Gamers Take Detour from Vice City and Head to Hyrule; The Legend Of Zelda: The Wind Waker Generates Record Pre-Sell Numbers

Business Wire, March 12, 2003

Entertainment Editors/Business Editors

REDMOND, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 12, 2003

Since it was first announced, The Legend of Zelda(R): The Wind Waker(TM) pre-sell program for Nintendo GameCube(TM) has captured the hearts and attention of gamers across the country.

Still two weeks from launch, more than 560,000 Zelda fans have reserved their copy of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker and received the nearly sold-out limited-edition disk featuring two playable, full-length games originally for the Nintendo(R) 64: The Legend of Zelda(R): Ocarina of Time(R)(a) and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Master Quest, for a suggested retail price of $49.95. This makes The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker Nintendo's most successful pre-sell program in history.

"The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker is the most anticipated video game in Electronics Boutique's history based on our pre-orders, even outpacing last year's Grand Theft Auto: Vice City," says Jerry Madaio, vice president, merchandising, Electronics Boutique. "And the number of pre-orders is still growing! Clearly, this game's appeal is so wide, that it is a 'must-have' for any Nintendo GameCube owner."

"Given the history of the Zelda series, we expected overwhelming interest, and this solidifies the ever-growing phenomenon and attraction gamers have to the characters and story," explains George Harrison, senior vice president, marketing and corporate communications, Nintendo of America Inc. "It doesn't matter which system you own, gamers across the world respect and anticipate the launch of any Zelda game and The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker is a killer application that will move hardware."

Launching March 24, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker is an epic adventure that will have the character Link sailing the high seas and searching for clues to his sister's mysterious disappearance. The game is brought to life with incredible toon-shaded visuals and a unique facial animation system. Link's eyes not only show his emotions but also provide hints and spot danger, inspiring a sense of wonder in players of all ages. Connect the Game Boy(R) Advance, via the Nintendo GameCube Game Boy Advance cable, and players can summon the mapmaker Tingle to uncover hidden secrets to help Link in his voyage.

To date, worldwide sales of The Legend of Zelda series have surpassed 36 million software units.

As the worldwide leader and innovator in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co. Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its popular home video game systems. The systems include Game Boy(R), Nintendo(R) 64, Game Boy Advance and Nintendo GameCube(TM). Since the release of its first home video game system in 1983, Nintendo has sold more than 1.6 billion video games worldwide, creating enduring industry icons such as Mario(TM) and Donkey Kong(R) and launching such franchises as Zelda(TM) and Pokemon(R). As a wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo's operations in the Western Hemisphere.

For more information about The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker or any other Nintendo product visit the company's Web sites, www.nintendo.com, www.nintendogamecube.com or www.zelda.com.

(a)1999 Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences "Game of the Year"