The saga of Princess Zelda and the elf-like warrior Link has shifted 125 million copies worldwide since its first edition in 1986. Nintendo will release its next instalment, 'Tears of the Kingdom', on Friday
The saga of Princess Zelda and the elf-like warrior Link has shifted 125 million copies worldwide since its first edition in 1986. Image: Photography PHILIP FONG / AFP
Japanese video game giant Nintendo is banking on the latest instalment of its 40-year-old saga "Zelda" to breathe life into its business, after forecasting a drop in profits this year. The firm will release "Tears of the Kingdom" on Friday, with clips circulating on the internet already racking up millions of views and generating feverish excitement among fans.
The saga of Princess Zelda and the elf-like warrior Link has shifted 125 million copies worldwide since its first edition in 1986.
It helped to forge "open world" games where the player is free to roam in virtual landscapes — an idea later taken up by games from "Grand Theft Auto" to "Skyrim".
But its main challenge this year will be to boost the figures for the Japanese studio and prolong the life of its Switch console, which experts say is in its dotage after seven years on the shelves.
The game "will be by far the biggest contributor to Nintendo's sales this year", said Serkan Toto, an analyst at Kantan Games.