"The Incident" : Zelda 2008

Around the turn of the new year a website appeared that went largely unnoticed by most of the world, but was quickly thrown into a relatively small spotlight among fans of the Legend of Zelda game series. This was www.zelda2008.com, and though its intention was largely unknown, its purpose was entirely fulfilled without most ever knowing.

A few months ago, no more than a couple of weeks after its release, I had written what amounted to little more than an apology to fans who felt the site was meant to steal 15 minutes of fame by posing as an officially licensed project from Nintendo. Before long, I did away with the apology speech, and forgot about my creation, having lost the desire to explain my intentions. But with the recent creation of this blog, I suppose now would be the time.

I created Zelda2008.com with one goal: make people think. Unsatisfied with Twilight Princess and afraid of the traditional and ungroundbreaking approach the series has progressively taken since Ocarina of Time, I thought I would share my ideas with others. I've always had the idea of a truly realistic Zelda game. One could argue into the ground whether or not this would be the right direction for the series, but I'm glad that so many got as in-depth with that discussion as they did. So while I don't necessarily believe that the next Zelda game should be "gritty and realistic", I do believe that the possibilities are worth thinking about.

A few years ago, with 3D modeling being a hobby of mine, I made a fairly realistic 3D rendering of Link. Then to practice more inorganic modeling, I tinkered around with recreating other various environments from the series- the Temple of Time, Master Sword, etc. And yes, I used these to create the backgrounds for the Zelda 2008 website. The reaction to the art itself was surprisingly negative. But I should've seen that coming, as I too would be brutally railing on any art that was of less-than-groundbreaking quality that I felt was trying to pass itself off as "official Nintendo-quality work". People nailed everything from the "cheap looking Triforce" to the "amateur layout", even criticizing the fonts used. It was said that the site could've been designed by anyone with even beginner 3D and Photoshop skills. Well congratulations, you were all able to spot the difference between the quality of work befitting an official industry-shattering announcement from Nintendo and someone who threw together 4 year old half-finished renderings in 10 minutes.

I knew that the overwhelming majority of people would see it as some kind of announcement of a new Zelda title. And, in turn, I assumed that most would easily see that it was "fake" and see it only as "fan art". But while some did just that, most ripped it apart as a cry for attention by someone needlessly trying to stir up controversy by spreading lies. If there is one thing that I have always despised in regards to the internet, it is how easily people can spread rumors and intentionally give false information to better their own imaginary digital reputation. I simply wanted people to think, and after the third day the site was posted and after reading the feedback across all the forums, I almost felt as if I had to defend my work by continuing it. So as some already know, I kept it going, leaving more hints that only fans would truly get (for the record, the Hyrulian text in one of the graphics translates to "Experience the Challenge of Endless Adventure", a reference to the original NES game box that a couple people actually managed to translate and understand). But eventually, I stopped caring, for whatever reason. So I left it alone. And alone it has been, for a few months now.

Whatever your reaction, I hope it made you think. I'm glad people discussed the possibilities, even if they had been already talked about in the past. Personally I feel the series needs to change, as the traditional Zelda style, while it still "works", doesn't further the groundbreaking notion of "Zelda" that was established by the first NES game and Ocarina of Time. I feel Nintendo is more than capable of doing this, it will all come down to who makes the decision to actually do it.

For the record: to the many who said the site would be "torn down by Nintendo" after the first day, your knowledge of legalities when it comes to this kind of stuff is laughable. I'd be honored to get an Email from them in my inbox; unfortunately that honor has yet to come.