General Zelda Should Zelda Always Be a Launch Title?

[Spirit]

Nintendo will always have stiff competition whenever it launches a console. The stigma of nintendo held by the majority of gamers that the company is too kiddy and that the games are too easy already deters a lot of sales and it doesn't help with consoles like the WiiU which is a less powerful console trapped in an era when gamers only care about specs, as well as nintendo shooting themselves in the foot with an awful marketing campaign for the console itself.

However, nintendo have the games, the best quality products and names everyone knows. Zelda is very much Nintendo's event series, every Zelda release is a major deal, especially on home consoles...

So knowing that nintendo will always have an uphill struggle, surely a home console Zelda game would help at launch, indeed it would have helped the WiiU out a hell of a lot.

But how about you based on present and past consoles and thoughts of the future would consoles have done and will they do better if Zelda were there front of house on launch day?

 

[Salem]

It might have help but remember, no zelda game ever been a launch title except for TP, it's only because it was in development for gamecube before. The probable reason being is that Zelda takes a lot of careful planing to develop and produce, so they usually get delayed often.

 

[The Jade Fist]

At this point in time they should realize that Zelda sells consoles, the promise of Zelda in 2 years doesn't sell consoles today.

 

[ILU]

I don't like the idea of Zelda being a launch title, with Twiligjt Princess further solidifying my stance on the subject. It could have been so much more as even Aonuna lamented, but it was rushed for launch.

Zelda isn't Nintendo's only IP. Mario games should be for launches because they are more likely to sell simply for being Mario. Zelda will sell for being Zelda, but not like Mario will.

I prefer that the systems are further developed after launch (like the introduction of WMP) so that Zelda has more time to be developed. However, I think that waiting until the end of a console's lifespan to put out a game like Skyward Sword and push the last sales of the console is just as bad as releasing Zelda at launch.

 

[Ventus]

Yes, Zelda should definitely start to be launch titles...and also the series should be annualized. People love to sex with the idea that Zelda is this almighty franchise that is unbreakable, that defies modern gaming conventions...but each title bears far too many similarities to the previous one in my opinion. These similarities make the differences seem miniscule; art style is NOT a miniscule factor but the core part of Zelda—gameplay—is ridiculously monotonous across the series imo. So, because these differences seem miniscule, what is stopping the people shooting the series a launch title?

 

[The Jade Fist]

Yes, Zelda should definitely start to be launch titles...and also the series should be annualized. People love to sex with the idea that Zelda is this almighty franchise that is unbreakable, that defies modern gaming conventions...but each title bears far too many similarities to the previous one in my opinion. These similarities make the differences seem miniscule; art style is NOT a miniscule factor but the core part of Zelda—gameplay—is ridiculously monotonous across the series imo. So, because these differences seem miniscule, what is stopping the people shooting the series a launch title?

We saw Majora's Mask 1 year development cycle, and by god it was a good one. My personal favorite 3d game.

If they have to reuse the engine, and similar art style to reuse resources, they can save themselves so much time between releases and not at all degrade the quality of the game. This would free up all that other work that would have had to been done to build the game ground up.

We can get new textures or shading style thats a simple tweek, and models for special things. They could stream line the game production of zelda. And work on the side long term development of new engines.

 

[Yuki Cross]

I wouldn't really care either way. As long as it comes out on the console at some point, then I don't care when it comes out.

 

[ihateghirahim]

Well, TP was a Wii launch title and the best-selling game in the series. We should also recall that the Zelda franchise is loved by consumers and critics with every installment. It seems natural that a Zelda game be at launch. Imagine the Wii U hype if they had taken SS next-gen. The wait would have been painfully long, but the results would greatly benefit the struggling consoles.

 

[DarkestLink]

What would Zelda do to change anything? It doesn't sell that well and just as "kiddy" as the other titles.

 

[A Link In Time]

It's unfeasible for a Zelda game to be ready at launch unless it was rushed or ported. I've always thought of the series as a mid-late generation release, taking advantage of minor software/refinements along the way.

Although I'm sick of Nintendo reusing The Wind Waker's cel-shaded art style, this lack of creativity is better than a lazy port. While Twilight Princess and Wii Sports were solid launch titles, they created the wrong impression that the Wii was a system for ports and half baked mini-game collections.

Even reusing a prior game engine would take more than a year to develop because new hardware has to be taken into account. Nintendo enjoys toying around with its controllers and if Skyward Sword's two year controller dilemma is an indication of the future, we can expect more five year development periods.

Nintendo needs to launch its platforms with a Mario game, then follow-up with more titles in the months immediately after launch. The Wii U successfully managed the first but has dropped off the sales radar with little software releasing in the last few months. With a large time gap between the system's unveiling at E3 2011 and its release November/December last year, Nintendo needed to communicate the value of its system to developers which it failed to do. Not learning from the 3DS's launch, the company didn't have first party games available after day one either. Pikmin 3 and Game & Wario should have released early this year, for example.

 

[Ventus]

Even reusing a prior game engine would take more than a year to develop because new hardware has to be taken into account. Nintendo enjoys toying around with its controllers and if Skyward Sword's two year controller dilemma is an indication of the future, we can expect more five year development periods.

I don't think that's true because Nintendo seems to be more set on standard controllers. Yes, the Gamepad is somewhat a departure from "standard" controllers, but it still has all the key components: four face buttons, dual analog sticks, two triggers and two bumpers, start and select buttons. The Wii U has almost no hand in motion, and what hand it does it is more two dimensional than three-dimensional moving around the room.

With that in mind, I say Nintendo has even less of an excuse getting Zelda games out later. We haven't seen a single lazy Zelda game. All Zelda games have had just enough effort put into them, thye merely disappointed players based on content. The problem is that Nintendo needs to stop experimenting and start churning out what works. They know what works based on the sales of many titles, so capitalize on it! Get the games out sooner!

 

[DarkestLink]

I might not be paying attention...but I swear to God at least half the people I see saying the series needs to stop experimenting were previously stating that the series needs to focus on innovation or it gets stale.

 

[Ventus]

I might not be paying attention...but I swear to God at least half the people I see saying the series needs to stop experimenting were previously stating that the series needs to focus on innovation or it gets stale.

Innovation in what? I don't want more innovation in the control schemes. That's really just...pointless to me. Don't focus on innovation in the art style, either. Instead, focus on innovation in the Zelda experience. Give us more groundbreaking stories. Give us more freedom (well, that's not INNOVATION - LoZ has the most freedom in the entire series - but rather revisiting a peak). Give us interesting characters that have more development.

The people who said Nintendo needs to stop innovating did not mean stop innovating the series as a whole, just put a stop to the less important innovations like art style and control schemes.

 

[DarkestLink]

Give us more groundbreaking stories. Give us more freedom (well, that's not INNOVATION - LoZ has the most freedom in the entire series - but rather revisiting a peak). Give us interesting characters that have more development. .

Well innovation would imply it's new...you pointed out the case for freedom, but interesting characters and decent stories aren't new to video games. ...Or maybe you mean "new to Zelda" in the sense that it can finally start putting effort into its story?

 

[Ventus]

Well innovation would imply it's new...you pointed out the case for freedom, but interesting characters and decent stories aren't new to video games. ...Or maybe you mean "new to Zelda" in the sense that it can finally start putting effort into its story?

I answer that with this

Instead, focus on innovation in the Zelda experience.