In a surprising piece of news, Nintendo has confirmed that the new Legend Of Zelda has been delayed until March 2017. Even more surprising is that it is expected to ship alongside Nintendo’s next console, NX, which is scheduled to arrive next March.
According to a financial report released by Nintendo, the Japanese game giant confirmed that its next console will be “a brand-new concept” and that “[the] NX will be launched in March 2017 globally”.
While the report fails to provide specifics regarding this concept, Nintendo has previously filed patents for a touchscreen gamepad with context-sensitive, on-screen buttons, which provides an insight into the nature of the NX. Industry insiders have tipped the console to be a “hybrid” between a traditional home console and a handheld device, consolidating Nintendo’s hardware business into one product and providing a single development platform for game developers. Many expected that the NX would launch in holiday 2016 after the company had previously announced that we would hear more regarding the console this year.
With regards to the new Legend Of Zelda release date, this is the first time that Nintendo has stated that the game will be available for the NX. Previous communications have suggested that the game was only in development for the Wii U, and would release at some point during 2016.
It’s also a move that has some precedent. Nintendo has previously released The Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess on both the Gamecube and the Wii simultaneously, with the only major difference being the Wii’s support for motion control.
The financial report states that the new Zelda game will not be in attendance at this year’s E3, so fans may be left in the dark a little longer regarding what the NX means for the Zelda series. Remember to check back with Power Up Gaming for any future developments.