What’s the best part of the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy? Some would say it’s the humor, some would say it’s the weird quirkiness of the team, some are just in love with Rocket. While all three are valid answers, the trilogy’s soundtrack, filled with iconic classic melodies, alleviates each of these notions. Whether it’s a brutal combat sequence or comic intervention, Guardians movies hit a new level when Star-Lord’s Walkman blasts off his ever-growing collection of classic rock music.
Microsoft Zune was an answer from the Windows OS developer to Apple’s iPod. It was a carryable music player for audiophiles who could download music on hard disk players. It acted as a portable music subscription device at the time. While the product was discontinued in 2011, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) brought back its memories when the device appeared on-screen by the movie’s end. In the film, a Zune was Yondu’s gift for Star-Lord, who continues to upgrade his Awesome Mixtapes from thereon on that device.
Now, fans can relive the old ways of consuming music and find a connection to Star-Lord and Guardians through Microsoft’s latest giveaway. In light of Zune’s continued on-screen fame through James Gunn’s intergalactic tales, the company is giving away an old 8GB Zune in a #ZuneSweepstakes context. Microsoft tweeted a picture of the gift box while tagging Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and Marvel Studios. In a funny gesture, Microsoft declared they couldn’t guarantee that the never-opened Zune would still work. Yet, it would be a perfect Guardians memorabilia for lucky fans now that the trilogy has winded up the eponymous team’s story in the MCU.
We can’t say if the Zune would work, but surprisingly, many others still do. Interestingly, the tweet led several Zune users to post pictures of their original music player they must’ve purchased years ago. And curiously, their Zune still works.
This fan even put up the GOTG Vol.3 soundtrack on his ‘OG Zune.’
Establishing the nerdiness of owning a Zune, this fan used a tongue-in-cheek reply to call out all fellow Zune lovers.
On the other hand, this one has all the reason to fight in this contest now that his one is broken.
Microsoft replied to many of these comments, expressing gratitude and even a bit of surprise knowing how long people have held on to the now-discontinued device. Zune lost most of its market share to Apple’s iPod back then. More than a decade later, audio streaming has taken over the whole experience of listening to music. But thanks to James Gunn, the old days are seeing the light again. And talking of Gunn, the director too joined in the conversation by giving his assurance to Microsoft’s lovely gesture.
Microsoft has also shared a link to the contest’s rules, which will end with only one lucky winner from many entries. The Zune Sweepstakes ends on May 17, 2023; hence, you only have a little time to try your luck. The contest is, however, limited to residents of the United States only. So, if you’re a Guardians fan and in awe of Star-Lord’s way of listening to your favorite tracks, start retweeting. But be mindful that the Zune might not work.