*\*various grunting / shouting sounds\**
That's right, this week, we're talking about fans of that long-running much beloved Nintendo series: *The Legend of Zelda*! Why are fans so fixated on the timeline, and what is it exactly that reels in fans both new and old? All that and more with this week's special guest, Andy Spiteri of [Zelda Informer](http://www.zeldainformer.com) / [Zelda Dungeon](https://www.zeldadungeon.net)!
...And that's it for this season! We'll be taking a brief holiday break and come back in the new year with all new, exciting episodes about fans and fandoms you've probably never even heard of! Thanks for listening and stay tuned!
## Where can I learn more about Andy?
You can learn more about Andy Spiteri through his work at [Zelda Informer](http://www.zeldainformer.com) / [Zelda Dungeon](https://www.zeldadungeon.net)!
## Episode outline
### Fandom Facts
**Origins:**
> The Legend of Zelda is a high-fantasy action-adventure video game series created by Japanese game designers Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka. It is primarily developed and published by Nintendo, although some portable installments have been outsourced to Capcom, Vanpool and Grezzo. The series' gameplay incorporates elements of action, adventure and puzzle-solving games.
> The series centers on Link, the playable character and chief protagonist. Link is often given the task of rescuing Princess Zelda and the kingdom of Hyrule from Ganon, who is the principal antagonist of the series; however, other settings and antagonists have appeared in several titles. The games' plots commonly involve a relic known as the Triforce, a set of three omnipotent golden triangles. The protagonist in each game is usually not the same incarnation of Link, but a few exceptions exist.
> Since the original The Legend of Zelda was released in 1986, the series has expanded to include 19 entries on all of Nintendo's major game consoles, as well as a number of spin-offs. An American animated TV series based on the games aired in 1989 and individual manga adaptations commissioned by Nintendo have been produced in Japan since 1997. The Legend of Zelda is one of Nintendo's most prominent and successful franchises, selling over 80 million copies as of 2017.
>
> — [Wikipedia - The Legend of Zelda](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Legend_of_Zelda)
[// Zeldorks? LOZers? Zerds? Zovers?]: #
**Fandom Activity / Interest**
In general, interest in the series has been on the decline, [by search traffic](https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=all&q=%2Fm%2F07d5v): Until March 2017 (Release of _Breath of the Wild_), interest in the series was about half as much as in 2014. There have been some notable spikes in interest in December 2006 (Release of _Twilight Princess_), December 2009 (Release of _Spirit Tracks_), December 2011 (Approximate release of _Skyward Sword_).
**Fan Demographics:**
As it turns out, Zelda Informer ran a Zelda fan survey for a few years; [the latest set of data from 2015](http://www.zeldainformer.com/zelda-survey-2015-results-story-and-exploration-on-top-twilight-princess-ha/) gives us something to go off of:
- **Gender**: 74% male, 24% female, 1% other, 1% prefer not to answer
- **Age**: Largest group of respondents was age 18-24 (49%); almost 75% of respondents were under the age of 24
Plus, some other interesting results:
- **First Zelda game played**: Ocarina of Time (39%), Link to the Past (14%), Legend of Zelda (14%), Wind Waker (7%), Twilight Princess (7%)
- 90% of Zelda fans consider themselves gamers
- **The top three most owned consoles were**: Wii (91%), Nintendo DS (82%), Nintendo 3DS (80%)
- **Top three most played Zelda games**: Twilight Princess (93%), Ocarina of Time (92%), Majora's Mask (87%)
- **Worst Zelda game experience**: Tingle's Balloon Trip of Love (91%)
- **Most important parts of Zelda games**: Story (47%), Exploration (30%)
- **Favourite Art Style**: Twilight Princess (56%)
- **Would you...
