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All Articles: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Nintendo of America sold 906,000 Switch consoles and 1.3 million copies of Zelda: Breath of the Wild in March
There’s been an electric feeling in the air since Nintendo’s launch of the Switch on March 3. Come on, I’m sure you can feel it too. Nintendo is back… and now we have the sales figures to prove it.
Yesterday afternoon, Nintendo of America announced that more than 906,000 Switch consoles were sold in the United States during the month of March. If that weren’t impressive enough, the consolemaker added that more Switch consoles were sold during its first month of availability than any other game system in Nintendo’s history.
Nintendo also revealed that they sold even more copies of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild during the month. Zelda fans purchased more than 925,000 copies of the game on the Switch, as well as nearly 460,000 copies for the Wii U. With total sales of 1.3 million, Breath of the Wild is the “fastest-selling Nintendo launch game of all time, as well as the fastest-selling game ever in The Legend of Zelda series.”
But what about Breath of the Wild’s insane 102% attach rate on the Switch? Nintendo attributed the unprecedented sales success for Breath of the Wild to fans who purchased two copies of the game… a limited edition to keep sealed and a standard edition to play.
“Nintendo always strives to offer consumers something fun, new and different,” said Reggie Fils-Aime, Nintendo of America’s President and COO. “With its various play modes and the innovative features of the Joy-Con controllers, Nintendo Switch provides unique experiences that people can take with them anywhere and share with anyone.”
Worldwide sales figures for the Nintendo Switch will be announced on April 27 during Nintendo’s annual financial report.
Posted in News, Switch, Wii U
Tagged The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Learn how The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild came to be in a “Making of” Documentary and “Breaking Conventions” GDC Session
Nintendo is giving fans an unprecedented look at how they designed and built The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild in a new documentary series.
The Making of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is a three-part documentary that focuses on all aspects of Breath of the Wild including the initial work done in “The Beginning,” the seamless exploration provided by the game’s “Open-Air Concept,” and the epic saga of the “Story and Characters.”
This documentary sets nicely alongside “Breaking Conventions,” a Game Developers Conference session hosted by Game Director Hidemaro Fujibayashi, Art Director Satoru Takizawa, and Technical Director Takuhiro Dohta. The three developers dive deep into the development process for Breath of the Wild, and provide plenty of new insight into the notoriously secretive inner workings at Nintendo.
I understand that not everyone has two hours to devote to behind-the-scenes stories from Breath of the Wild’s development (that’s time you could be playing the game, after all). But if nothing else, stick around long enough to see the 8-bit prototype the team created, as well as footage of an early game concept that included an alien invasion of Hyrule straight out of Independence Day.
All four videos can be found after the break. (more…)
17 Random Thoughts About the Nintendo Switch (and its Launch Lineup)
It’s much too early to say for sure, but it looks like Nintendo is off to a great start with the Switch. The Wii U had bit of a hot start as well, but something feels different this time. Perhaps it’s the near-universal acclaim that Breath of the Wild has received. Or maybe it’s the interesting selection of exclusive launch titles that you can only get on the Switch.
Whatever the reason, after a week with the Switch, I’m enjoying it very much. And that’s not the only thought that popped into my head over the last seven days… (more…)
Nintendo Download: Zelda Breath of the Wild, Shovel Knight, Super Bomberman R, more
The Nintendo Switch is here!
Nintendo’s next gaming machine, a hybrid console/handheld, will go on sale in just a little over three hours. That’s also when Nintendo will swing the doors open on the Switch’s eShop and give early adopters the chance to purchase nearly a dozen different launch titles.
The biggest name in the Switch’s launch lineup, by far, is The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Also available to download on the Wii U, Breath of the Wild will offer a wide-open world for Link to explore and new puzzles to solve.
However, if you’re looking to celebrate the system’s launch with a big party, you’ll have several options. There’s 1-2-Switch, a wild minigame collection where players are encouraged to look at each other instead of the screen. There’s also Snipperclips: Cut It Out Together!, a co-op puzzle adventure starring two pieces of paper. And Ubisoft will bring the popular Just Dance series to the Switch with Just Dance 2017.
Prospective Switch players who want to be on the move might want to look into FAST RMX, a new futuristic racer from Shin’en Multimedia.
Finally, retro gaming fans will have plenty of options on the Switch’s first day including Yacht Club’s new platformer, Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment, as well as the Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove, which includes Specter of Torment and the first two campaigns. Konami’s Super Bomberman R brings the lovable Bombers back for the first time in almost a decade. And I Am Setsuna, from Square Enix, is an original RPG inspired by Chrono Trigger.
If you’re taking a wait and see approach to the Switch, never fear, 3DS owners will still have something new to play this week. Marvelous Entertainment’s Story of Seasons: Trio of Towns is the latest entry in the popular farming simulation series and, as you might have guessed, players will be able to visit three towns this time around.
You can learn more about all of these games after the break. (more…)
New Retail Releases: Nintendo Switch, Zelda Breath of the Wild, Horizon Zero Dawn, More
It seems like it really snuck up on us, but “Day One” for Nintendo Switch is less than five days away. Nintendo won’t have a ton of games available alongside the launch of their latest console, but The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (which is also coming to the Wii U this week) will surely keep most early adopters busy for quite a while.
However, a handful of other Switch titles will be available for those looking for a different kind of experience. Ubisoft and Activision will bring ports of Just Dance 2017 and Skylanders Imaginators to the Switch. Meanwhile, Nintendo themselves will also launch 1-2-Switch, a quirky multiplayer party game, and Konami will resurrect the Bomberman series with the SNES-inspired Super Bomberman R.
It’s rare to find new games for rival platforms during a new console’s launch period, but the Nintendo Switch will actually face some stiff competition on store shelves this week. Leading the way is Horizon: Zero Dawn, a visually-striking post-apocalyptic adventure from Guerrilla that’ll be released exclusively for the PS4.
Also available this week will be Story of Seasons: Trio of Towns (3DS), the latest farming sim from Marvelous; Torment: Tides of Numenera (PS4, Xbox One), a spiritual successor to Planescape: Torment; The Walking Dead: A New Frontier (PS4, Xbox One), a Season Pass Disc that’ll grant access to every episode of the zombie-themed adventure; and Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 + Arcade Game Series, a retail re-release of the retro reboot.
You can find a complete list of this week’s new retail releases after the break. (more…)
Posted in 3DS, PS4, Switch, Wii U, Xbox One
Tagged 1-2-Switch, Horizon: Zero Dawn, Just Dance 2017, Pac-Man Championship Edition 2, Skylanders Imaginators, Story of Seasons: Trio of Towns, Super Bomberman R, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, The Walking Dead: A New Frontier, Torment: Tides of Numenera
Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild will receive an Expansion Pass on Switch and Wii U
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild will offer the largest world in the franchise’s history for players to explore when it launches early next month. But Nintendo also wants players to reach beyond Hyrule’s borders with bonus content they’re creating for the game’s Expansion Pass.
Priced at $19.99, the Expansion Pass will include two DLC Packs and a trio of “Day One” bonus items:
Expansion Pass Bonus (March 3)
- 3 Treasure Chests
- Found in the Great Plateau
- Contains Switch Logo In-Game Clothing + 2 Other Useful Items
DLC Pack 1 (Summer 2017)
- Cave of Trials Challenge
- Hard Mode
- Additional Map Feature
DLC Pack 1 (Holiday 2017)
- New Original Story
- New Dungeon
- Additional Challenges
“The world of Hyrule, which we created for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, is so large and vibrant that we wanted to offer more for players to experience within it,” said Eiji Aonuma, the Franchise Producer in charge of The Legend of Zelda. “With this new Expansion Pass, we hope that fans will play, explore and enjoy the game even more.”
Nintendo’s announcement of an Expansion Pass for Breath of the Wild is a first for a “mainline” Zelda game, but should feel familiar to fans who purchased the Season Pass for Hyrule Warriors.
And if you aren’t ready to upgrade to the Switch just yet, don’t worry, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild’s Expansion Pass will be available for the Wii U as well.
Posted in News, Switch, Wii U
Tagged The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Nintendo’s first-ever Super Bowl commercial will feature the Switch
Nintendo has existed as a company for more than 127 years, and in all that time they’ve never produced a Super Bowl commercial. Though to be fair, the Super Bowl has only been held since 1967, and the world only really started to embrace the spectacle of it all in the early 90s.
But this is 2017, and Nintendo’s Switch console will be available on store shelves in just four weeks. So what better way to sell it to the public than with a splashy Super Bowl LI ad?
“The most anticipated video game system and video game of the year will be seen on the biggest stage of the year,” said Nicolas Chavez, Nintendo of America’s Vice President of Marketing. “Nintendo Switch will change how, when and where people play games. It’s only fitting that we’re changing how, when and where we advertise those games.”
The commercial uses the same “Play Anywhere” style of marketing that Nintendo has used for the Switch so far, and features clips from a wide variety of games including The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Arms, 1-2-Switch, Just Dance 2017, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Splatoon 2, and Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers. And in case you were wondering, the Switch’s Super Bowl ad was soundtracked by “Believer,” the new single from Imagine Dragons.
The Nintendo Switch will be released worldwide on March 3, and if you hurry, you might still be able to secure one for launch day. A 30-second version of Nintendo’s Switch commercial will air during the fourth quarter of Super Bowl LI.
Posted in News, Switch
Tagged 1-2-Switch, Arms, Just Dance 2017, Mario Kart 8, Splatoon 2, Street Fighter II, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Nintendo will bring eight Switch demos to this weekend’s PAX South
The Nintendo Switch will launch on March 3, but Nintendo wants to give all gamers a chance to play it before its available in stores with a whirlwind North American tour that’ll roll into San Antonio this weekend.
This morning, the consolemaker revealed plans to bring demos for eight games to the annual PAX South expo. The list includes launch titles like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, 1-2-Switch, and Super Bomberman R (from Konami), as well as titles that are a bit further out such as Snipperclips: Cut It Out Together, Splatoon 2, Arms, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers (from Capcom). Fans will also be able to try out the demos in a living room setting (on a large TV) or in the cross-section of an airplane to “show how easy it is to take Nintendo Switch with you anywhere.”
“We absolutely love bringing our games and systems directly to the fans, and PAX South is a great venue to do just that,” said Doug Bowser, Nintendo of America’s Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “PAX South will be one of the first opportunities for fans to try out Nintendo Switch before it launches on March 3.”
PAX South will open its doors on Friday, January 27.