At this year's E3, one of the most talked about game was The Legend of Zelda. Sure, the main attractions were probably Halo 2 and the DS, but everyone was extremely happy to see the return of realistic Link for the next installment of The Legend of Zelda. I still remember the first time I had seen the demo at Spaceworld 2000 and thought that it was the most amazing thing I had seen in my life! It looked so great, and even though we've seen more beautiful games now, it still holds up today. Fans have been waiting for a realistic Zelda for some time now, and they are now getting it.
Even though Nintendo says it is definitely coming to GC, some people have been wondering if it would be a better idea to delay the game into 2006 and release it for the Nintendo Revolution. While this may give Nintendo more time to polish the title even more, it might give them a harder time next christmas to sell GameCubes as it is the last killer app for the system. Let's take a look at the possibilities and what I think would be the best thing to do.
First of all, since Nintendo has already anounced that the game will be playable at next years E3, and Reggie also saying that this game is definitely coming to the GC, I really don't think Nintendo will pull a Rare and delay their game for the Revolution just like they had done with Dinosaur Planet / Star Fox Adventures, and the main reason is probably money.
Since Nintendo is waiting for Sony to launch their next system, and since Sony will probably release in 2006, that means that Nintendo has another Christmas where they will try to sell their purple cubes to as much people as possible, and what better way to do it than with Zelda. I mean, Link is one of the most recognizable characters Nintendo has, and seeing how a cel-shaded Zelda sold, I can only imagine how a realistic one will. 2005 will be a pretty dry year for the GameCube except for maybe Resident Evil 4 which will be the only other game as big as Zelda. Problem is that when it will be time for christmas the game will also be available for the PS2 thus the need for Zelda.
Microsoft will be there with their X-Box 2 (only speculation though but looking at their lineup right now it seems that way) and if Sony can do the same thing they did with the Dreamcast and tell consumers to wait until their system comes out, then people might be more interested in buying a cheaper system and wait another year, and since Nintendo has the cheapest of all the bunch, just imagine what would happen if they'd pak the system with a copy of The Legend of Zelda and put the Zelda Collection disc with it, now I'm sure that would make the GameCube one of the most wanted items for christmas. There are people who thought the GameCube sucked but that they would gladly buy a GC just for the next Zelda. Nintendo needs to make all of those people buy one, and there is no better way than to do it than with a bundle.
There's another thing that Nintendo could also do and that would be to really hype the game as much as they can, just like Microsoft did with Halo 2. Since at that point the installed userbase for the GameCube will be at it's largest, that means that there is lots of potential for Zelda to become the fastest selling game for the GC, and maybe the best selling game of all (for the system). I remember how hyped Ocarina of Time was when it was released, the store was full of people wanting to get their hands on the game, some of them offering me nearly double of what I had paid for my copy. It might not have been as big as Halo 2, but it's still the best selling Zelda game ever, and it featured a more mature link too!
By starting to create hype around the game right after christmas, it would give time for Nintendo to create an enormous buzz around this title. They could pack in a demo disc with games released at the beginning of the year with the trailer we've seen at E3, or maybe they could put the newer trailer that showed to the press which lasts at little longer. People who didn't really know about the game yet would already be hyped for it. They could then start having print ads in magazines for a few months, and near the release start airing commercials on TV and in theaters. Halo 2 is the game to own this year, but next year could very well be the year of Zelda if Nintendo plays it's cards right.
Now you might be wondering, but what if they decided to push it back and release it on Revolution? Wouldn't it be better for Nintendo to have a stronger launch lineup for their next system than to release an amazing game on an already dying console? I wouldn't really be able to answer that question as I think the 2 are good. Like I said, because of the installed user base of the GC there is potential for this game to really sell and make Nintendo lots of money, but it could also help Nintendo to end the GC's life with a bang, and hype gamers for their next system. At the same time, if they delay the game, people might be as hyped for it and buy a Revolution just for this game, which would also be good, but since they will probably have the next Mario available at launch too, it might not be a good idea for Nintendo to release all of it's big guns at the same time.
So when you look at it, as a gamer, we always want our games as soon as possible, and I'm all for being able to play the best Zelda game ever next christmas rather than one year later. There is still lots of potential in the GameCube and Zelda is still hugely popular.So all in all, be ready for the best gaming experience of your life in 2005!
Even though Nintendo says it is definitely coming to GC, some people have been wondering if it would be a better idea to delay the game into 2006 and release it for the Nintendo Revolution. While this may give Nintendo more time to polish the title even more, it might give them a harder time next christmas to sell GameCubes as it is the last killer app for the system. Let's take a look at the possibilities and what I think would be the best thing to do.
First of all, since Nintendo has already anounced that the game will be playable at next years E3, and Reggie also saying that this game is definitely coming to the GC, I really don't think Nintendo will pull a Rare and delay their game for the Revolution just like they had done with Dinosaur Planet / Star Fox Adventures, and the main reason is probably money.
Since Nintendo is waiting for Sony to launch their next system, and since Sony will probably release in 2006, that means that Nintendo has another Christmas where they will try to sell their purple cubes to as much people as possible, and what better way to do it than with Zelda. I mean, Link is one of the most recognizable characters Nintendo has, and seeing how a cel-shaded Zelda sold, I can only imagine how a realistic one will. 2005 will be a pretty dry year for the GameCube except for maybe Resident Evil 4 which will be the only other game as big as Zelda. Problem is that when it will be time for christmas the game will also be available for the PS2 thus the need for Zelda.
Microsoft will be there with their X-Box 2 (only speculation though but looking at their lineup right now it seems that way) and if Sony can do the same thing they did with the Dreamcast and tell consumers to wait until their system comes out, then people might be more interested in buying a cheaper system and wait another year, and since Nintendo has the cheapest of all the bunch, just imagine what would happen if they'd pak the system with a copy of The Legend of Zelda and put the Zelda Collection disc with it, now I'm sure that would make the GameCube one of the most wanted items for christmas. There are people who thought the GameCube sucked but that they would gladly buy a GC just for the next Zelda. Nintendo needs to make all of those people buy one, and there is no better way than to do it than with a bundle.
There's another thing that Nintendo could also do and that would be to really hype the game as much as they can, just like Microsoft did with Halo 2. Since at that point the installed userbase for the GameCube will be at it's largest, that means that there is lots of potential for Zelda to become the fastest selling game for the GC, and maybe the best selling game of all (for the system). I remember how hyped Ocarina of Time was when it was released, the store was full of people wanting to get their hands on the game, some of them offering me nearly double of what I had paid for my copy. It might not have been as big as Halo 2, but it's still the best selling Zelda game ever, and it featured a more mature link too!
By starting to create hype around the game right after christmas, it would give time for Nintendo to create an enormous buzz around this title. They could pack in a demo disc with games released at the beginning of the year with the trailer we've seen at E3, or maybe they could put the newer trailer that showed to the press which lasts at little longer. People who didn't really know about the game yet would already be hyped for it. They could then start having print ads in magazines for a few months, and near the release start airing commercials on TV and in theaters. Halo 2 is the game to own this year, but next year could very well be the year of Zelda if Nintendo plays it's cards right.
Now you might be wondering, but what if they decided to push it back and release it on Revolution? Wouldn't it be better for Nintendo to have a stronger launch lineup for their next system than to release an amazing game on an already dying console? I wouldn't really be able to answer that question as I think the 2 are good. Like I said, because of the installed user base of the GC there is potential for this game to really sell and make Nintendo lots of money, but it could also help Nintendo to end the GC's life with a bang, and hype gamers for their next system. At the same time, if they delay the game, people might be as hyped for it and buy a Revolution just for this game, which would also be good, but since they will probably have the next Mario available at launch too, it might not be a good idea for Nintendo to release all of it's big guns at the same time.
So when you look at it, as a gamer, we always want our games as soon as possible, and I'm all for being able to play the best Zelda game ever next christmas rather than one year later. There is still lots of potential in the GameCube and Zelda is still hugely popular.So all in all, be ready for the best gaming experience of your life in 2005!
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