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Is Zelda about to hit the MMO space?

by Larry Everett on May 26th 2011 9:00PM

The land of Hyrule may be invading your computer very soon -- or maybe you will be invading it. Nintendo, creator of the console hit the Legend of Zelda, has just registered for an ESRB rating for a game called Zelda Universe. According to the ESRB website, this mysterious game has received an "E" rating with "violence" as the only descriptive text, but the game is listed as "online." Although all other Nintendo games have a console listed along with the rating, this particular title does not. This could very well mean that everyone's favorite adventurer will appear in an MMORPG.

The official website for the Legend of Zelda games is called Zelda Universe, but the Entertainment Software Rating Board is not in the habit of handing out ratings to online content unless that content is also a game. Perhaps this is one of the big announcements Nintendo will reveal in its presentation at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in less than 12 days.

Source: Gamespot

Tags: entertainment-software-ratings-board, esrb, gannon, gannondorf, Hyrule, legend-of-zelda, link, nintendo, rumor, rumors, the-legend-of-zelda, tri-force, zelda, zelda-universe

Reader Comments (30)

Probably just a co-op thing. Think of all the strange things they've done in the past with multi-player on zelda and then just add the web. That's my guess at least.

They might just be intending to create an interactive minigame on their site as some sort of promotion for another upcoming Zelda game?

Gamespot's article has already been updated with information regarding the Zelda Universe entry being on ESRB since 2008.

I was never a fan of Zelda, but that aside, it'd interesting to see how it is implemented.

...SQUEEEEEEEEEEE

Nintendo? MMO? Haha, that's a good one!

Nintendo can't/won't even implement proper online community environment like Xbox Live or Sony PSN.

I believe Miyamoto hinted that something special was coming down the line for Zelda's anniversary, but I figured it'd be a Mario All-Stars-ish compilation. I'd be happy with that; Phantom Hourglass didn't do anything for me.

Or perhaps it's an upcoming Cafe online game. Or nothing. Ida Know.

As long as Tingle make a triumphant return to the series, I'll be happy.

@Degu
Hm, apparently goes way back to 2001, interactive stuff on the Zelda site from way back. Never mind.

Nintendo has said they have no plans to make any of their properties into MMO's.

no, i can just see all the hookshot trolling

Zelda and MMO together is no recess peanut butter cup. It is Fail with a capital F.

oh hell no, you just trolling with this!

There is no way Nintendo would ever make a MMO (at least not until they see a complete change of management).

this is just gonna be 4 swords played on the 3DS wi-fi.

Why would I want to play a Zelda game and not be Link? Screw that.

(Though I wouldn't mind playing as Zelda.)

Just like LOTRO...you'd be like... the underdog hero who was never heard about that trailed after the REAL heroes.

Nintendo would be crazy to make any MMO until they make a Pokemon MMO.

@hereafter Good point, that seems to be the most natural fit.

@hereafter

Meh, there are so many unlicensed versions out there at this moment and still Nintendo hasn't bothered with it. Only trading pokemons online thru the DSi.

While it sounds like Project Cafe may have a better online scheme than the Wii, I doubt that Nintendo would make a Zelda MMO (or any MMO), at least in the traditional MMO sense. (I personally don't think Zelda would make a good MMO anyway.)

I can see an online 4-swords type game, however.

It has already been done (sort of) ... look up Graal Online. It was my first MMO waaaaay back in 98 or 99. Essentially the game was A Link to the Past in MMO form, and it was originally called Zelda Online. It was pretty much a PK-fest (though you gained immunity against players by abstaining from PKing for so long), but there were some fun quests, and lots of player made content. Eventually whole worlds made by players came around (appropriately called playerworlds), and most of the community went off to those.

Zelda hasn't changed too much as far as game mechanics go, so it could definitely be done. The proof has been there for over a decade. A modern version of it could be a great success, especially if it were made by Nintendo.

@Tempes Magus

My thoughts exactly.

The lore of the Zelda series boils down to
"Link grabs sword. Zelda gets princess-napped. Link saves Zelda. The End". There isn't any room at all for a decent large scale multi-player game, much less an MMO in it.

@DevilSei. Maybe Link can't handle this adventure alone? Maybe he needs help from the other races of Hyrule? It can be turned into an MMO with a good enough writer.

You know there have been times in LoZ lore where link either failed and evil won or he just wasn't there to save the world, in Wind Waker it talks about people waiting for a hero to show up and save them but he never did.

My god it would be a hard choice to choose between a Goron, Zora and a Deku.

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Is Zelda about to hit the MMO space?

Reader Comments (30)

Posted: May 26th 2011 9:14PM lib53 said

Posted: May 26th 2011 9:15PM JuliusSeizure said

Posted: May 26th 2011 9:16PM ImperialPanda said

Posted: May 26th 2011 9:18PM NazTH said

Posted: May 26th 2011 9:19PM cowboyhugbees said

Posted: May 26th 2011 9:50PM Jade Effect said

Posted: May 26th 2011 10:02PM Degu said

Posted: May 26th 2011 10:12PM Degu said

Posted: May 26th 2011 10:03PM Keen and Graev said

Posted: May 26th 2011 10:27PM ndessell said

Posted: May 26th 2011 10:34PM oxlar said

Posted: May 26th 2011 10:45PM Fakeassname said

Posted: May 26th 2011 10:56PM Tizmah said

Posted: May 26th 2011 11:20PM hereafter said

Posted: May 26th 2011 11:39PM cowboyhugbees said

Posted: May 27th 2011 12:16PM Space Cobra said

Posted: May 27th 2011 12:22AM Rialle said

Posted: May 27th 2011 1:07AM (Unverified) said

Posted: May 27th 2011 2:46AM DevilSei said

Posted: May 27th 2011 4:57AM Monkey D Luffy said

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