Die-hard fans of Nintendo's the Legend of Zelda Wii U were again disappointed after game developer and producer Eiji Aonuma announced that its release date was again pushed back once again at an undetermined date.
The Legend of Zelda Wii U, the 19th major iteration of the top-selling The Legend of Zelda franchise series was first unveiled during last year's E3 2014 at the Los Angeles Convention Center where Nintendo gave fans a glimpse of the game's visuals and gameplay presentation. During the E3 2014, Wii gamers were promised the next installment will be released sometime in 2015, reported Christian Post.
However, Aonuma announced in March this year that the anticipated 2015 release will not happen. Instead, he said Nintendo is pushing backs its official release date next year. This promise was reiterated by Nintendo America head Reggie Fils-Aimé who confirmed that the Nintendo EAD Group is scheduled for a 2016 release.
But now, rumors again surfaced that Nintendo will missed the 2016 target to release The Legend of Zelda Wii U next year and the project was given an indefinite "TBD" or "to be determined" launch date. This translates to an indefinite time frame for its official launch, further pushing its release possibly in 2017.
With the series of delays in its launch date, industry insiders fear that this could be detrimental to The Legend of Zelda Wii U and eventually cause the game to fail. A report by Design & Trend that all the anticipation and the build up for the game will not guarantee that fans will wait that long.
"The Legend of Zelda Wii U is one of the most anticipated games on any platform, but hype doesn't guarantee that it will be a hit for Nintendo," The report said and added, "Between delays and ambitious gameplay, there are lots of holes for disappointment to seep into."
Nintendo has remained relatively quiet regarding the current status for Zelda Wii U. Still, representatives from the gaming company have assured fans that development is continuing despite delays. This was reconfirmed fairly recently by Nintendo America VP of Sales and Marketing, Scott Moffitt.
"We confirmed that a Zelda game, a new Zelda experience is in development for the Wii U and we have our team hard at work on that," Moffitt said in an interview with iDigital Times. "We want that to be the best Zelda experience. Fans have been waiting for and deserve a game when it's ready, when it's fully featured and when it can live up to what we would like to deliver."
Moffitt also insisted that Zelda will be released on 2016. The Legend of Zelda franchise still maintains a track record of having some of the best titles in videogame history. This reputation has brought to the series an enduring loyalty amongst gamers worldwide.
