Game Theory: Why the Official Zelda Timeline is Wrong

[MatthewPatrick13]

Why the Official Zelda Timeline is Wrong

All video games share one universe. But not all video game universes are the same. The official Zelda timeline released by Nintendo proves it. But when is a Zelda timeline NOT a Zelda timeline? When it justifies every other bizarre video game easter egg and cameo the gaming industry has developed.

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[Kenjitsuka]

Nice episode, thanks!

 

[WhiteTigerShiro]

I'm surprised that you did an entire episode about the Many Worlds Theory and didn't mention The World Ends With You.

 

[scw55]

The analogy of the multi worlds theory regarding WW2 I think is weak.
Since no one consciously decided they'd win or lose the war. Both sides chose to win.
It was the decisions of people during the war that dictated the outcome. It wasn't a black and white "Nazis win/Allies Win".

The cereal analogy was more accurate.

This is based on the definition and explanation you gave.

 

[Soviet Heavy]

This video took half its runtime to get to the actual point of the video. Edit that stuff a bit.

 

[angorianka]

Only now noticed that Game Theory is on Escapist now too! Awesome, welcome ^__^. Love all your videos.

 

[Scorpid]

You know this also helps explain Bioshock Infinite

 

[Mike Pothier]

This video said nothing about the timeline being wrong, aside from terminology. And takes forever to get to its point.

 

[red255]

yeah not his best game theory. It gets to the part where he says they are in the same universe, then says they are not in the next sentence. because apparently he doesn't know multiverse, if its in a different time line its in a different universe.

by like definition. he sounds sort of like he knows what he's talking about with emphasis on what he's saying in the proper place, but he comes across as an intellectual idiot here.

but its an old video and I already commented on the youtube one.

 

[w23eer]

I don't mean to be pedantic, but it really bothers me how Mat calls it the "Many Worlds Theory" near the end. It is most certainly not a theory, but an interpretation of Quantum Mechanics. And not the most common one either.

Anyhow, this is definitely a misstep in the otherwise excellent Game Theory. He labours the point while still seeming somehow unfocused. If anyone was put off by this (as it seems a few Escapists are new to Game Theory), I'd recommend you watch at least a couple of other episodes on Youtube before writing it off completely.

 

[evilnancyreagan]

The timeline in the video is from the book; THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: HYRULE HISTORIA [http://www.darkhorse.com/Books/20-921/The-Legend-of-Zelda-Hyrule-Historia-HC]. It makes a really great gift for any fan of the series, let me tell you!

 

[Yopaz]

I've heard this argument before and frankly, it's silly. It's what happens when you mix up gameplay and story. In any game, GTA, CoD, Halo, Super Mario, Zelda, Half-Life it doesn't affect the story if you die. The story is written, predetermined. Regardless of how you play, regardless of moral choices, the player is powerless when it comes to changing the ending. So the analysis of this time travel paradox is flawed because it doesn't differentiate story and gameplay. It's kinda like playing the Harry Potter games and saying Ron couldn't have learned the levitation spell because he never collected the spell books to master it in the challenge room.

 

[Kl4pp5tuhl]

Let me blow your mind like an NES cartridge here for a second.

My theory as to why the Official Zelda Timeline is wrong? It's called the "Legend" of Zelda for a reason, as everyone only hears about Link and his adventures from one person to the next, one campfire at a time, almost like an urban myth. Everyone tells the same story about Link in their own way (different art styles) and sometimes even adds their own spice to the basic story (Link gets Mastersword, saves Princess and Kingdom), resulting in a new experience with each new game.

That is why there is no definitive storyline. It is, at its core, a Legend.

The Legend, of Zelda.

 

[Zeraki]

Game Theory is on the Escapist now!? When did this happen?

It's good to see them branching out to other sites, I love their content. Are we going to be getting Gaijin Goomba as well?

 

[PunkRex]

W-wait, WHAT, HANG ON! When did GG and the other Game Theory peeps get here?

Cool.

 

[Lunar Templar]

I've heard this argument before and frankly, it's silly. It's what happens when you mix up gameplay and story. In any game, GTA, CoD, Halo, Super Mario, Zelda, Half-Life it doesn't affect the story if you die. The story is written, predetermined. Regardless of how you play, regardless of moral choices, the player is powerless when it comes to changing the ending. So the analysis of this time travel paradox is flawed because it doesn't differentiate story and gameplay. It's kinda like playing the Harry Potter games and saying Ron couldn't have learned the levitation spell because he never collected the spell books to master it in the challenge room.

except ...

It's not an 'argument' or 'fan theory' it's the official time line as given by Nintendo.

So in this case, yes, dieing in OoT DOES cause a change in the story of this games universe.

 

[She-Pudding]

I was never quite sure of what to think of Youtube's (now Escapist's?) Game Theory. I wonder what being on this website will do for it, assuming this is more than a cameo. And why was this the first episode chosen to appear here, assuming there's more? It's not very new; certainly old enough to have gotten some of the above-mentioned kinks worked out of it's premier episode here. And the anti-LGBT one was at least more polerizing (who knew 'Gender Fuck' was a thing?) Assuming this is a new and somewhat permenent fixture, will anything change?

Maybe he'll be made to stop using Wikipedia... heheh. Very curious... curious indeed.

*Edit: Whoops. Yep, just noticed their weekly-scheduled spot on the homepage. Permenent they are. Congrats. ^^

 

[Kyogissun]

Oh yay, Game Theory is on Escapist now... Because the Smosh thing went so well before, didn't it?

I don't really care for the poor quality of research and the occasional omission of information that may or may not contribute to the 'point of discussion' in the video.

Both this and Game/Show have that air of seeming like they put in a lot of work and effort, but either have a bias (Which in a open discussion type video can never work) or a poor quality and quantity of research done.

 

[Urgh76]

So you started out by telling us why the timeline was wrong...

Then you went on to explain the situations in which it actually works?

That and the rest of this episode just seemed a bit obnoxious to tell the truth

 

[Kuth]

Well this is just misleading. Nothing in this says the timeline is wrong, it just stats a multi-world or multi-dimenson theory, which many have already concluded to. I don't get why this even needs an episode. All it says that the Zelda timeline is in several dimensions. Honestly, I was expecting something beyond that.