“The Legend of Zelda” is one of the most popular titles on the Internet right now, with thousands of gamers talking about it actively and awaiting its release. It’s definitely going to be an incredibly successful launch in terms of getting all the attention it will need to succeed – whether or not the game offers enough to actually justify that attention, we can’t say for sure.
However, those who were hoping to get to play it this year will be disappointed to learn that the title has now been pushed to 2016, after it was earlier announced for a 2015 release on the Wii U. Now, according to Eiji Aonuma, producer for the game, it will not be ready in time for its originally planned date, and the developers will need more time to fully implement everything they have been planning to do.
Currently, the release date has been pushed to 2016 but we don’t know any specific details about when exactly the game will be released. It’s possible that it might come out around the middle of 2016, not the beginning as some fans are hoping right now – so those who’ve been waiting for the game should prepare themselves with a lot of patience, as it looks like it’s going to be a while until they can enjoy the new title.
There have been some positive rumors among all of this, however – it’s possible that the game might actually end up being released on more platforms than just the Wii U, adding the NX to the mix. So far, we don’t know any specific details about what the Nintendo NX is going to offer, but the console is expected to be released in July 2016.
This could lend some credibility to the rumors about a multi-platform “Legend of Zelda”, as the game could be used as a launch title to promote the console. Of course, this is just speculation, but it would be a very smart move from Nintendo as they will immediately see a lot of attention for the console if they have a major title like this one available at launch.
In the end though, it’s possible that this is just about adding extra polish to the game. It’s not the first time Nintendo have delayed a “Zelda” game, as “The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess” for the Gamecube also came out with a delay. And back then, the release was accompanied by a Nintendo Wii version of the game as well, which could make the current situation that much more plausible.
Other than that rumor, we don’t know what else Nintendo could be doing to the game that will require additional months of polish. They are known for their perfectionist approach to the development of this game in general, but it would be strange to see them putting it off for so long just to get a multiplatform release out.
After all, they would benefit just as well if they were to release the game now, and advertise it as available for the NX later on when the new console is released. That, according to some fans, would actually make even more sense from a marketing standpoint as it would allow the company to gain some ground and establish the game’s name before launching the console. Then, the effects that it will have on the company’s marketing will be even more noticeable and prominent and they will have an even easier time.