Zelda's top devs explain why they enjoy sticking with the series
The franchise that keeps on giving
Nintendo’s Hidemaro Fujibayashi and Eiji Aonuma are the biggest names on the dev team when it comes to the Legend of Zelda series, with Fujibayashi getting some major time in the spotlight for making Tears of the Kingdom possible.
Both developers have been connected for the Zelda series for quite some time, which has led fans to wonder if the duo ever gets tired of only tackling Legend of Zelda games. The gang at RTL Nieuws asked the developers this very question, and you can see their responses below (h/t Nintendo Everything)
Fujibayashi: I get that question quite often, but I think that the possibilities with Zelda are endless. I never felt like I was stuck. When I come up with an idea, it doesn’t necessarily have to do with Zelda. But later I can still make it part of a Zelda game, because you can really go anywhere with the series.
Aonuma: I get bored pretty quickly – when I play a soccer/football game, I already want to do something else after five minutes. But with Zelda I keep on playing, because things like soccer/football are implemented into the game. The games transcend genre conventions, allowing you to put all kinds of different experiences in them. In that respect, I have all the freedom to explore new ideas. I might be stuck with Zelda, but that’s not a bad thing. It’s a very comfortable place to be stuck.
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joeshabadoo
1d agoNothing too surprising here. When you give creatives full creative freedom and (essentially) all the time and resources they need they’ll be sticking around. At this point a Zelda game can include snowboarding, interior design, racing, bridge building, stealth, battle bots, power washing etc. Comments like this should confirm to anyone worried that BotW and TotK don’t represent a ‘new formula’. They are linked both spiritually and very tangibly, and should be thought of us as one beautiful mega epic masterpiece; the culmination of a decade+ of allowing some of the industry’s best to spread their wings and soar.
The next new Zelda game will not be ‘the sequel to Tear of the Kingdom’. It might have a few similarities but will feel massively fresh and novel and new while still focusing on adventure, exploration, and puzzling with the player taking far more of a hybrid protagonist/author role than the legacy games.
Keep in mind the creatives need to be good for companies to have that kind of faith and investment in their work. Some devs are unreliable or one hit wonders and most are unproven and will need to be tested, usually with smaller projects first. For someone else to take on the Zelda series at this point they would need a strong portfolio and an amazing concept to pitch.
Very true, and a testament to the talent that the company attracts and the steps they take to retain it, broadly speaking. People in the industry pay close attention when Nintendo do stuff like issue raises across the board to cover inflation and then some, rather than opt for layoffs like most other companies in tech and game dev before they go hire younger cheaper talent.
kuribo
20h agoGlad they’re enjoying the series. The series has never been better.
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