Wii U Zelda Miiverse Community Unveiled, Release Date Remains a Mystery

"Zelda" was sorely missing in 2012, but it looks like 2013 is the year that the beloved franchise makes its stand. A few weeks ago, Nintendo unveiled a new HD version of the Gamecube title "The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker" for the Wii U and also revealed news about the next generation iteration in the series. However, the major Zelda news today is the arrival of a Miiverse community for the franchise.

During his Nintendo Direct conference on Feb. 14, Nintendo President Satoru Iwata introduced the new online service. "In Miiverse on Wii, communities have been created for games that have already been released," Iwata started. "But there are no communities for unreleased games. Therefore, there has been no community available for users to discuss The Legend of Zelda or the two new games we announced in the last Nintendo Direct."

The new Wiiverse community is not tied any particular game. Instead, it will create a central hub where fans and gamers can simply chat about the world of Zelda. More importantly, Iwata hinted that series director Eiji Aonuma "may be making an appearance from time to time."

The new "Wind Waker" title is slated for release later this fall., but no release date has been revealed The title will not only feature updated graphics but an altered game play experience that will also incorporate Miiverse. Gamers will be able to play the title both on the TV and off the TV and on the GamePad.

After "Wind Waker," Nintendo is expected to launch the next-generation Zelda title. Little is known about the title, but Aonuma revealed during the Nintendo Direct conference that the title would not necessarily be linear and could feature a multiplayer mode. Aonuma also noted that the graphical style would be different from the tech demo showcased at the 2011 Electronic Entertainment Expo.