A recent economic report concerning the gross domestic product (GDP) of Japan recorded an exciting increase for the powerful East-Asian country, and some analysts are speculating that one of Nintendo’s latest major titles, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, may be a contributing factor. Tears of the Kingdom is one of the most successful games of the year thus far with more than 20 million copies sold since its release in May.
As of August 2023, only one game has come even close to matching Hogwarts Legacy in terms of sales anywhere in the world, and that’s the latest Legend of Zelda entry. Tears of the Kingdom was released to widespread critical and commercial praise back in May. The game has maintained a steady following and a solid sales record ever since. The sales record for this Legend of Zelda entry is so good, in fact, that, as mentioned, it may have even made a direct contribution to the growth of its home country, Japan’s, GDP.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Boosts Japan’s Economy
The reports of Japan’s impressive GDP increase from the period of April to June of 2023 came from the country’s Cabinet Office. The report shows a 2.8% increase in semi-durable goods, which includes many consumer products, from video games to books and more. Semi-durable goods are a major factor in Japan’s GDP. Combined with the fact that Japan is the second-highest exporter of video games in the world behind China makes this no small feat. Other Japanese video games that were released between April and June include Final Fantasy 16 and the Switch port of Advance Wars 1 + 2.
One of Japan’s news outlet Mainichi Shimbun speculates that The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom may be a major contributor to this 2.8% increase. The game was released on May 12th and sold a massive 10 million units in its first weekend alone. As of August 2023, the game remains the second-highest seller of the year, just behind Hogwarts Legacy and well ahead of the third and fourth highest-selling titles, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor and the Resident Evil 4 remake.
