Exactly, the 2016 crowd was basically correct about all their assumptions -- Nintendo ditched the Wii U a while ago to focus on NX with hopes of a Christmas 2016 launch and Zelda U would be NX launch title dual-release just like TP. 

The only thing they got wrong was it turned out about 3 months later than expected. 

But the general premise has been shown to be pretty much correct. 

So anyone on the "Wii U brigade" really crowing about this, this is like finding out OK your wife didn't go to dinner with another man, like you said, but she was fucking the dude and unfaithful to you for months, which is what your friend was trying to tell you. So I guess you can take whatever solace in the fact that you got the dinner thing correct ... but were wrong about everything else. 

The real kick in the balls to the Wii U diehards is now they will have to wait another several months to play the next Zelda because of NX. 

Did nintendo say that 2016 was the plan? 

with 2 games in the pipeline and almost none games in the past 1,5 years.

Launching in March is idiotic otherwise, it's far more logical that they were hoping for Nov/Dec 2016 and as is the case with everything Nintendo they got delayed a few months. At least it wasn't a few years. The exact same thing happened with the 3DS, Nintendo wanted to launch it for Christmas 2010, but they had to settle for Feburary 2011 instead. 

PR: "NX will not make an appearance at the upcoming E3 video game trade show in Los Angeles in June and will be unveiled later this year."

— Gematsu (@gematsu) April 27, 2016

800K forecast/NX releasing in 2017 and is 'Zelda' focused?

I don't think now is the time to buy a WiiU

Mobile
Pokemon Go
Fire Emblem
Animal crossing
Wii U

 Paper Mario
Sonic Olympic games.

Thoughts:

1. This isn't just a Zelda delay - this is an NX delay. The system was clearly meant to be out this year. A delay speaks volumes, though. Trouble in paradise.
2. Nintendo's E3 is gonna suck this year. Thanks for the heads up.
3. Not announcing the NX at E3 is a smart move (for NX) now that it's been delayed. Now they'll have a space all to themselves to announce it.
4. Spaceworld returning? I expect the NX to be revealed in September now. Nobody wants to wait that long, but you know, too bad. Expect the reveal to be very much like an Apple keynote. (And you all know why)
5. Expect to endure even more months of excruciating silence. Fuck. Also expect no games to be announced for it at E3.
6. The PR spin on the new release date is legitimately hilarious. Not saying it end up won't be true, but come on Nintendo. Unconventional release cycle for a new concept? Right.

So Nintendo is going to have an even weaker E3 this year than last.

Oh well. It's going to be a long 11 months of waiting as my Wii U sits there untouched.

Maybe launching in march is not as stupid as many think. Around holiday everyone will be talking about PS4.5 and PS VR. Then, at launch there probably will be only Zelda, maybe one or two other Nintendo exclusives and a bunch of third-party ports, so only Nintendo fans will get NX anyway. However, if the rumours about a unified library for home console and handheld are true, Nintendo will have a badass lineup ready by holiday 2017 and that's when they really might catch momentum.

Of course I'm disappointed about E3, too. They better give us one or two more WiiU games to look forward to.