Dec 7 1998 5:07AM - Bloomberg News
Nintendo to Ship Record 5 Mln Copies of 'Zelda' by End of Year
Nintendo to Ship Record 5 Mln Copies of 'Zelda' by End of Year
Tokyo, Dec. 7 (Bloomberg) -- Nintendo Co. is planning record shipments of ''The Legend of Zelda,'' a popular video game making its debut on the company's new-generation Nintendo64 system, in response to overwhelming worldwide demand.
Kyoto, Japan-based Nintendo will ship 5 million copies of the fantasy role-playing game, which went on sale in Japanese and U.S. stores late last month, by the end of the year.
''We've never shipped so many copies of a title in such a short period of time,'' said spokesman Yasuhiro Minagawa. ''It's sold out in the U.S., and you won't find it in many stores in Japan, either.''
Analysts expects ''Zelda's'' proven appeal to adults will bolster sales of the Nintendo64, which have been held back since its introduction in 1996 by a narrow selection of games, many of which are designed for younger users.
''The Nintendo64's weak point has been its lack of software for adults,'' said Kokusai Securities Co.'s Masaharu Miyaji. ''With Zelda in the line-up, Nintendo can build on its relatively young user base, and I expect that will contribute to hardware sales as well |
