, as what happened with the Game Boy and Game Boy Color or the Nintendo DSi and 3DS. However, after to fan backlash regarding the systems' names and varying hardware functionality, perhaps we can confirm that the New 3DS line is a true successor to the 3DS.

Could Nintendo make the same move upon the New 3DS' impending North American release? Stay with Hardcore Gamer for future updates.