What Makes a Video Game Successful?

This week's GBE2 topic is success. So I kept going over it, trying link video games and success. What kept coming up is the Legend of Zelda. (Yes, I am obsessed) Without a doubt, it's one of the most successful video game series ever. And it's still going strong with the 3DS remake of Ocarina of Time and the new Wii game, Skyward Sword, releasing soon.

What makes this series so successful? First, it's been 25 years since LoZ was released in Japan. In fact, right now, I'm wearing a shirt that says "Legend of Zelda Land of Hyrule 1986"

Second, the original game was full of innovation. From being non-linear to having its own battery in the cartridge for saving, LoZ did lots of things first. 

In 2009, Gameinformer magazine listed the original LoZ as the greatest game ever. Seven other LoZ titles also made it into the top 200 games of all time. More recently, the series won big in the voting for which games would make it into the Smithsonian's Art of Video Games Exhibit, happening next year.

The series has won countless awards in its history and it truly deserves them all.  Few other gaming series can boast this type of success. I am so proud to have been with the series since the beginning.