"The Legend of Zelda" for Wii-U was initially scheduled to launch in the fourth quarter of 2015 but according to a report from GameSpot, series producer Eiji Aonuma previously announced that the title will be delayed and that it will not be showcased at this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo. Now, a new report lists the title's release date as "To Be Determined" or TBD.
The release date change was reported by Zelda Informer. According to the report, it might be possible that the game is being delayed to 2016 in light of the franchise's 30th anniversary despite Aonuma's previous explanation that the delay is meant to give the developers more time to improve gameplay and add new features.
However, a report from Venture Capital Post indicates that the game won't even see a release by early 2016 and instead might be postponed all the way to the fourth quarter of next year, or even to 2017. That is a lot of time just for some improvements and additional gameplay features.
This is why a new rumor has been spreading across the Internet. According to a report from Hardcore Gamer, it is possible that Nintendo is delaying the title's release in order to coincide with the launch of the Nintendo NX, the company's next console.
However, Nintendo has not yet confirmed if the NX is a home console, a new portable device, or a hybrid of the two. The company also recently signed a partnership with DeNA to work on mobile games, fueling speculations that the NX might be a mobile device like a Nintendo-patented tablet or smartphone.
If this is the case, then the company might release the new game simultaneously on the Wii-U and the NX, in the same way that "The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess" was launched for the Gamecube and Wii back in 2006, which was the year of the franchise's 20th anniversary. It is possible that Nintendo is repeating the process for the 30th anniversary.
