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Pre-Release The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Pre-Release Discussion Thread

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ZeldaPY said:
I thought I would just photo bomb 10 of the highest resolution images I could find around the net from the trailers. They have helped me when I get bored to day Zelda dream about the game. I will just point out in the first two photos by the arrow, I think this is a different storm then the one on the box cover art based on it's location or it has moved? Also since we are on the topic of sky islands, I highlighted a couple of points behind the Giant Box Golem in image 3, there are a crap load of islands everywhere in this image I hadn't noticed from behind Links legs to behind the Golem. One of the arrows I marked in image 3 looks like the bottom side of a Zonai Labyrinth and the other is a weird circle track that I think we will be able to rail grind on. If anyone has any really good high res images that are different please add.
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Something I've just now realized. There's a lot, and I mean A LOT, of sky in this world. The sky is so important that a new aerial combat system has been developed and integrated. Just look at those pictures: it's insane the amount of time we are gonna be traveling through that blue sky. And so, that is this game's Fermi paradox... where the hell are the enemies? Anywhere you look, it's completely barren!
 
Phendrift said:
A bit of a conversation shift but since this is a pretty active Zelda thread, man the padding in SS is standing out much more on a replay

I think just because it’s been so long that the game is just a series of broad strokes in my head (i.e. a list of dungeons with some vague stuff in between) I really forgot all the little stuff you have to do in between

Like after Lanayru Mining Facility you have to fight the imprisoned and get the harp, do the two windmills in Skyloft, oh but before doing the second one, you have to build the robot, go down to Eldin and have it bring back up the windmill, then go to the isle of songs and get the guidance, then go Faron and do the silent realm, then go up the tree and figure out you have to go to the lake, but oh you have to find a matching symbol for the lake gate so you know to draw a circle on a door with your sword, then cool new area - Lake Floria! oh but the dragon needs water so you have to randomly backtrack to Skyview Temple with nothing new and interesting in it, THEN you can back to the lake and get to the ancient cistern.

Some of that is cool. Climbing the tree is was some nice level design, Isle of Songs is atmospheric and had a cool puzzle, hell I don’t even mind the silent realms - I think they’re neat challenges despite being a clear example of padding.

But man, the building the robot to get the windmill part, finding the symbol to draw a circle with your sword, and getting water for the dragon could be taken out of the game entirely and nothing engaging would be lost, and nothing would feel missing lol.
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The way the game devolves into fetch-quest design in the latter half is one of its biggest blemishes. It feels like the decision to reuse the existing areas came mid-development but they ran out of interesting ideas on how to pad the playtime between the good parts (the dungeons).

I'd have loved a more radical approach to the HD Remaster that either trims these parts or makes them optional in some way.

Charamiwa said:
So if we're all in agreement that something is going to shown soon, is it better to make sweeping statements about how the marketing is failing the game and the fans aren't convinced or to wait for said new info?
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I already addressed the point about marketing earlier. Two months out, I've yet to see any indicators that the "bad marketing" is having any effects on sales and I think people are doing their argument a disservice by framing it as such.

As for the game's purported quality, this is obviously going to be highly subjective. People will come to TotK with all kinds of different expectations and attitudes and form their opinions accordingly. Just the fact that things like the artsytyle and overworld map are reused will put a damper on some people's excitement for the game. And I don't see why anyone would have an issue with someone expressing those concerns.
 
SirShorse said:
the everlasting internal struggle of making the distinction "this is just someone coming to a logical conclusion" and "this is obviously a tease" when Nate tweets
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I mean, almost everyone is expecting at least another trailer dropping within the next 4-5 weeks. ^^

I'd go as far and say that is certain. Question is only, is it a "BotW Switch 2017 presentation" trailer? Is it going to be within a dedicated TotK Direct? Is there going to be a Treehouse Live for it afterwards?

But that there's going to be another trailer before launch, for me, that's a given. ^^
 
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Seems like a hot button issue whenever Nintendo's marketing decisions are criticized so I'm just going to stop talking about it after this, but I need to just say, I'm just sharing my opinions. Anyone is free to disagree or ignore.

I expect the game will do reasonably well, and I certainly don't think their marketing strategy is a "marketing failure" but I do think there were some missteps that even Kit & Krysta, who have had a bit of direct experience with Nintendo's marketing strategies in the past, seem to acknowledge.

Nothing I said suggested Nintendo will lose sales as a result of their marketing strategy. The suggestion is that they're limiting potentially even more sales with this approach, at least near launch. That's what I consider to be a mistake (again, this is my opinion based on the available evidence and reasoning about established and sound marketing principles). It is difficult to quantify the amount of money they're leaving on the table here but I think few would disagree that people need to see value in a product before they buy it, especially when that product comes at a higher price point than other products in the market.
 
They’re saving the really hype trailers for the Switch 2 announcement

(several weeks after the game launches lol)
 
brainchild said:
Seems like a hot button issue whenever Nintendo's marketing decisions are criticized so I'm just going to stop talking about it after this, but I need to just say, I'm just sharing my opinions.
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I think it's a valid discussion to be had. You'd think a company wants to connect with it's core fanbase, but it seems Nintendo has different priorities that we're not aware of concerning Zelda. This game has the weirdest pre-release marketing I've seen recently, even if we account for 2020 being a lost year due to COVID. I appreciate Aonuma-san making the effort to personally communicate the delay, but it's obvious his hands are tied as far as what he's allowed to discuss.

Will the game be great? I have no doubt. Will it sell gangbusters? Absolutely. Do I feel like Nintendo should communicate with it's core audience better? Yessireebob.

Ibrahim said:
All of these discussions about the bad marketing will be forgotten when Nintendo drop a new trailer. All of it
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Personally, I won't. In the future I'll refrain from anticipating Zelda actively like I have for TotK, because this hasn't been a particularly fun ride.
 
manfromthedam said:
I think it's a valid discussion to be had. You'd think a company wants to connect with it's core fanbase, but it seems Nintendo has different priorities that we're not aware of concerning Zelda. This game has the weirdest pre-release marketing I've seen recently, even if we account for 2020 being a lost year due to COVID. I appreciate Aonuma-san making the effort to personally communicate the delay, but it's obvious his hands are tied as far as what he's allowed to discuss.
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According to Kit & Krysta the development team has a lot of pull when it comes to the information rollout of the game. If anything, Aonuma is one of the people (indirectly) responsible for the marketing of the game.
 
brainchild said:
Seems like a hot button issue whenever Nintendo's marketing decisions are criticized so I'm just going to stop talking about it after this, but I need to just say, I'm just sharing my opinions. Anyone is free to disagree or ignore.

I expect the game will do reasonably well, and I certainly don't think their marketing strategy is a "marketing failure" but I do think there were some missteps that even Kit & Krysta, who have had a bit of direct experience with Nintendo's marketing strategies in the past, seem to acknowledge.

Nothing I said suggested Nintendo will lose sales as a result of their marketing strategy. The suggestion is that they're limiting potentially even more sales with this approach, at least near launch. That's what I consider to be a mistake (again, this is my opinion based on the available evidence and reasoning about established and sound marketing principles). It is difficult to quantify the amount of money they're leaving on the table here but I think few would disagree that people need to see value in a product before they buy it, especially when that product comes at a higher price point than other products in the market.
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I think we might be talking about potential lost sales once we see the full picture of the game's marketing, so on May 12th. If things start to ramp up in a few weeks and they go all out in April and May, I don't think anything will be lost. If they still stay really secretive, then maybe. But we don't have the full picture yet.
 
Dardan Sandiego said:
The way the game devolves into fetch-quest design in the latter half is one of its biggest blemishes. It feels like the decision to reuse the existing areas came mid-development but they ran out of interesting ideas on how to pad the playtime between the good parts (the dungeons).
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I was ok revisiting the areas... until I realized there was a 3rd time lol. That was so unnecessary. I will never replay that game unless they actually redo it at some point. The remaster was joke effort imo. I don't regret buying it and playing since it was my first time. The dungeons were really good, obviously the best part.

PS: Honestly I don't get the criticism on TotK marketing. The fact that people get annoyed actually kinda proves it has worked. There's a lot of anticipation.
 
Charamiwa said:
I think we might be talking about potential lost sales once we see the full picture of the game's marketing, so on May 12th. If things start to ramp up in a few weeks and they go all out in April and May, I don't think anything will be lost. If they still stay really secretive, then maybe. But we don't have the full picture yet.
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This is my stance - I think folks are just being impatient and letting that cloud their judgement regarding this game’s commercial performance.

In the year 2023, people are constantly being bombarded with new information on a wide variety of subjects, making “hype” for a given product difficult to maintain on a long-term basis. To capture a large audience, it seems like a better strategy to unload a bunch of info shortly before release to build up a viral-type hype then to attempt to spread out substantial info over a many-month period. Short teasers every once and awhile work to keep a game in the public consciousness, but a big trailer / info drop shortly before release could potentially allow for explosive demand and ultimately sales.
 
Dardan Sandiego said:


Finally something to tune out the horror of living in capitalist society
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Nice video, but still having my doubts.

I mean, the Triforce being this almight force but, in the end... you are unable to seal Ganon unless some guy comes and makes some cuts in his piggy skin? Even if you say that the bow of light is a requrement and so on, we have witnessed Zelda wielding it before, so it is not that she needed Link for that. If OoT Zelda can both use the Bow and paralyze Ganon with only 1/3 of the Triforce, I can't make any sense of it if she is unable to do literally the same with the whole thing.
 
Dardan Sandiego said:


Finally something to tune out the horror of living in capitalist society
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Love this video for it's reading of SS as a tale of spiritual enlightenment, and building a case for BotW's conclusion not being "Zelda is in lurve with Link so her powers awaken to save him". In retrospect, Zelda being both pampered and pushed by those around her - stripping her of agency - led to her not finding her personal strength and courage. Until she had to make a stand herself.
 
I've played Skyward Sword HD three times mostly because of its dungeons. They're this good, the best collection of dungeons in the series by far imo (that sequence of dungeons from the Mining Facility to the Sandship is the greatest ever). Other than that, the story is good and it actually has some character development. Padding is a problem, but it mostly happens in a later part of the game, with the silent realms, isle of songs, tadtones and so on. But i really liked SSHD and it made me realize how much i miss the old 3D Zelda structure.
 
Mekanos said:
Again, we don’t. The game isn’t out yet. We don’t actually know if the game will live up to hopes and expectations. It’s just being treated as a given and I don’t know why.
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I'm not saying it will necessarily live to to our expectations, just that all of this worry about the marketing and their confidence and all that will look very silly once we're playing the game.

Nobody will be saying "if only we'd seen more 2 months out this game couldn't been much better". The game will be what it will be.
 
Sound design in BOTW was perfection. TotK will be probably even better at that.






some people say this one is repetetive, but not for me.

And many more that are not even on YT, like new objective, interacting with NPC sound etc.
 
This tweet is dropping today at 10am.

Tune in on 3/15 at 7am PT for a livestreamed #TearsOfTheKingdom Direct presentation featuring roughly 30 minutes of information about the upcoming open-air adventure for #NintendoSwitch.
 
LonkFromPA said:
This tweet is dropping today at 10am.

Tune in on 3/15 at 7am PT for a livestreamed #TearsOfTheKingdom Direct presentation featuring roughly 30 minutes of information about the upcoming open-air adventure for #NintendoSwitch.
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2 days before Bayonetta (or maybe even on the day of reviews, if that's not today).
 
What if the last trailer will be just another teaser style trailer and that's it with previews coming out and the game releasing without knowing much?
Are people here really going to be upset and not buy the game?
 
Kartina said:
What if the last trailer will be just another teaser style trailer and that's it with previews coming out and the game releasing without knowing much?
Are people here really going to be upset and not buy the game?
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I think you know the answer to this
 
The only thing we've seen in terms of cutscenes and story is still the same Zelda and Link encounter with Ganondorf in the underground.

So the next trailer could be completely story-focused. The option here being that they stay course with the previous trailers and focus on revealing specific mechanics and aspects of the game with more smaller trailers instead of one blowout trailer like with BotW.
 
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Kartina said:
What if the last trailer will be just another teaser style trailer and that's it with previews coming out and the game releasing without knowing much?
Are people here really going to be upset and not buy the game?
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I'd argue most of those would still open the wallet.

But angrily.
 
sanstea said:
The only thing we've seen in terms of cutscenes and story is still the same Zelda and Link encounter with Ganondorf in the underground.

So I'm thinking the next trailer will be completely story-focused. We won't get a title direct or even blow-out trailer like for BotW but instead more but smaller trailers on revealing specific mechanics
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I really hope not. They've already spent too much trailer time on the story for my liking, when that will make up a tiny fraction of the play time. Give us some actual gameplay and clarification on what's different from BOTW, I can't believe we've had to wait this long to find out what the actual gameplay loop of the game is intended to be.
 
Linkstrikesback said:
I really hope not. They've already spent too much trailer time on the story for my liking, when that will make up a tiny fraction of the play time. Give us some actual gameplay and clarification on what's different from BOTW, I can't believe we've had to wait this long to find out what the actual gameplay loop of the game is intended to be.
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Yeah tbh even after seeing all of the artbook leaks we really have no clue what the gameplay loop will be. All the artbook really tells us is that this is most certainly not glorified DLC, there's a shit ton of new stuff. But we still don't really know what you'll be doing in the game, besides preparing/fighting Ganondorf of course (this is not from the artbook).
 
Personally, I'd love to just move on from discussing the marketing of this game, and onto the actual content that's been shown off so far. Like some others have said here, none of this talk is really gonna matter much once we are shown more / have the game in our hands.

I'd rather spend the short time I have with y'all here (we're just 2 months away from the next Zelda game after all) being excited because I know it's gonna be awesome.
 
Linkstrikesback said:
I really hope not. They've already spent too much trailer time on the story for my liking, when that will make up a tiny fraction of the play time. Give us some actual gameplay and clarification on what's different from BOTW, I can't believe we've had to wait this long to find out what the actual gameplay loop of the game is intended to be.
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I accidently pressed post without finishing the post.

We know less about the story than about the game mechanics. They already revealed the phasing mechanic, time rewind ability, a general crafting mechanic, the sky and the underground. The only thing we know about the story and characters is that Zelda and Link meet Ganondorf in the underground.

The gameplay loop isn't something we'll find out about in any trailer, though. We already know that it will be non-linear and open again but I really don't think we'll get anything else until reviews.
 
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The thing is, if Nintendo wants to keep the game in mystery why would they reveal everything in the big final trailer?
If they wanted to show more they would have done that already, I don't think we're getting the big blowout direct plus treehouse segment in the style of botw. If the decision will bite them in the ass or not we'll just have to wait. But a couple of angry fans who will buy the game at day 1 even if they want to know more of the game are probably not a big deal, especially if the game is amazing.
And If you want to criticize Nintendo because they think people will buy the game just because they trust them you can just wait a couple of days and see how the game is on youtube, you're not forced to buy the game on day 1, if you're not sold just wait and see
 
Subrosian Link said:
Nice video, but still having my doubts.

I mean, the Triforce being this almight force but, in the end... you are unable to seal Ganon unless some guy comes and makes some cuts in his piggy skin? Even if you say that the bow of light is a requrement and so on, we have witnessed Zelda wielding it before, so it is not that she needed Link for that. If OoT Zelda can both use the Bow and paralyze Ganon with only 1/3 of the Triforce, I can't make any sense of it if she is unable to do literally the same with the whole thing.
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Very different Ganons though. Calamity Ganon isn't really Ganon proper. He's 10,000 years' worth of malice compressed into a physical form. OoT Zelda also needed the other Sages to step in and help her finish the job.
 
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Kartina said:
The thing is, if Nintendo wants to keep the game in mystery why would they reveal everything in the big final trailer?
If they wanted to show more they would have done that already, I don't think we're getting the big blowout direct plus treehouse segment in the style of botw. If the decision will bite them in the ass or not we'll just have to wait. But a couple of angry fans who will buy the game at day 1 even if they want to know more of the game are probably not a big deal, especially if the game is amazing.
And If you want to criticize Nintendo because they think people will buy the game just because they trust them you can just wait a couple of days and see how the game is on youtube, you're not forced to buy the game on day 1, if you're not sold just wait and see
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Yeah, that's my line of thinking as well.

The two previous trailers (which are marked as trailer #1 and #2 so they are intentionally titled in a way that is supposed to make them look significant) set a precedent for what the marketing will be like. Instead of one big blowout thing we'll get more but smaller nuggets until release. So next could be a trailer focusing on fundamental story aspects of the game, a trailer revealing another major mechanic in the vein of crafting and so on.
 
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sanstea said:
The only thing we've seen in terms of cutscenes and story is still the same Zelda and Link encounter with Ganondorf in the underground.

So the next trailer could be completely story-focused. The option here being that they stay course with the previous trailers and focus on revealing specific mechanics and aspects of the game with more smaller trailers instead of one blowout trailer like with BotW.
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I think that delay announcement clip is also a cutscene.
 
LukasManak22 said:
I think that delay announcement clip is also a cutscene.
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Yeah and the last trailer has also a few but they tell us nothing. Thinking more of a story trailer teasing fundamental aspects of the story without spelling them out which is right in the spirit of the previous trailers teasing game mechanics without spelling them out.
 
I was hoping for them to be at PAX not necesirally because TotK demo but it was last change for Aonuma and Fujibayashi to have some in person reviews about the game, I guess that ship has sailed now.
 
got some sleep and yeah zelda skipping pax doesn't mean a damn thing

it sure is lame that we got to this point though imo
 
LukasManak22 said:
2 days before Bayonetta (or maybe even on the day of reviews, if that's not today).
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I still believe that we are getting nothing substantial on Totk until the Mario movie is out, so post April 5th.

Definitely nothing this week with Bayonetta on Friday and nothing playable at PAX as Nintendo have confirmed yesterday.
 
LukasManak22 said:
I was hoping for them to be at PAX not necesirally because TotK demo but it was last change for Aonuma and Fujibayashi to have some in person reviews about the game, I guess that ship has sailed now.
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That's for sure happening after the game is out but rather in the way of making-ofs like they had with BotW.
 
spelga51 said:
I still believe that we are getting nothing substantial on Totk until the Mario movie is out, so post April 5th.

Definitely nothing this week with Bayonetta on Friday and nothing playable at PAX as Nintendo have confirmed yesterday.
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Mario won't be out in Japan until late April, so I don't think they're coordinating info around the movie's release. TOTK's info dump will be global.
 
spelga51 said:
I still believe that we are getting nothing substantial on Totk until the Mario movie is out, so post April 5th.

Definitely nothing this week with Bayonetta on Friday and nothing playable at PAX as Nintendo have confirmed yesterday.
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Yeah, we are getting news late March either way.
LukasManak22 said:
Even if TotK is not at PAX I still believe they will show it after Bayo and before March ends. Why?

The first delay of Zelda U was announced on March 27th 2015.

The delay of TotK was announced on March 29th 2022.

Of course the game will not be delayed but Nintendo always wants to have info before the fiscal year ends (March 31st). I know, there's a difference between "our major game will be delayed" that is definitely something you want to apply before the fiscal year ends for investors but I think this also applies to more information about the game, you want to share at least something from the game before fiscal year ends to boost your confidence in it. Late March is always a time when the stars allign for a Zelda fans (well not in a good way in the last few years).
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NewPueblo said:
Personally, I'd love to just move on from discussing the marketing of this game, and onto the actual content that's been shown off so far. Like some others have said here, none of this talk is really gonna matter much once we are shown more / have the game in our hands.

I'd rather spend the short time I have with y'all here (we're just 2 months away from the next Zelda game after all) being excited because I know it's gonna be awesome.
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Yep, that’s my take on it too. People can have their opinions and post what they want, I‘m just going to keep on enjoying what I have seen so far and not worry about what I haven’t seen because we have almost no context with what we have seen so far. So if I’m going in more blind this time around, then that’s fine too. I have zero doubts this game is going to be amazing and we will get more info very soon.
 
Much like Miyamoto I don't expect Aonuma to ever "retire" from Zelda. He'll be a passing comet who's job will basically be "non-descript advisor/mentor role who can sit back and also do outreach in his free time".
 
Decoyman said:
Much like Miyamoto I don't expect Aonuma to ever "retire" from Zelda. He'll be a passing comet who's job will basically be "non-descript advisor/mentor role who can sit back and also do outreach in his free time".
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Yeah, he’ll never retire from the Zelda franchise. He’ll be around to try or give advice and what not.
 
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Instead of coming in to upend tea tables, he comes in with a chicken in his arms and if he doesn't like what he sees, he throws it into the room. Cuckoo style.
 
Horror Kid said:
This sounds like there is only the one option to buy TotK at launch. I don't get this premise with high profile Nintendo games like this.
They probably saw that BotW had legs for years and Nintendo won't lower the price for TotK for a long time anyway.

Maybe they expect you to buy a game after you see its high metacritic value, thousands of 'you didn't know you can do this in TotK!' Youtube videos posted and some of your friends or forum members just not shutting up about how good the game is. You don't have to go in blindly if you don't want to and Nintendo knows this.

They will still market the game when it is out and then they can show much more. I am not sure how important it is to sell the most very early on - besides making some business headlines.

To frontload its sales is important for other games that get drowned in the conversation as soon newer games come out and which are just not as strong or unique. They typically get a price cut half a year later. I buy most of my games not at launch.

With TotK that won't matter as much, I think. It will stay in the conversation for a longer time. And being 'forced' to go in blindly is only a problem for a smaller fraction of players who want to participate in the conversation of the newest hype game as early as possible. That's a selfmade problem.


Having said all this, I still think we will get a longer trailer that shows more.
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TotK will have front loaded sales. There’s no doubt about it. And it will still be in the conversation in a positive way if the game is good, something that we cannot guarantee.

BotW had amazing legs because it reach an audience outside of the Zelda fan base that now is ready to buy the game at launch. That’s why we have the game already on the best sellers of Amazon, or the collectors edition being oos as soon as the preorders opened.

And no, going blindly is not a self made problem. You can go outside of this forum and see that some people are going to buy TotK because it is a new Zelda game, not because of what they have shown so far. That is blind faith.

You can still be excited for a game even if you criticize their poor communication.
 
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