Congratulations Shigeru Miyamoto, your famous franchise has lasted 25 years! But the real ones that are cheering are Zelda gamers. At E3 2011 Nintendo promised a Zelda extravaganza in celebration of The Legend of Zelda’s 25th birthday, strategically starting with Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D in June, then a tour of The Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary Symphony Concert Orchestra in Fall, and as a grand finale, the year ends with the highly anticipated Skyward Sword at Christmas.
This is a large and clever promotion. Not only is Nintendo promoting ONE Zelda game, but the entire franchise on ALL the currently active consoles: from Links Awakening (unveiled on the 3DS eShop), to Ocarina of Time (Remastered on the 3DS), to Four Swords (downloadable on the DSi) to Skyward Sword (released latter 2011 on the Wii). The loyal consumers that ritually play the Zelda games will be treated to exclusive performance of music from the Legend of Zelda. As much as this is an once-in-a-lifetime experience, it is also a sure way for Nintendo to 1.Promote and excites the audience for the much-anticipated Skyward Sword, and 2. Make money. This event itself was promoted at E3 2011 with a powerful speech by Miyamoto about the importance of the music in the Zelda games, as well as a five minute performance by a full orchestra at the opening at Nintendo’s press conference.
Although these are the three main events, Miyamoto concluded his E3 announcements by claiming that more Zelda surprises are planned for 2011. If Mario’s 25th Anniversary is anything to go by, we may be able to expect a special Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary mini-site, contests, plush toys (although unlikely), and console skins. As annoying as it is, the secrecy is alluring, as it keeps the audience stimulated and hopeful for something more.
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