Topic: Nintendo: NX, Zelda Launching March 2017 Worldwide

[Shaymin]

Brand new concepts come later than most expected

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/42597/nintendo-nx-zelda-launching-march-2017-worldwide

There will be one more year for the 3DS and Wii U as Nintendo's main drivers.

Nintendo's full year financial results have released, and with it comes confirmation that the "new concept" of the NX will be a March 2017 release worldwide.

"For our dedicated video game platform business, Nintendo is currently developing a gaming platform codenamed “NX”with a brand-new concept. NX will be launched in March 2017 globally."

The Supplemental Earnings Report (PDF link) also confirms that The Legend of Zelda Wii U project will launch in 2017 on both Wii U and NX. A further announcement from Tatsumi Kimishima has also indicated that the NX platform will not be at this year's E3 expo, with Nintendo's presence focusing on The Legend of Zelda instead.

UPDATE: The Nikkei newspaper is reporting a separate event by the end of the year for NX launch details. Additionally, Nintendo has indicated the only playable game at E3 2016 will be Zelda Wii U "in order to provide attendees a complete immersion".

[tyto_alba]

They can't afford to miss this year's holiday season. They were supposed to come out swinging. What are they going to release this fall? The NX Hype train isn't going to run forever.

[Lemonade]

Im not surprised at all to see it is now confirmed for NX. If they dont show the NX at E3, Zelda had better be amazing. I dont think anyone really cares about Paper Mario or Federation Force.
 
 RIP Wii U

The NX Hype train isn't going to run forever.

Im pretty sure it will. Dont worry.

[Enner]

Wii U, WELCOME TO YOUR GEIST TIME.


My #NX2017 flag remains true. It has come at a terrible price.

The NX Hype train isn't going to run forever.

If this is your first new console launch, buckle up.


In the meanwhile, as the Wii U enters it's interminably-long terminal stage, I'm so looking forward to playing Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE.

[Ceric]

This is sort of Blah,

Launching in March pretty march all but confirms its a handheld.  Though no NX at E3 is sort of telling of how much E3 has lost its influence and/or how out of touch the people calling the timing for Nintendo our.   Missing Christmas also how out of touch Nintendo is.  Especially if upgrades for the other consoles come out.

[broodwars]

Well, I guess Paper Mario is Nintendo's "big" game for the rest of the year, because it sure looks like they have **** all to show after Tokyo Mirage Sessions releases.

And Zelda Wii U in March of next year? What the hell is taking that game so long?

[Soren]

2016 will go down as the year of Pikmin 4 and (hopefully) Mother 3...

[TurdFurgy]

So TYP called a March 2017 release for Zelda. I blame him.

[Nile Boogie Returns]

Nintendo will only have ONE GAME at e3 this year. ONE!

[ejamer]

2016 will go down as the year of Pikmin 4 and (hopefully) Mother 3...

Ah, yes please! 


I was feeling pretty down about the upcoming release schedule because rumors of Pikmin 4 had been forgotten.  I don't care if it's essentially a glorified level pack using the Pikmin 3 engine - that's totally ok, as long as we get more Pikmin.

[sudoshuff]

A couple observations:


1. Don't these announcements make it clear that Nintendo is pouring almost all of their resources into NX.  Isn't that a good thing?  We've been saying all along that it needs a really strong launch lineup.


2. A Zelda-only E3 might be kind of fun...especially if the games turns out to be spectacular.  Also, what does it mean that it's the only "Nintendo game" to be shown?  Does that merely exclude games that Nintendo develops in house?

[ShyGuy]

Worst E3 ever?

[nickmitch]

I'm more concerned that a weak Wii U lineup for the rest of this year (and 3DS?) with 2 mobile games launching will kinda hurt Nintendo's cache with current gamers.  I still have a backlog from the Wii, so I won't miss games coming out, but it just seems like Nintendo wants to bide their time, lay low and build until the NX is ready.

[Lemonade]

1. Don't these announcements make it clear that Nintendo is pouring almost all of their resources into NX.  Isn't that a good thing?

Yes, but we dont even know what it is yet.
I love Nintendo, but I really worry they are going to mess it up somehow.

Im sure I will be buying the NX, whatever it is, on day one.

[KeyBilly]

One of the big issues with the Wii U launch is that the Wii had a year of practically nothing, which soured gamers on Nintendo.  The hopeful among us thought that Nintendo must be doubling down for an incredible launch lineup for the Wii U and consistent games flowing after to avoid the issues the Wii had.  Nintendo assured us that they wouldn't make that mistake again.

We know how that turned out.

I hope things are different this time.  Skipping E3 for NX, when this is theoretically the only E3 they have and Zelda isn't coming out this year anyway, is a sign that they are retreating further from traditional gaming.  It might just be that they are lying and planning to launch in holiday 2017.  Regardless, I look forward to playing Zelda whenever it launches and learning more about it in June.

[TOPHATANT123]

The only game playable? That's madness, what about Dragon Quest, Rhythm Heaven, Paper Mario and Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE? They're just gonna leave them to die in terms of media and make their already small lineup for the year seem nonexistent.

[nickmitch]

I think TMS#FE is the game that's gonna hurt the most from not being playable.

[Fatty The Hutt]

*EDIT* moved comment to NX Rumors thread

[ShyGuy]

I think I'm liking this new Kimishima style Nintendo.
Now they're all like "**** it, we will release NX when we're damn good and ready." And they're telling us why, way in advance: "Cuz we want to have games for it, duh!".
Holiday season? "**** it! It'll be ready in March. **** you!"
E3? "**** it! We have Directs for that ****, yo. Also, we're givin you Zelda and it's gonna blow your fucking mind and you're gonna eat that **** up and love it. Shut yo mouth."
Nintendo is doing it's thing and it's making money and it couldn't give two craps whether the "gaming press" or the "hardcore" like it or not.
Respect!

Sounds like Konami style!

[Ian Sane]

I assumed the NX would debut at E3 and now we're having only ONE playable game?!  Huh?!  And it's a game not even coming out until 2017!  Nintendo basically announced "don't pay attention to us at E3 because it will be a waste of time".

Launching in March of next year?  Are you fucking kidding me?  What the hell is going to keep things afloat until then?  There is obviously nothing new for the 3DS or Wii U to debut at E3 or why would Nintendo say they'll only have one playable game?  So Nintendo just disappears for months on end and then assumes everyone will suddenly pay attention to them again when they release a new console?  Nintendo was stuck with their thumbs up their asses this last Christmas, having to rush Mario Tennis to market to make up for Star Fox's delay and at least they still had Xenoblade.  So they decide "hey let's somehow have an even WORSE Christmas!"

I felt the gap between the last N64 releases and the Gamecube launch was bad enough to have seriously hurt interest in the Cube because Nintendo was out of sight and out of mind for quite a while while the PS2 was ever present in the minds of gamers.  And that was only like six or seven months?  The usual approach of essentially abandoning the prior Nintendo console well before the new one comes out is not a good thing and they shouldn't want to do that again.  Do you think the Wii U might have stood a better chance if the Wii had not effectively disappeared for almost two years before it came out?  I accuse the Wii of being a fad but maybe it wouldn't look that way if Nintendo didn't abandon it prematurely.  It seemed like no one gave a **** about the Wii for it's last two years but when you look at how thin the releases were at the time why would they have?  Did Wii-Mania fizzle out on it's own or did Nintendo's sudden neglect of the best selling console of that generation kill it off?

Now if the idea is to delay the NX to get games ready, that's not a terrible idea in itself.  But if they have to do that they already fucked up.  They should have figured out "oh ****, we need to increase our game output" like six months into the Wii U's life when it was already clear that they were in over their heads and the Wii U was selling like crap.  The plan to launch in winter of 2016 should have been in place already at some point in 2013.  A "delay" at this point means they didn't figure this stuff out until the last minute.  Best case scenario is that they only started getting their act together after Kimishima became president which didn't give them enough time.

By the time the NX launches Nintendo's "standing" in the gaming market will be borderline irrelevance.  The NX has to climb up a sheer cliff.  I would never guess that Nintendo would wait until 2017 to launch and have virtually no presence at the last E3 before launch.  I can't think like them.  It's like trying to predict a crazy person.  The NX launch better have LOTS of great games.  If they have Zelda and dick all else then this company really doesn't have the ability to support their own hardware anymore.  They've set things up so that they now have to deliver big time.

[MrPanda]

I’m fine with Zelda being on NX.  I’m even fine with Zelda and NX being a 2017 release. What concerns me most is what’s going to happen this year? There doesn’t appear to be much on the slate for Wii U 2016 besides Paper Mario: Color Splash (and I’m not that excited for this Sticker Star sequel) and Tokyo Mirage Sessions (incredibly niche). It also worries me that there won't be any other playable games, period. That absolutely stuns me that we could be looking at a one-game E3. That doesn't sound right at all, so maybe there's some hidden message we're not seeing. But we’ll see. I’m not expecting much from E3 this year, but I’ll hold out a little hope for any non-Zelda surprise.

[Clonester11]

The only way this makes sense to me is if they have another ace up their sleeve, like a "Virtual Boy 2", and Zelda is the key title compatible with their VR platform. Hence being " fully immersed " in Zelda at E3.

Otherwise, I'm extremely disappointed they would miss such a vital opportunity to build mainstream hype for the NX.

[Caterkiller]

Wowsers, plenty of us saw Zelda on NX coming but I sure didn't expect the NX for next year.

You know with darn near nothing in the pipeline I think to myself, well they must be gearing up for a ton of early releases on the NX! Then I'm reminded that that didn't happen with the Wii to Wii U and probably didn't happen with the 64 to GC or the GC to the Wii.

If it's all for the best fine, they just better come out swinging with some major announcements after e3.

So I guess we'll see Zelda U, Pokemon Sun and Moon and Federation Force? At least I'm as much as a Pokeholic as I've ever been.

[Phil]

I'm REALLY interested in what other E3 plans Nintendo has that will be revealed next month.

[Enner]

And Zelda Wii U in March of next year? What the hell is taking that game so long?

The NX. Or the game itself. I have to assume that Nintendo really wanted the next Zelda and the NX out by the holidays this year. Unfortunately, either Zelda, NX, or both have hit a snag causing a delay. With Zelda, it is most probably Nintendo's inexperience with 3D open-world games. With NX, any number of things that have progressed slower than Nintendo would've liked (hardware, firmware, 1st party software, 3rd party software, logistics, chip yields, etc.).