'The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild' release date tipped for March 2017, rumored to be optimized for NX

Nintendo

Nintendo has already taken the wraps off its upcoming new installment for the "The Legend of Zelda" series. However, "Breath of The Wild" has yet to have a specific release date. Speculations suggest that Nintendo plans to release the new game early next year, possibly in March.

According to rumors, although Nintendo has yet to peg a release date for the game, a hint can already be seen in the upcoming rollout of the company's next-gen system, the Nintendo NX. It is confirmed that the new platform will come out in March next year. Normally, major franchises become launching titles for new platforms. Without any significant announcements on other big-name series from Nintendo, most industry followers expect "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of The Wild" to be a launching title for the Nintendo NX, and a simultaneous release for the Wii U is also highly likely.

Meanwhile, some observers are saying that with the next "The Legend of Zelda" game being a multi-platform release, issues may arise for the title, particularly the Wii U version. It is unclear if the new game is a port from the Nintendo NX to the Wii U, or vice-versa. If it is the former, industry followers say that the Wii U version may suffer from gameplay and design downgrades. It can be expected that the NX is a more powerful platform than the current-gen Wii U, so performance may suffer for "Breath of The Wild," especially in graphics levels.

In addition, if Nintendo is not ready enough for the multi-platform release, there is also the concern that stocks may not meet with the demand onslaught when the game is released. "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of The Wild" is not the first multi-platform in the series. When the original "Twilight Princess" was released on both the GameCube and Wii, it is said that there was some sort of stocks manipulation for the GameCube version, prompting hardcore fans to purchase the newer-gen release and eventually upgrading to the Wii.