Neogaf user Castef posted info from a Japanese blog suggesting that Zelda: Breath of the Wild will not be seeing a Wii U release due to technical complications.
“Wii U version of Zelda : Breath of the Wild cancelled ! Reason is technical problem on developpement. Decision taken by Top Management.”
“Amazon, Biccamera等はWiiU版を削除！
There is also massive cancellation of pre-order from Amazon, Biccamera, Yamada Denki… Game no more listed on homepage.”
A user on the Japanese Blog commented:
“I work for Gamestop, I confirm we have only listed (for the moment) Zelda for Switch.”
What about the demos running on the Wii U?
This would be surprising news since the project was originally developed for the Wii U and had been apparently demoed on Wii U machines at numerous Nintendo events.
My guess is that Nintendo moved both Breath of the Wild and their upcoming Mario game to the Switch after seeing how poorly the Wii U sold. Perhaps in this transition they altered the game enough that it became increasingly difficult to run on the older/different Wii U hardware.
The needs of the many…
Although I feel for Wii U owners that have waited years, I feel Nintendo would be smart to focus purely on the Switch and guarantee the strongest Zelda possible. After the commercial failure of their last console, they would be wise to concentrate all efforts on a spectacular launch.
If the Switch releases at the rumored $249/$299 price, it wont be as large of a hurdle for Wii U owners to reach. Nintendo does run the risk of offending Zelda fans expecting to play it on the Wii U, but that’s a relatively small number compared to what they must be hoping to bring on board for the Switch.
If sacrificing the Wii U version allows Nintendo to deliver a large and engaging world that reinvigorates both Zelda as an exciting franchise and a Nintendo console as a must-own, I’m fully on board.
Do you care if the Wii U doesn’t get BOTW?
