But OOT was a AAA title already, and there were already several wildly successful Zelda games before OOT too. There's so many reasons why Zelda is, if anything, a counterexample to this phenomenon.
I wondered about that line too. As big a hit as OOT was, it just barely beats LTTP once all the re-releases are considered. The original NES game was comparable. Link's Awakening (1993) stopped just short of 10 million, beating them all.
Then there's Breath of the Wild (2017) running laps around them at 30 million. The sequel just came out and it's already at 10 as of numbers released in the first week.
>The IP fans continue to buy each product. Some will be optimistic, some will be pessimistic, doesnt matter, they will continue to buy.
Source: I'm one of those OOT/MM fans. But admittedly so, the 2D Zelda's were great. I imagine these were different teams that peaked at different times. Windwaker was most definitely a game 3 for me, with TP being a game 4, with all the signs of a game 4. Now we are getting average-mediocre open world games with Zelda IP skinned on them. Its hard to say BOTW is anything like Majoras mask who had somewhere between 7-10x more unique enemy types. This one and Blizzard(Starcraft/warcraft/diablo) hurts the most in retrospect.
This is a bit of a reach. To a very large many, the two most-recent Legend of Zelda games are the two best that have ever been made. Nintendo has not been afraid to change what the game even when it initially upsets people (Windwaker with the 3D cutesy feel) though the subsequent sentiment is almost always incredibly positive in retrospect. BOTW isn't like Majora's Mask anymore than Majora's Mask was like A Link to the Past.
It is OK for things to change, even if unfortunately your tastes don't change with them.
>the two most-recent Legend of Zelda games are the two best that have ever been made.
Idk man, I glanced at /truezelda the other day and it seems like TotK has ruined BOTW for people. I was already disenchanted about 20 hours into BOTW, climbing yet another green hill to see another green hill with the same enemies as the last hill. I did beat the game with 70 or 80 shrines. I dread shrines.
I admittedly played every zelda, despite ragging on them. I am said IP fan.
I just want a 3D Zelda game with interesting biomes, multiple enemy types, fun puzzles, etc...
We got a open world rpg with Zelda skinned on it. It would be nice to get a classic 3D Zelda game and call this one something else.
I have doubts BotW would have gotten great reviews if it was released as an xbox game with different characters.
I don't think a place like /truezelda would capture common sentiment, do you? This is a place where there will be stronger opinions, more engagement, and more nostalgia too.
At any rate, I don't own a Switch, I've only played the games with my nephew. I'm only observing the commentary I see from friends and family around me, and the less Nintendo-dedicated reaction.
Side note: have you played Tunic? You may like that!
BOTW and TOTK are two of the highest rated games of all time. If you want to persuade people of your case, you would do well not to use a hot take as your example.