Your thoughts on Zelda Wii U, its delay, and Nintendo's silence?

[Aereldor]

Just another fan of the franchise disappointed more on Nintendo's silence regarding the release than its delay (better late than awful, eh?).

I was just curious as to whether there were any others looking forward to its release, and if you'd be willing to share your thoughts on the game itself, its delay, Nintendo's lack of disclosure regarding the release, and the possibility of it not being a Wii U release at all (rather, a Nintendo 'NX' launch title).

[Xyrock]

Just another fan of the franchise disappointed more on Nintendo's silence regarding the release than its delay (better late than awful, eh?).

I was just curious as to whether there were any others looking forward to its release, and if you'd be willing to share your thoughts on the game itself, its delay, Nintendo's lack of disclosure regarding the release, and the possibility of it not being a Wii U release at all (rather, a Nintendo 'NX' launch title).

im a huge fan of legend of zelda series... but i had already forgotten that a new zelda game was even coming because they didnt update anything regarding to the game.

 

right now im just waiting for tree of savior, black desert and fallout 4.

 

nintendo cant keep promises. thats for sure.

[Aereldor]

im a huge fan of legend of zelda series... but i had already forgotten that a new zelda game was even coming because they didnt update anything regarding to the game.

 

right now im just waiting for tree of savior, black desert and fallout 4.

 

nintendo cant keep promises. thats for sure.

It's upsetting to see a giant in the videogame industry fall into such steep decline. I hope they can pick themselves up, and stop picking on trivial nonsense or targeting streamers and YouTube uploaders based on the most obtuse policies.

[Kaita]

It's upsetting to see a giant in the videogame industry fall into such steep decline. I hope they can pick themselves up, and stop picking on trivial nonsense or targeting streamers and YouTube uploaders based on the most obtuse policies.

Hopefully the NX will be successful. 

[minibois]

It's a shame the Wii U didn't catch on that much.. I still don't have one.

Not a huge Zelda fan though (don't really like the dungeon stuff in it)

[skywake]

To start with I don't mind the delay especially given what has happened with some other AAA release from other publishers lately. Better to be late than broken. And for all the things you can whine about Nintendo for the quality of their content isn't one of them. They still release very, very polished software and will always delay if they think it's not ready. Which isn't something people should be complaining about.

 

With the NX theory? I think it's a bit of a stretch to say that it's an NX title now. Part of the reason I think that's a stretch is because we don't even know what the NX is yet. For all we know the NX could be a portable system and we have no idea when the launch date is. The thing only has a codename at this point. They've also repeatedly said that it's still a Wii U title every time people question them. And I'm not sure what they gain from lying about that. People are assuming it's the case anyway. Still, even if the NX is the Wii U's successor and they are lying about it's status it is that such a bad thing? It's still a Zelda game that looks pretty solid. That's all I care about.

 

The game itself? The footage they've shown so far looks pretty solid and there hasn't been a Zelda game I've played that I didn't like. And I've played every Zelda game. It looks like it's somewhere between Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword from what they've shown. Which isn't a bad thing. I'm just waiting on them to show some combat because that's what I'm really interested in. If they can get the combat to be somewhere in the ballpark of where it was in Wind Waker? It'll be pretty amazing.

[Sharkyx1]

Open world

We saw how that's ruined many a games lately MGSV for sure

I can't imagine boring travel time will fix Zelda

[Aereldor]

With the NX theory? I think it's a bit of a stretch to say that it's an NX title now. Part of the reason I think that's a stretch is because we don't even know what the NX is yet. For all we know the NX could be a portable system and we have no idea when the launch date is. The thing only has a codename at this point. They've also repeatedly said that it's still a Wii U title every time people question them. And I'm not sure what they gain from lying about that. People are assuming it's the case anyway. Still, even if the NX is the Wii U's successor and they are lying about it's status it is that such a bad thing? It's still a Zelda game that looks pretty solid. That's all I care about.

Well, as someone who doesn't own a Wii U, I cannot personally substantiate the following argument, but I can understand where it's coming from.

The Wii U hasn't sold very well, and the hardware of the implementation of it isn't to blame for this- it's the lack of games. Say what you want about the Wii, but it had more than a few great games on it. The Wii U suffers from a lack thereof, with the new Super Smash Bros and Mario/Mario Kart games being the only incentives to purchase them in the first place.

Before talking about its relation to the new Zelda game, here's why it's almost certain that the NX is a console, or at the very least, a hybrid.

• The Wii U has only sold about a tenth of the units the Wii has, and sales aren't exactly rising.
• The Wii was Nintendo's last console before the Wii U, and 2016 (Zelda Wii U's predicted release date) will mark a decade since its release- a decade in which Nintendo hasn't produced a successful console.
• While handheld gaming a\is definitely popular, especially among the Japanese audience that Nintendo obviously cares far more about, consoles still dominate sales as far as the general worldwide public is concerned. It's true that the 3DS outsells the PS4, Xbox One, and Wii U combined, but it's had two to three years longer on the shelves/

 

There's no point arguing that the quality of the Zelda game will benefit from being released on better hardware. Assuming the game is all that it's been hyped up to be, it could only benefit from a beefier machine to run it. Furthermore, as a launch title for the NX, it would undoubtedly send sales through the roof, as the Zelda series is to Nintendo what Halo is to Microsoft.

There's only one thing that holds them back from releasing it on the Wii U- the promise made to owners of the Wii U that this would be a Wii U title. I'd probably be correct when I say the majority of fans of the Zelda franchise who purchased the Wii U are disappointed in their purchase, as all they've received was a (admittedly gorgeous) remaster of The Wind Waker. Like I said, besides three of four games, the Wii U doesn't have too many games that would sell the system.

I suppose that's where we disagree, as getting a solid Zelda game is not all I care about. While I don't own one, I'm not down with Nintendo screwing over owners of the Wii U by changing the new Zelda game to an NX launch title, and I hope they can redeem themselves and their stained reputation by refraining from doing so. Not every Zelda fan out there has a ton of money to throw towards 'A better game', and this is more about the promise Nintendo made to release it on the Wii U.

What I would be okay with is a cross-platform release, a-la Twilight Princess, but then there'll be complaints about how the game was held back on the NX by its Wii U counterpart (akin to Witcher 3 and its downgrade, where console releases dragged the PC release), and around ten million people would just grab the game for the Wii U, putting a dent in the NXs initial sales, if it's to be used as a launch title, so I don't see a cross-platform release as extremely likely.

[BallisticPeanut]

I've given up on waiting for Nintendo at this point. 

 

The Zelda series is my favorite Nintendo franchise, but there so many other good games that don't require me to buy gimmicky hardware. 

 

At this point I'm way more excited for something like Dark Souls rather than another Zelda game.

[skywake]

Well, as someone who doesn't own a Wii U, I cannot personally substantiate the following argument, but I can understand where it's coming from.

The Wii U hasn't sold very well, and the hardware of the implementation of it isn't to blame for this- it's the lack of games. Say what you want about the Wii, but it had more than a few great games on it. The Wii U suffers from a lack thereof, with the new Super Smash Bros and Mario/Mario Kart games being the only incentives to purchase them in the first place.

Before talking about its relation to the new Zelda game, here's why it's almost certain that the NX is a console, or at the very least, a hybrid.

• The Wii U has only sold about a tenth of the units the Wii has, and sales aren't exactly rising.
• The Wii was Nintendo's last console before the Wii U, and 2016 (Zelda Wii U's predicted release date) will mark a decade since its release- a decade in which Nintendo hasn't produced a successful console.
• While handheld gaming a\is definitely popular, especially among the Japanese audience that Nintendo obviously cares far more about, consoles still dominate sales as far as the general worldwide public is concerned. It's true that the 3DS outsells the PS4, Xbox One, and Wii U combined, but it's had two to three years longer on the shelves

 

A couple of counter-arguments as someone who does own a Wii U. I think the argument that the Wii U isn't compelling because of the lack of software is something that hasn't been true for two years. It's definitely not true in 2015 after the release of Splatoon and Super Mario Maker. I'd agree that the sales aren't impressive but as an owner I don't care about that in the slightest. I only care about the content. Obviously I'm biased as an owner and this is all subjective but as a person who has a Wii U, 3DS and PC? If you were to ask me what my favourite 5 games from the last 3 years were? I'd honestly answer with Bayonetta 2, Splatoon, Super Mario Maker, Bioshock Infinite and Tomb Raider. Three of them are Wii U exclusives. So as someone who actually owns the thing I have nothing to complain about.

 

On your argument about the NX not being a handheld? Well lets start with the "hybrid" idea and shoot that down by pointing out the obvious. A hybrid would literally have to be a portable. I mean just think about what a hybrid would have to be, it's a portable right? Of course it is! And if that's what it is it's not going to be more capable than the Wii U. The Wii U is underpowered but it's not THAT underpowered. Moving onto the sales argument I don't see how that impacts things as much as people claim. The assumption is that new hardware would magically start to sell more units... because. Hell, even you said that it's the (perceived) lack of games that's hurting it not the hardware. New hardware would be a fresh start and they'd be back where they were in 2012/13 again. It may well be that Nintendo has lost traction in the home console space entirely and new hardware doesn't solve anything. As was the case with the N64 and Gamecube.

 

For the other side of the argument the 3DS has sold well, it's not as big as it used to be but it's not a dead market. On yearly sales it's starting to slow but even then the 3DS is behind only the PS4 for 2014/15. Not bad. And with Sony saying there won't be a Vita successor Nintendo virtually have a monopoly on that market again. So I highly doubt that the 3DS is Nintendo's last portable. And unlike the home console space I think we can be fairly confident that a new Nintendo portable would sell well. Purely because they'd effectively be the only noteworthy dedicated portable gaming system on the market. Ontop of that in terms of the hardware? The Wii U still has some growing space. It's not bleeding edge but I think the fact that this thread even exists is proof that there's more we could get out of it. With the 3DS it is also not bleeding edge hardware. The difference however is that the 3DS is quite a bit older and is in much more desperate need of an upgrade. It has 240p screens FFS.....

[watts300]

I have a Wii, and I have a Wii U. We had a [launch] 3DS, and now we have a 3DS XL.

 

All I know is... I'm a Nintendo fan, and I'm almost guaranteed to buy the next living-room and hand-held system they release.  

 

Has Nintendo wronged me?  NO. This isn't a personal vendetta that Nintendo has against any one.  Because of that, I see no reason to "jump ship" and abandon them as fans.  Nintendo does their best to produce hardware (and software) they think will appeal to the masses.  No company is perfect, and any one that holds them at fault with malice is a bit juvenile. 

 

This thread's title and use of the word "silence" is very accusatory in its verbiage.  That's completely unnecessary.  

 

Am I fanboy?  Maybe.  But I also have two PlayStation consoles and will buy the PS5.  We have a great gaming PC and it will receive upgrades when they're due.  Sony fanboy?  PC fanboy?  Whatever.  Who cares.  

 

I like games and I don't care what hardware they're on. 

I like games and I'm patient. I don't care if I have to wait for a game. It's not like it was given to me and then taken away. 

[Aereldor]

I have a Wii, and I have a Wii U. We had a [launch] 3DS, and now we have a 3DS XL.

 

All I know is... I'm a Nintendo fan, and I'm almost guaranteed to buy the next living-room and hand-held system they release.  

 

Has Nintendo wronged me?  NO. This isn't a personal vendetta that Nintendo has against any one.  Because of that, I see no reason to "jump ship" and abandon them as fans.  Nintendo does their best to produce hardware (and software) they think will appeal to the masses.  No company is perfect, and any one that holds them at fault with malice is a bit juvenile. 

 

This thread's title and use of the word "silence" is very accusatory in its verbiage.  That's completely unnecessary.  

 

Am I fanboy?  Maybe.  But I also have two PlayStation consoles and will buy the PS5.  We have a great gaming PC and it will receive upgrades when they're due.  Sony fanboy?  PC fanboy?  Whatever.  Who cares.  

 

I like games and I don't care what hardware they're on. 

I like games and I'm patient. I don't care if I have to wait for a game. It's not like it was given to me and then taken away. 

You seem to have misunderstood, sir. I didn't imply that Nintendo has a personal vendetta against anyone. I also didn't intend for the post title to come off as accusatory- I was stating a fact. The game was announced in January 2013, and since then, we've received a minuscule trailer, followed by a gameplay trailer that didn't tell us much. We haven't even got a release date.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for a better game, even at the expense of a delayed release. However, I cannot appreciate the fact that Nintendo's released no promotional artwork, no further trailers, and well, literally nothing to tell us about the new game since that 'gameplay trailer' over a year ago. This is what I referred to as Nintendo's 'Silence', and I do not intend to retract my statement. It was not a malicious stab at the company, but a statement of fact.

I've always been a fan of Nintendo, but their focus on the present rather than the future has, in my opinion, let the anticipation for this release fade. 

Pardon me, but I am not holding Nintendo's mistakes against them with prejudice. I do not wish to see Nintendo fall, and would appreciate a good game and a successful console as much as the next person. All of this is mere speculation, and I only stated a few things I would not like to see Nintendo do. As for their mistakes, well, I believe that's how consumers work. A little gratitude goes a long way, but without criticism from their patrons, companies like Nintendo will steamroller on irrespective of the opinions of their audience.

Lastly, as I mentioned several times, I don't give two flying pancakes about a delayed release as long as we get a better game, as there are few things worse than a rushed product. That isn't the issue. Neither is the hardware that the game runs on, as improved hardware almost certainly means improved performance and higher potential. Who wouldn't want to play a gorgeous game at 1080p at a solid 60FPS?

The problem arises from a possible decision that Nintendo might make. As I mentioned earlier, it is something I hope they don't do, NOT something I already want to spill their guts over.

[Aereldor]

A couple of counter-arguments as someone who does own a Wii U. I think the argument that the Wii U isn't compelling because of the lack of software is something that hasn't been true for two years. It's definitely not true in 2015 after the release of Splatoon and Super Mario Maker. I'd agree that the sales aren't impressive but as an owner I don't care about that in the slightest. I only care about the content. Obviously I'm biased as an owner and this is all subjective but as a person who has a Wii U, 3DS and PC? If you were to ask me what my favourite 5 games from the last 3 years were? I'd honestly answer with Bayonetta 2, Splatoon, Super Mario Maker, Bioshock Infinite and Tomb Raider. Three of them are Wii U exclusives. So as someone who actually owns the thing I have nothing to complain about.

 

On your argument about the NX not being a handheld? Well lets start with the "hybrid" idea and shoot that down by pointing out the obvious. A hybrid would literally have to be a portable. I mean just think about what a hybrid would have to be, it's a portable right? Of course it is! And if that's what it is it's not going to be more capable than the Wii U. The Wii U is underpowered but it's not THAT underpowered. Moving onto the sales argument I don't see how that impacts things as much as people claim. The assumption is that new hardware would magically start to sell more units... because. Hell, even you said that it's the (perceived) lack of games that's hurting it not the hardware. New hardware would be a fresh start and they'd be back where they were in 2012/13 again. It may well be that Nintendo has lost traction in the home console space entirely and new hardware doesn't solve anything. As was the case with the N64 and Gamecube.

 

For the other side of the argument the 3DS has sold well, it's not as big as it used to be but it's not a dead market. On yearly sales it's starting to slow but even then the 3DS is behind only the PS4 for 2014/15. Not bad. And with Sony saying there won't be a Vita successor Nintendo virtually have a monopoly on that market again. So I highly doubt that the 3DS is Nintendo's last portable. And unlike the home console space I think we can be fairly confident that a new Nintendo portable would sell well. Purely because they'd effectively be the only noteworthy dedicated portable gaming system on the market. Ontop of that in terms of the hardware? The Wii U still has some growing space. It's not bleeding edge but I think the fact that this thread even exists is proof that there's more we could get out of it. With the 3DS it is also not bleeding edge hardware. The difference however is that the 3DS is quite a bit older and is in much more desperate need of an upgrade. It has 240p screens FFS.....

Darn, you make a great case. I tip my hat. Now, to find a hat...

Well, about the games- the Wii U does have a few great releases, but I don't think they've been, well, selling the system. Again, I haven't been blessed with crystal-ball foresight, and anything could happen, but it's improbable that future games would do so. Even so, in terms of sales, the Wii U still trades blows with the Xbox One, both sitting at around 10 million units. It's not as underpowered as I made it out to be -that would be my mistake- but from what we've seen, the new Zelda game would benefit because of the sheer scale of the proposed game.

You might recall a game called 'Xenoblade Chronicles'. It's my personal favourite, and how it came together and actually ran on the relatively weak Wii Hardware is a marvel. However, the game's vast open areas and combat involving several enemies did cause framerates to stutter and drop horribly, and got my Wii louder and hotter than I thought it would get. Optimization goes a very long way, and Nintendo has never released a game that doesn't run buttery smooth- All I'm saying is that the game would benefit from a more capable system.

I definitely think Nintendo stands to gain from a new portable console release. Japanese audiences eat them right up (hell, the bulk of Visual Novels are still released on the PSP), and they'd have a monopoly over a market that Sony has almost completely drawn out of.

However, neglecting a new console would essentially mean forfeiting the console market, as it's been a decade since their last successful release. at this point, I don't see anything multiplying the sales of the Wii U- not even a new Zelda game. Unless Nintendo chooses to go in that direction, it's definitely a plausible move that they'll use their most anticipated release to sell a new system.

What would be interesting is the notion of a hybrid. You're right about the fact that a hybrid will almost certainly be a portable, but I'm looking forward to seeing where they go with the idea. The engineers at Nintendo (bless them) have always been innovators, and we might see something interesting come of this yet.

[skywake]

Well it's definitely true that better hardware makes things easier. And I'm sure they'll replace the Wii U within the next three years or so. I just don't think there's enough to say for sure that the NX is that system or that Zelda will be its launch title. I think there's far more merit behind the idea that we're getting a new portable first. Because lets face it a proper replacement for the 3DS is overdue. Especially when Nintendo are still yet to release their biggest Wii U titles like Zelda U.... and others....

 

 

And the "ten years since the launch of a successful console" idea is kinda odd. Why measure in years? I think that's a bit odd given that the console cycle last generation was pretty damn long. Besides, as I pointed out before, if Nintendo is in a bad spot with the Wii U by that metric then what does that make the Gamecube? By the time the Wii was announced the last "successful" Nintendo console was the SNES. So it's an odd metric. What do we expect them to do? Panic and just release heaps of hardware when they haven't had a hit in a while? I don't think it works like that.

 

But here's the thing that seals the deal in my mind that the NX is maybe not a home console. I've seen a few articles and listened to a few podcasts where the idea that the NX is a home console is taken as a forgone conclusion. Every single time when the person owns both a 3DS and a Wii U they go into defensive mode. Because they know as does everyone who owns both that the Wii U has a lot left in it and the 3DS doesn't. At the end of the day the only reason these companies replace their old hardware is because they feel they have lost the ability to sell the sort of software people want. This isn't the case with the Wii U anywhere near as much as it is for the 3DS. So why replace the Wii U first? It doesn't make sense.

[Aereldor]

What do we expect them to do? Panic and just release heaps of hardware when they haven't had a hit in a while? I don't think it works like that.

Coming back to this- if the sources cited are genuine, that might be more or less what they're doing.

http://www.gamnesia.com/news/report-nintendo-is-sending-out-nx-dev-kits-with-industry-leading-chips

Then again, 'Industry-leading chips' doesn't mean a whole lot.

[skywake]

Coming back to this- if the sources cited are genuine, that might be more or less what they're doing.

To be fair, there have been so many rumours at this point. If they were all true the NX would be incredibly powerful, android based, disk-less, portable, non-portable, both portable and non portable. Really you can read anything into what the NX is because not a lot has actually been said. It's also worth noting that "industry leading" could mean an entirely different thing if it's a portable or very low powered.