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Nintendo's NX game console coming next March

The gaming giant sets a launch date for the Wii U's replacement and pushes back yet again the release of the new Legend of Zelda game.

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The successor to the Wii U is on its way.

 Sarah Tew/CNET

Nintendo's next game console is less than a year away.

"For our dedicated video game platform business, Nintendo is currently developing a gaming platform codenamed 'NX' with a brand-new concept. NX will be launched in March 2017 globally," the company said Wednesday in its fiscal year earnings report.

Nintendo also announced the date via a tweet: "The next generation of #Nintendo is coming March 2017! #NX."

Nintendo's original Wii dominated the home console market after its 2006 release, selling over 100 million units. But the Japanese company failed to recapture that success with the Wii U. Nintendo said the Wii U has logged 12.8 million unit sales since it launched in 2012. That leaves it lagging behind Microsoft's Xbox One, which has sold around 18 million units, and far behind the market-leading PlayStation 4's 35 million-plus sales.

The earnings report also revealed that Nintendo has further pushed back the new Legend of Zelda game to 2017, despite previously saying it would launch this year. The game will be available on both the Wii U and the NX. This seems to be similar to the release of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, which was originally designed for Nintendo's GameCube but was delayed until 2006 when it could be played on the Wii.