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Having said that, what will attract even more partners to our platform — which, of course, is something we’d like to do — is having a piece of hardware that provides interesting ways for these companies to bring their game creations to life, one that’s easy to program and work on, and that has a large enough install base of game fans that are looking for a variety of content.

So, for an avid gamer a game like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is one of those that you can’t not play. It’s a new high point for the franchise that offers gamers incredible freedom. Your gaming arsenal will not be complete without a Nintendo system and this game in your house.

I’m looking at the Wii U’s calendar of upcoming games and I don’t see much other than The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. How much longer will Nintendo support Wii U with new first-party software now that the NX is on the horizon?

We’ve announced that The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild will be coming out on both Wii U and the NX. Released at the same time for both. But it’s not the only game we’re working on and have in development for Wii U. This week we’re showing Paper Mario: Color Splash, a fantastic new game in the Paper Mario series. We’re also showing Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE, and we have content coming from Ubisoft and others.

And the library of games on Wii U for fans who haven’t played them all has never been more affordable thanks to the Nintendo Select line of games priced at $19.99, which continues to grow. There’s certainly plenty of content for existing Wii U owners, but there’s plenty of reasons for people who’ve never owned the console to grab one now while they last. We will be transitioning production to NX, so our message to fans is to grab a Wii U while you can, because they won’t be around forever.

I suspect I know the answer to this last question already, but I have to ask: When can we expect to learn more about the NX?

There will be more information coming out later this year. We certainly understand everyone’s desire and interest to learn more. We can’t wait to tell you all about it. But E3 was not the time. We wanted to focus our efforts on The Legend of Zelda: Breath of Fire, and also on Pokemon Sun and Pokemon Moon, a fantastic new experience in that franchise. But later this year you can expect to get more information on NX.

This interview has been edited for length and flow.