Eiji Aonuma’s Tears of the Kingdom Gameplay Showcase Was a Last-Minute Marketing Decision

Posted on May 21 2023 by Judy Cooper

Tears of the Kingdom released earlier this month to critical acclaim, boasting over 10 million copies sold worldwide in its first three days and becoming the fastest-selling game in the history of the Legend of Zelda series. It’s the definition of a successful title. However, in an interview for The Washington Post, series producer Eiji Aonuma admitted that Nintendo had some concerns over fans’ enthusiasm following the game’s second trailer which was shown back in February 2023.

People had not gotten their heads around the gameplay elements or where the fun might be.

From this, the decision was made to show a 13 minute gameplay demonstration featuring Aonuma himself. Nintendo wanted fans to grasp the concept of Tears of the Kingdom, and therefore showcased Link’s new abilities, including Recall, Fuse, Ultrahand, and Ascend. Helping fans to understand the mechanics of the game proved successful in that endeavor.

Another interesting detail coming out of this interview relates to Tears of the Kingdom‘s delay back in March 2022. Reiterating his statements from the initial delay announcement, Aonuma explained that the development team had to push back the game’s planned release in order “to make sure that everything in the game was 100 percent to our standards.”

What do you think of Nintendo’s last minute marketing decision for the 13-minute gameplay demo? Where you more excited for the game after seeing Link’s new abilities? Let us know in the comments below!

Source: The Washington Post