Linkorporated

SHINE A LIGHT FINALIST
"A Growing Gaming Community"

The Legend of Zelda series - and all of Nintendo - carry a huge fanbase that, at times, can be difficult to comprehend. Zelda Universe (http://www.zeldauniverse.net/), and its companion site Zelda Wiki.org (http://www.zeldawiki.org/), invites talented writers and teens to participate in a community that not only discusses Zelda gaming, but also invites conversations and friendships based on an interest in gaming and The Legend of Zelda series, Nintendo, and gaming in general. Their entire staff, made up of nothing but volunteers, provides their time, creativity and strong loyalty to Zelda Universe's community, which has over 54,000 members. In addition, Zelda Universe provides strategy guides written entirely by those staff members. Jason Rappaport, owner and operator of the website, along with his co-webmaster Cody Davies, manages all aspects of the business including advertising, layout design, content writing and staff management. Zelda Universe is not a typical business - it sells nothing and asks for little money, provides its guides and content for free, and its staff works together to make the gamer community a welcoming and wonderful environment for both newcomers and veteran gamers instead of asking for a paycheck. Growing a fan-based website is a huge undertaking, and generating income is a daily challenge. If Zelda Universe had an advertising and marketing budget the community could grow and create a wonderful place for fans of not only The Legend of Zelda, but also of all video gaming, to enjoy.