The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is expected to be one of the hottest releases on 2017, heading to both the Wii U and Nintendo Switch. Just ahead of the game getting new footage shown off at The Game Awards, Nintendo has highlighted its snazzy official website for the upcoming adventure.
We're not as convinced as some are that there's anything 'new' here as such, but it's nicely put together and does a great job of getting our blood pumping; there's some neat video and plenty of screenshots and previously released videos to gawk at.
The EU version is essentially the same as the North American equivalent, though the latter has a bit of extra content under 'Latest News'. The Japanese site launched a while ago and included new footage; it's also worth a look if you haven't seen it yet.
In terms of setting the scene and promoting the game these websites are really solid efforts, we'd suggest. Check them out and let us know what you think.
With thanks to SLIGEACH_EIRE for the heads up.
Comments (35)
Cool! I'll have to check it out.
Doesn't the HUD look updated?
@SLIGEACH_EIRE I was wondering, how do you notify NL about new news?
I will play both versions when they come out because I want to
@PieNinja @SLIGEACH_EIRE me too
With the full Switch reveal in January, I'm guessing they're going to be focusing fairly heavily on BotW over the next month so that it doesn't get overshadowed by the Switch, and advertising the website now does support that.
This could also mean that the rumoured demo could be on it's way soon as well.
@SLIGEACH_EIRE Pretty sure that screenshot was originally uploaded around E3 time, and the HUD looks the same as in all the footage we got then... it's possible that it could have changed since then, but we'll have to wait for the Game Awards footage to tell for sure.
@DragonEleven I've had a look back. It's the same as E3.
2017
2017 is in 32 days, you'd think if it was coming in March 2017, 90-120 days from now, it would say so. Or at least "spring". Nobody should be able to list the following year as a release date when that year is only 32 days way. It's fine at E3, that's 6 months advance notice, but not 32 days. Pick a season, any season. Game was due out in 2015 for crying out loud. Sony delays practically every single solitary game they release on PS4 but at least they usually give dates.
Funniest past. When you click on Wii U icon and it brings you to a webpage that says:
FAMILY FUN,
UNBEATABLE
VALUE.
Wii U Deluxe set with Super Mario Maker. HD graphics, built-in software, and plays your Wii games, too!
Buy Now $299.99 MSRP*
No Nintendo, in November 2016 your dead console w/ 1 upcoming game is not an "unbeatable value" at $299.99. It just isn't. Not sure it's an "unbeatbale value" at any price, but maybe at $199.99 it would be the worth thinking about.
I do like the newly designed website, those scenes they picked make the game look exciting, but at this point maybe they should just remove the Wii U logo entirely and just focus on selling Switch. It should still release on Wii U - it better - but they don't need to promote it, we'll know.
Cool, I can not wait for this game. I got Wind waker a few weeks ago for my birthday, and Twilight princess on Black Friday, so I'm good for now.
Haha, we'll link to it
Cleverness and witty captions aside, I can't wait to see this footage!
Makes the wait harder (said I).
a official release date would be better...
"well send a link to it."
loved the pun @Nintendolife
joking side, can't wait to hear more at tomorrow's The Game Awards
I hope that the upcoming video gives us a glimpse of characters/towns and even more importantly, dungeons.
Personally I am still a bit worried about the dungeons. I fear there are things lost in translation (happens a lot when Japanese get interviewed by the west) and that those 100 mini-dungeons ARE the dungeons. Wich probably won't cut it for me, since they look all the same (and aren't proper dungeons).
@rjejr
To be fair with regards to the date we all know they are giving out details early in Jan., pretty sure they will update the site then, which is only 44 days away.
@SLIGEACH_EIRE Can't really see much difference
I feel like I am dying of thirst. Just give me this game Nintendo!
Hm, I'll have to remember to check out the NA website later when I'm less busy.
@SLIGEACH_EIRE Isn't it mirrored?
@dew12333 "which is only 44 days away"
But would they really announce a March date on January 12th? Dont' you think that's cutting it a little close? A May or June release date they could announce in Jan, but I don't see how a game w/ a March date can withhold that date until Jan 12, only 60 days in advance.
Did you see the Pokemon S&M sales numbers? They announced that date about 6 months in advance, hit the date, and the game sold astronomically well. Zelda in March is looking more and more unlikely to me.
Hopefully there will be some good desktop and mobile wallpapers made available. There was a good selection for Twilight Princess HD and Xenoblade Chronicles X.
@PieNinja @Billsama Use the contact form further down on this page. I had major problems submitting stories with it for a long while though it works for me now.
@SLIGEACH_EIRE @BensonUii @Niinbendo Thx, I tried that contact before, but they didn't seem to see it. So I was wondering if there was another way to do it that they more frequently responded to. But maybe I did it when it was down. I sent in the same thing twice just in case it was down, so maybe it actually was. Should I try again a 3rd time, or do you think they did see it?
Speaking of Zelda...
@ThomasBW84 Will there be live coverage of Game Awards 2016? =)
@Niinbendo @PieNinja I was very vocal here about the contact form not working which annoyed some members but it was the only way to get some attention. They did some tinkering and testing with me sending test e-mails and it now works no problem. I quite frequently get replies from ThomasBW84 saying things like thanks for the tip, or they'll look into it or what I've sent in isn't verifiable yet or that it's been since debunked. You won't always get a response as they're busy but the form works now.
@rjejr Technically speaking, we don't know when any of the games for Nintendo Switch will release. Provided the rumor about Mario and Splatoon at launch is true, that only gives them a couple months to advertise those games as well if they're unveiled in January. And we know next to nothing about those titles! BotW may very well be delayed to later in 2017, but I don't see this as any sort of confirmation. The fact that the official site is even going live this soon surprises me, which could be a promising sign. Seems like normally Nintendo's game-specific websites launch much closer to a game's actual release, maybe a month or so in advance, but I could be wrong. If this game is coming in--say--June, I find it hard to believe Nintendo would open the site 7 months in advance. Who knows, maybe they'll tease when the game launches at the VGA's tomorrow, then give the official release date in January so as not to spoil when the Switch releases, provided it's still a launch title. I could be wrong and the game will get delayed, but again, I don't think this is enough information to draw a conclusion from.
@BensonUii Thanks for the email link. I used the contact form to report on a video a couple weeks ago (Zelda Universe Twilight Princess HD English dub, first video uploaded) but they never posted about it. Oddly enough, neither did Zelda Informer which makes all sorts of posts on Zelda videos.
@Billsama @BensonUii @Niinbendo @SLIGEACH_EIRE Okay I'll try again I guess. Maybe if I pester them enough they'll look into it, or maybe when I tried it was down. Idk. xD Thx guys.
@Billsama @BensonUii @Niinbendo @SLIGEACH_EIRE
Sent it. Again. Hope it works. xD
@Oubie of course starting with the WII U version and going forward on Switch to see/feel the difference
@rjejr
Yes I think they would, games and updates have gone live straight after directs in the past. This is a much bigger deal but lets face it we wouldn't be having this conversation normally. It's just the twitter trolls piling their tripe all over the internet that makes us even question it.
@Not_Soos Good point about not knowing about any of Switch's games, I knew there was a good reason I stopped caring about it, I can't recall the last time I bought a $60 game without 6 months hype. Anything announced in January my brain will just think is a holiday game anyway.
The difference with Zelda BotW is that it was supposed to release in 2015, then 2016, and then they said 2017 way back in March. If they knew 2017 way back in March by December 1 I think they should have it narrowed down a bit more. By December 1 any publishing company should have their road map for the following year clearly laid out. I'm sure they have 1 for Switch, but my brain can't comprehend keeping get that list a secret if they want people to be excited for those games. I know people are excited for Sky rim but how many people will get sick of waiting and just buy it now on PS4 or X1S instead?
Nintendo is always talking about learning from their mistakes but they never learn. They should be looking at Pokémon S&M, announce 6 months in advance, promote it constantly, release it on time. And don't release hardware in March. But if you do hype it, and it's gsmes, up for 6 months. 2 months probably won't get the job done. Guess we'll see. If it's cheap enough, and the games are there, but that's 2 big ifs.
@Captain_Gonru At this point I should just stop thinking about Nintendo, hurts my brain.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bpNw7jYkbVc
@Captain_Gonru "that a March release is fine"
From a hardware perspective, yes, that's true, launch in March, get a big launch, then coast for a few months, try to get some graduation and Father's Day sales w/ a great May-June game line-up, then start promoting for the holidays in September, either w/ a price cut or a different set of game bundles.
But here's the part I really don't like. Watching TGA last night there were a lot of upcoming games or games on sale now for PS4 and X1S. The only game I'm pretty sure Ninteod hardware is getting is Zelda, which is a 2 year old port of a Wii U game on Switch, and Shovel Knight, which is pretty much the only game not to announce what systems it's going to be one. So there was really no news for Switch games last night b/c the hardware is releasing in March and Nintendo isn't talking about it until mid-January.
So the thing is, when you sell a videogame console - whether it be home, handheld or hybrid - it's not like selling a car or dishwasher, you are selling a videogame console to sell videogames, and no matter what the launch price is, you need game to sell the hardware, and right now we don't know what the launch line-up is. And between now and mid-March, last night was really the only general interest gaming event around. E3, Tokyo Game Show, Gamescon in Germany, Paris Games Show, whatever they have in the UK, all of those gaming related events will be after the launch. So when do you promote the games to people other than Ntinod fans? Nintneod Directs are for people already drinking the kool aid, that's not how you market to gamers or casuals, just the people who are buying the system anyway b/c they hope some day Nintneod will release a game on it they want. So for a general piece of hardware March is fine, and really even for Switch March might have been fine, had they started promoting it at E3 and all the other game shows since then, there have been several high profile ones.
Having a 3 minute trailer and then waiting until mid-January to actually announce the games, not just show some fake footage, that's not going to sell hardware in March. So it's not really just March that I have a problem w/, it's March for a videogame console and Nintedo's mishandling of marketing as usual. Sony or MS could launch new hardware in March, b/c they would still spend millions of $ marketing it for a full 12 months. I think we've already seen more of Scorpio 18 months in advance than we do of Switch.
@Captain_Gonru "I guess they can get away with not spending money on promoting Switch stuff yet."
And then next Sept when they start promoting their $250 Switch for real, X1S and PS4 Slim will be $199, PS4 Pro will be $299, Scorpio will be $399, PSVR will be $299, so you are once again talking about a lot of price competition.
I understand they didn't want to launch this holiday w/o any games, but they should have had the games ready this holiday while the other systems were still expensive.
And by next holiday parents will just tell their kids - hey, I'll get you a smartphone to play Nintendo games, Super Mario Run, Fire Emblem and Animal Crossing, so you don't kneed a Swtich. Sad but true.
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