During a financial briefing this morning Nintendo announced that its next console, code-named “NX,” will arrive globally in March 2017.“[The NX] is not merely the successor to the handheld 3DS or stationary console Wii U,” said Nintendo president Tatsumi Kimishima. “This will be hardware that’s been made with a new way of thinking.” Kimishima mentioned that they’ll discuss hardware specifications later this year. Strangely Nintendo did not reveal the look or name of the product, and will do neither at upcoming video game trade show E3.
This news comes with a flurry of disappointment. The next big Legend of Zelda received yet another delay into 2017. It was initially announced in 2015 and was expected to be released this year. It will launch simultaneously on Wii U and NX – just as Twilight Princess did in 2006 with the GameCube and Wii. The Legend of Zelda will be the focus of Nintendo’s presence at E3. In fact, the Wii U version will be the only playable Nintendo game at E3. No release date beyond “2017” was given.
Nintendo also announced more mobile apps coming this Fall. Fire Emblem and Animal Crossing will receive mobile apps for smart devices. These titles will be far more actual games than Nintendo’s first foray into mobile gaming, Miitomo. “They have more prominent game elements, and the game content will tie closely into Nintendo’s dedicated games business,” confirmed the company. Their mobile game strategy is “to have multiple types of apps that appeal to different audiences and different groups of players.”
New console launches are always exciting. But 2016 is now looking extremely sparse for Nintendo. The next generation Pokémon Sun & Moon is the most notable release.
