OCARINA OF TIME 3D

2. OCARINA OF TIME 3D The game I will be talking about is The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D (Nintendo 3DS). This installment of The Legend Of Zelda series was released 17 June 2011 in Europe. Manufacturer's description: ‘The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D brings a completely re-mastered version of an epic entry in the beloved The Legend of Zelda game series to Nintendo's newest handheld system, Nintendo 3DS. The game couples phenomenally enhanced graphics with stunning, glasses-free 3D visuals to bring to life the daring adventures of its hero, Link.’ I am going to present to you the various ways in which this game has been advertised and promoted, and who exactly was intended to see these different forms of promotion.

3. PRINT ADVERTISEMENTS Print advertisements for the game are usually reviews (opinions of people who have a strong influence). As you can see, the newspaper in the lower-left corner is particularly assessing the concept of the 3d console, thus, encouraging it’s readers to buy the console as well as the games for it, to experience their favourite games in brilliant 3D. The two pictures to the right – parts of the same review – includes lots of images and snapshots from the game. As well as reading about how good the game is, you get to see the graphics and effects, too. This is all a part of promotion, so as long as the review is a positive one. I think that magazine reviews appeal and attract the existing LOZ audience/fan base, and newspaper articles introduce new people to the games. Advertising for Ocarina Of Time 3D is more wide-spread across the next forms we will explore.

4. POSTERS/BILLBOARDS Here are some poster and billboard advertisements, promoting the game. To the upper right, the actual poster is being advertised as free of charge AS LONG AS you PREORDER the game – I would describe this as a freebie to spark up interest. Notice how the word ‘free’ has the largest font size out of all the text. On the lower right, the picture has been taken inside someone’s bedroom, clearly displaying a massive structure which has been bought, to the delight of existing Zelda fans. The other two images show a similar picture, which I can assume to have been specifically created so people will begin to recognize the striking colours, the galloping horse, the brilliant sky. The image to the far left is a very large billboard of the same picture, but looks indoors; the possibility of this being a gaming convention. We can see a male being represented as a person of Japanese background, as Zelda games are developed in Japan, thus, the convention could have also been held in Japan, considering the massive percentage of the Zelda audience who are Japanese or of other Asian background.

5. SOCIAL MEDIA A social networking website is a website which allows you to create a profile on the internet in order to interact with people from all around the world. Over the past few years, social networking has become very popular in countries with latest technology. The most used social networking sites are Facebook, Google+ and Twitter. To the left, if you search into Google ‘Zelda twitter’ you will see a bunch of Zelda fans who dedicate their online accounts to the games. This shows that there is an online fan base presence of Zelda, which can offer memberships, freebies, and other extras exclusively made for fans. Additionally, the picture on the lower-left is a snapshot of the official Nintendo website – on the front page, the latest installment of Zelda is being advertised straight away, which a rating, claiming the game to be a ‘10 out of 10’. Promotion takes place on Nintendo’s own website. Ultimately, social media is a very powerful tool in getting people around the world involved on what exactly is going on, and a massive advantage to Nintendo.

6. MERCHANDISE A wide range of merchandise associated with The Legend Of Zelda have been created to satisfy the demand of existing Zelda fans – a batch process takes place usually at a time when a new game installment is released, like special edition Nintendo gaming consoles, or the Zelda logo has simply been placed over regular items, some being mugs and key chains. Specific images such as a triforce (the three triangles) is recognized in almost every Zelda game, making it a bold statement of Zelda. Merchandise is produced as a tool of promotion. Simply owning the game is not enough for the massive fan base of Zelda – gamers like to take part in events dedicated to the game – like conventions. Merchandise is owned to represent one’s individuality, what makes up their hobbies, interests, why they are there, and the kind of people they would like to interact with.