Twilight Princess - 2006

[Dances in Undergarments]

It seems that poor Link wont make it in time for Santa's delivery - Twilight Princess wont be out until next year.

cube.ign.com/articles/642/642238p1.html

"After much discussion, the Zelda development team has requested extra time to add new levels, more depth and even higher quality to Zelda: Twilight Princess," said Nintendo of America's vice president of corporate affairs, Perrin Kaplan. "Consequently, we're announcing a new global launch in 2006, after the conclusion of this fiscal year (March 31). We'll provide a specific date at a later point in time. While this may come as a disappointment to many eager fans, it will absolutely enrich the game and make it a multi-million seller."

Since they are using the time to improve the game, I guess its not worth complaining about too much, but still... damn.

In related news, perhaps this will make Geist's sales increase.... to 6.

[Andronicus]

I thought this news would make it's way here quickly...
;D

As much as I hate to wait for stuff, if it makes the game better, then I don't mind the wait - I'd hate to see it released without a lot of the content that it was supposed to have.
I mean WW was deilvered with a bit taken out, and it's length suffered as a result (albeit, that game was brilliant!) - TP should be released as close to the intedned final product as possible.

What this means for the holiday season, I don't know...
Nothin stands in the way of the Xbox360 now, but at least TP will get some extra work.

Also, I hate to think that this might mean that the Revolution is postponed to a later date...
I mean, if the PS3 is pushed back as well, then it's all good, but otherwise, it would be a bit (very) different to what appeared to be the initial plan.

Either way, TP should be great.
Some new sceenshots are over at IGN.
We get to see two shots of a populated town - I love roaming aimlessly around the towns in Zelda games and wasting time - looks like this game will deliver on that front!
;D

[Nester the Lark]

It's funny, but I'm actually not that disappointed. I can't help but think this is for the better of the game.

I hate to say, as much as I love the graphics, I think I was always a little suspicious about Nintendo cranking out a "realistic" Zelda after the reaction to Wind Waker. It seemed more like a publicity thing, especially with Mr. Aonuma saying he wanted it to be better than Ocarina of Time. But more and more, I'm seeing that they're taking Twilight Princess as seriously as any prominent Zelda game, and delaying it in order to add new features that they feel will significantly improve the game only confirms it for me.

That's the Nintendo I know!

[Fryguy64]

This raises a big issue: it's very unusual to release a game of this kind so late in a console's life. It's a big console seller, but it won't be coming out until after the next generation has started.

I'm not bothered, because it'll mean a better Zelda... but it'll be bargain bin fodder before you know it! They'd almost be better holding it off until the Revolution.

[nocturnal YL]

admin said:

This raises a big issue: it's very unusual to release a game of this kind so late in a console's life. It's a big console seller, but it won't be coming out until after the next generation has started.

If that's the case, they'd better make this Zelda for Revolution instead.

[Nester the Lark]

admin said:

This raises a big issue: it's very unusual to release a game of this kind so late in a console's life. It's a big console seller, but it won't be coming out until after the next generation has started.

I'm not bothered, because it'll mean a better Zelda... but it'll be bargain bin fodder before you know it! They'd almost be better holding it off until the Revolution.

That occured to me as well, but if Nintendo doesn't get the Revolution out the door in time to compete with the PlayStation 3, as is suspected, then Zelda (on the Gamecube) would be the best alternative they have. If they release Twilight Princess opposite the PS3 launch, as Microsoft is rumored to do with Halo 3, then those two games are the best possible combination I could think of to put a dent in Sony's market.

Who knows? This may even have been a major factor in Nintendo's decision to let it be delayed.

[Fryguy64]

I doubt somehow that a belated Gamecube title would really impact on Sony's sales that much. I take Majora's Mask as a case in point: on the one hand it's amongst the greatest adventures ever made - and definitely one of the most moving stories told in videogames... on the other it was not a huge seller because it was released so late in the N64's lifespan.

Twilight Princess is appearing much later in the Gamecube's lifespan than Majora did in the N64's... and although it has the benefit of being gorgeous looking and awesome, if it misses the Christmas season then it probably won't shift many consoles at all.

Although maybe we'll see a Revolution bundle pack with it around launch time. After all... there's no reason why that would be a bad idea

[nocturnal YL]

But remember that Rev supports GC games? Then releasing GC games when Revolution is avalible won't be a problem.

[Smashchu]

Sure the Xbox360 has no foe, but its all good.
Nintendo has said that PS3 is the bigger competiter, so thety want to be rid of sony. In all honisty I aggre with this Idea. Looking at the 360, it sucks. The rev and PS3 are better systems with better games. Microsoft can make good computer but when it comes to video games there just plain dumb. All there doing is advertising it to the ppl who would have bought it anyway, and make stupid fetures that no one will use or attract new ppl. When you think about it Sony is the real threat.
And it will be a better game now. But at least I got Mario Kart DS to look forward to(and wheres ANY info on SSB3 )

[Andronicus]

OK...

Firstly, Fryguy...
I agree with you that it would have made more sense to make this a Revolution game - imagine a polished Zelda game at the launch of a Nintendo console! That would be great.
That said, I still think it will come out for the GCN.
Also, I agree that this game won't even phaze the PS3 - it would be like throwing a pebble at an oncoming train...

Secondly, Smashchu...
Why is the Xbox360 crap?
I think it's a powerful machine with a good third party line-up, great graphics and a nice comfortable-looking controller.
Furthermore, it has an established on-line system.
Heck, I'd go so far as to say that it's looking like a good console!
You can't dismiss something as crap just because you don't like it - that's too narrow-minded.
Microsoft are offering a decent machine here, and it's going to pose a decent threat to Nintendo.

Thirdly, me...
I guess Nintendo appears to be in a bit of a rut at times, but they always seem to pull through.
The reason?
They are a big company with paid professionals who make business decisions - they should know what they're doing, so I don't think we should worry.
TP will come out late - this will have an unknown effect on Nintendo, and more than likely no effect on Sony ot Microsoft.
The Revolution will come out some time after that, and it will face fierce competition from both Sony an Microsoft.
That is the reality of the industry.

Fin.
;D

[danipepino]

imagine a polished Zelda game at the launch of a Nintendo console! That would be great.

That'd be awesome. But Mario is the mascot here, and EVERY Nintendo system MUST release a Mario game along with the console. Remember Gamecube and Luigi's Mansion. We don't want Revolution taking a bad step on it's release. As for Zelda, I want it NOW!

[Flip]

Just push that the Rev can do backwards gameplay with the Cube, and use Zelda: TP as the example. That'll move units of both the system and the game. Besides, TP is so hyped up, it doesn't really matter if it moves Cubes or not: it's gonna sell like hotcakes.

I'm actually glad it's been delayed to around March. For starters, it will be easier on my studies and gives me time to play other games and on the second note, it won't be cut apart like Wind Waker did. That game is missing nearly a third of what it would've been from what I've heard/seen just so it could be released by the holidays in Japan.

[Fryguy64]

I would also have to disagree with Smashchu. The X-Box 360 is looking like a mean piece of kit. In quite a lot of ways they are stepping on Nintendo's toes... the online aspect seems to be the main push, but not just for commercial games. Live Arcade seems to be encouraging small developers to make simple but addictive games (2D or 3D) for a massively powered next-gen console at a fraction of the cost. They are supporting the bedroom coding scene... something no other developer has truly embraced.

This, to me, is the most important thing in the X-Box 360's itinery, and it almost negates what Nintendo is trying to achieve with its back-catalogue. Unless Nintendo opens up this download service to also include some kind of smalltime developer support then 360 will have the edge over Nintendo for the console generation to come.

You could say that Microsoft is actually achieving what Nintendo is striving to achieve. They're not that different, y'know. Microsoft actually seems interested in getting people on board to make great games, rather than treating it as some kind of huge marketing venture.

In fact, I'm going to lay down a premonition: this may finally be the generation that Sony is usurped from its position as leader. Microsoft will take the lead. Hopefully, some of that fallback will also lift Nintendo out of its doldrums.

But hopefully LoZ:TP will be almost (but not quite) treated as a must have title for the Revolution... otherwise a lot of people will miss out on it. I just hope they move the Revolution's release closer. Or else it may be near impossible for me to get hold of any GC games in the months before the Revolution.

This all seems so horribly familiar. N64, I mourn thee.

[Dances in Undergarments]

After looking at it for a while, I think they made the right descision in keeping this as a GCN game (though I intially agreed with some of you that it should be turned into a Rev launch title), because of the GCN's low price point. I'd imagine that, at such a low price, alot of people that wouldn't usually consider picking up a Nintendo system did, and they probably wont again, at least until the Rev either prooves itself as super awesome or has a price drop of its own. But these people can still buy Zelda, and play it, and, if they love it enough, it may just convince them to get a Rev when Zelda Rev is announced. And for the people that don't have a Cube, they can either give Nintendo's bank account a little extra nudge by picking up a GCN and TP, or they could do what Nintendo probably hopes, and pick up a Rev, a game like say, SSB3 and TLOZ:TP. It makes sense to me.

But that would only work really well if Nintendo bring the Rev up to launch right near it, which I honestly think they'll do. At least I hope.


Now, as for the comments on X360, I'm going to disagree with Smashchu's comments that it isn't attracting any new customers - I'm a Nintendo nerd through and through, but I'll be really surprised if by this time in two years (maybe even one) I don't have a 360 sitting next to my Rev.

[Nester the Lark]

admin said:

I doubt somehow that a belated Gamecube title would really impact on Sony's sales that much. I take Majora's Mask as a case in point: on the one hand it's amongst the greatest adventures ever made - and definitely one of the most moving stories told in videogames... on the other it was not a huge seller because it was released so late in the N64's lifespan.

I think you're selling Zelda a little short.

First, I wouldn't equate Twilight Princess's relationship to Wind Waker with Majora's to Ocarina. There's apparently a much bigger difference (ie. TP is not an "expansion pak" to WW).

Second, I realize it's a current-gen game versus a next-gen console. But I give you Exhibit A: In the US, Final Fantasy VIII launched on the same day as the Sega Dreamcast. Despite that the DC ultimately failed, it had an incredibly strong launch in the US. FF8 still outsold it, though. I realize it's not quite the same, but I'm showing you it's possible for a game to compete with a console.

Third, I was talking about the combination of TP releasing with Halo 3. That's just a rumor at this point, though, so I was just speculating.

It may not be a big "dent," but it could at least steal a little thunder. A new Zelda game, especially one as large and ambitious as Twilight Princess, is nothing to sneeze at.

Besides, what's wrong with a little optimism?