Opinion: Nintendo has finished off the Wii U with the NX and Zelda release date
Like many of you, we weren’t shocked when Nintendo announced a March 2017 release date for the Nintendo NX. Their reasoning for doing so is good, they don’t want to release another half-baked console and they can release The Legend of Zelda for it at the same time. That’s all fine, but it leaves Nintendo with a problem – one that will last for nearly the next year.
There’s no simple way to put this, the Wii U is dead. People will argue and say it was before but Nintendo went and slit the throat of the console last night and is now going to leave it to bleed out over the next 11 months.
Announcing the NX release date in March 2017, pushing The Legend of Zelda to the NX (even if it will release on Wii U) and then on top of that forgoing showing the NX at E3 means that the poor little Wii U is swinging in the breeze.
Nintendo president Tatsumi Kimishima might say on record to reporters that the company “could cease production of the Wii U by March 2018” but their financial projections say something else completely. Nintendo reported yesterday that it sold through 3.26 million Wii U units in the last financial year. This year it’s predicting just 800,000 will ship – Nintendo knows it’s not going to sell many more Wii U consoles, it sure as hell isn’t going to keep making them until 2018.
Let’s look at the game release schedule that Nintendo themselves also put out – there are six games in total. One of them (Star Fox Zero) is already out. So you’re left with;
The Legend of Zelda (which is coming to NX anyway), the super niche JRPG in Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE, Mario and Sonic at the Rio Olympic Games, Paper Mario: Color Splash and Project Giant Robot. We know what you’re thinking though, there will be more games, there’s E3 coming – there could be Direct and a ton more games could come out!
We’re sure there will be, but with The Legend of Zelda being the only game playable at E3 – these games aren’t going to be coming from Nintendo themselves. If Nintendo want the NX out in March, they’re not going to be making Wii U games at this stage anymore. If there is anything left, it’s smaller projects like Paper Mario which are developed by Nintendo subsidiaries. These continued announcements from Nintendo saying ‘oh we’ll talk about that later’ is exactly how you keep the bullshit rumour mill going and completely distance anyone that isn’t dedicated to following gaming news.
So what about E3?
Nintendo has done E3 different for a number of years now, but still they’ve never done this. The Legend of Zelda will be the sole playable game at the show, this is they say to ‘provide attendees a complete immersion’. Alright cool but what about all the games you have coming out this year on the Wii U 3DS this year – do you actually have anything you want people to buy this holiday period?
Nintendo changes its approach to the show every year. This June, Nintendo will focus its attentions on the upcoming game in The Legend of Zelda franchise. The Wii U version of the game will be playable for the first time on the E3 show floor, and it will be the only playable game Nintendo presents at the show, in order to provide attendees a complete immersion. Additional information about Nintendo’s E3 plans will be announced in the future.
E3 might not be the holy grail it used to be, Nintendo does want to show off the NX at a separate event (which is fine) but to have nothing but The Legend of Zelda Wii U – in a year with so far with nothing else?
Baffling.
Must admit I was really stunned last night when i saw the articles and there was a total lack of an new wii u software in the pipeline at all, that it really was it for the wii u but i guess nothing is better than another batch of half arsed games like Amibo Festival and Mario Tennis that we got late last year.
The fiscal year ends for Nintendo Mar 2017, its also when NX releases. One would think 800K Wii U SKU’s makes sense. The 2018 end of service date is tentative and largely depends on how adopter view/use NX. They can change that at any time if there is need. I think everyone needs to keep their shirts on, regarding the hardware. There are particulars about NX functionality yet to be revealed and NX does not mean the end of Wii U for its adopters. Quite the contrary actually.
The only real disappointing news is LoZ:NEW. A ground up title built for the Wii U. Its also THAT version which will be in focus at E3 and the only game made available to attendees. No one said anything about it being the only game on show.
Fact is, with a new CEO, the company is going through a reboot, however, even under the late, Iwata~san. Nintendo is typically erratic and difficult to predict, of a tech company under so much focus. Its been a long time since we have seen anything like What Nintendo are doing, So whilst analysts and the gaming industry are reacting to Wii U concerns. Nintendo competitors are reacting to NX. This is very bi-polar and of course nothing is more interesting that a tech conglomerate that is fully head down and galvanized.
Subverted hopes. Thats what disappointment is. Lets all try and keep a perspective. Expect to hear a lot more speculation, much ramping up of doom and gloom, before Mar 2017 hits.
I remember e3 2014 feeling great and hopeful after a stunning presentation and by now we would be enjoying Zelda wii u…I accepted wii u’s fate back then but I thought the trickle of first party releases and the occasional Lego or kids game will suffice as my secondary console alongside my xbox…
But wow, like Vooks mentioned, the schedule looks sparse and I’ve preordered all their first party titles, it is baffling that Nintendo won’t even have paper Mario or Mario and sonic at the Olympics in playable form, especially with the Olympics coming up. I still don’t know why they won’t give wii u Zelda a go at November this year so we get some closure. A duel release in March 2017 is a moot point for wii u owners, prob one for the collectors.
I can withstand droughts…but the 2010-12 drought of software was built on wii’s incredible sales. Nobody is still having fun here. The wii u’s rep was already gone by 2014 so we have another year to endure. And with a rumoured xbox slim and PS neo out before Xmas, Nintendo have missed the boat with another sparse holiday schedule, like indev mentions, the half baked titles of late 15 were sad. I’m just disappointed all round.
In years to come, gaming historians will look back at the WiiU as The Splatoon Console.
It’s the Wii and Gamecube Twilight Princess experience all over again. No doubt something will happen to ensure that the NX version of Zelda comes out months before the Wii U version.