Those readers hoping for a new DS design or completely new portable altogether best look away. However, those hoping for a new Zelda title on the Wii in 2010…get ready to clean your monitor!
You see, in an interview this week the Nintendo president said that he’d really, really like to get Zelda—you know, the one with MotionPlus baked in—finished and out the door by the end of this year (if you’re thinking an E3 big reveal, like me, give yourself a rupee). No word on whether or not that’s Japan only or what.
While not concrete by any means, it’s something, for once, from the normally tight-lipped Nintendo. Perhaps they’re feeling a bit giddy about the big console sales record they purportedly broke in December. Probably just a fad, whatever it was, but nevertheless maybe it got Nintendo talking.
On the DS front, things are not so rosy, but only if you’re the kind of person who demands a new portable from a video game company on some kind of personal “this is the way I think things should be” timeline (see also: most of NeoGAF). If you’re happy with the DS, as Nintendo is in the wake of killer sales and a healthy software lineup, this news is a non-issue for you: Nintendo probably won’t be sending out any kind of new portable—cellphone based or whatever—anytime soon.
However, Iwata did allow for a bit of hypothesizing, saying that a future iteration, whatever it may be, would have “highly detailed graphics, and it will be necessary to have a sensor with the ability to read the movements of people playing.” I.e., get ready for MotionPlus Mini Me sometime in 2011 (although I’m fairly certain there will be some kind of hyperconnectivity going on, as that functionality is the FUTURE). Location awareness, social networking, always on wireless network connectivity, etc. I’m sure there are dozens of prototypes floating around the Kyoto castle right now, all a mix of those features and more. Maybe we’ll get a tease at E3, alongside the first Zelda screens or demos.
Here’s hoping. Happy 2010.
There ain't no damn way we are getting Zelda this year. Haha. I felt it needed to be said. It just wouldn't be a Zelda title without at least 5 year's worth of anticipation and delays after the first trailer…Ok, maybe 5 years is a little ridiculous. Lol. But come on. Who here really thinks that Zelda is coming out this year??
Iwata seems to think so, Chooch. Just going by what the man said.
I would like to see that, they have already made that for the Wii, I think that the big changes will only be the motion plus stuff.
Mayora's Mask was developed fast without much hype.
Well a new Metroid and Mario come out this year so maybe…Wii motion plus sword play + Wii Resort archery style bow shooting would be great…also rupee, not ruby…that is all
I remember either Iwata or Reggie (probably Iwata) talking about the desire to end endless hype cycle for their games.
Case in point, their best selling game last year was a game announced in May and released that November.
Just because they don't drown us in trailers and developer diaries doesn't mean they aren't hard at work on the games they say they are.
@rory: Ack! Nintendo fanman sacrilege, is what I did up there. Fixed.
Yeah, sweet sweet handheld for 2011. My guess: E3 2011 announcement for a 3G supported, tilt-control enabled handheld, released for Holiday 2011.
We all knew this was coming, but it's nice to hear some sort of confirmation. Pretty much all they said here was "yeah, we're making a follow up to the DS and another Zelda game. Why wouldn't we?"
Haha, exactly. Other than that it'll be on their timeline, and there's no reason to try to maintain any sort timeline with Nintendo. It'll be out when its ready.
No DSi XL????????? I thought that we were getting it Q1 2010… T__T T__T T__T T__T T__T T__T
@Jack
I don't want you to think I was bashing you, or the article. I understand you are just going by what Iwata said. I was just saying that I think Iwata is getting ahead of himself, and that the game won't come this year. I hope I'm wrong though! haha. I'm sorry if that is the impression you got from my earlier post.