In our second part of Nintendo’s interview with Shigeru Miyamoto, the big man tackles questions on the structure and content of Zelda, as well as the aesthetic future of the series.
This game does not feature extensive voice acting. Why?
Mr. Aonuma: We've obviously carried this on from the previous Zelda games. We can express what we want within the game without having to use a lot of voice acting. While I can't say for certain it will always be like that with Zelda games, the way we've done it for The Wind Waker is suitable for the world. Also, as people have played Zelda over the years, they have formed their own ideas of how Link might sound. If we were to put a voice in there that might not match up with someone's image, then there would be a backlash to that. So we've tried to avoid that.
Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask for Nintendo 64 shared similar visual styles. Do you think the next Zelda will use the same visual style as The Wind Waker? Also, since you're so pleased with the art style do you think you will extend it to other titles?
Mr. Miyamoto: With Zelda, it's not so much that we want to go with the toon shading as it is that we are really happy with the proportions of Link in the game. We like the fact that we can have the package art match the artwork in the game. In the past you'd have a Game Boy Zelda game and a home console Zelda game where the art styles didn't match. On top of that, the art style on the boxes didn't match the art style in the games. We've really tried to cut back on that, so you can see the same Link across the different platforms. We think that this is a good style with which to do that.
On the other hand, if we were able to do something more along the lines of Zelda II, which was more of an action-based game, then probably the proportions of Link as we see him in The Wind Waker would not necessarily be as appropriate at that point -- we might have to reevaluate the style.
As for bringing this game's graphic style to other titles, we place great value on the creativity of our different development teams. So, we wouldn't want to try to apply what one team has done to others. Another thing that's important to us is that Nintendo always try to do something that the competition isn't doing. If we were to see a trend where toon shading become the trend in game development then maybe we would change our direction toward realism.
Actually, when I first saw the toon shaded Zelda I was very surprised and excited by it. However, I was startled by the response we got from the press when we showed it off the first time. They all said, "Oh, so is Nintendo now taking Zelda and trying to aim it only at kids?" Really, the whole concept we had behind it was that we thought it was a very creative and new way to show off Link. All the sudden it had been interpreted as Nintendo's new strategy, and that was a shock for us.
When it comes to Nintendo strategy, it's not that we want to make games for kids. It's that we want to make them creative while appealing to a wider audience. Obviously we see games as entertainment, and we want to find the best way to make the gameplay experience entertaining for everyone.
Regarding the anime style, did other artists' work inspire you while working on this game?
Mr. Aonuma: While we haven't been inspired by anyone in particular, you could say that because we've all grown up reading manga and watching anime that it probably inspired us to want to create a videogame in a similar style. I don't think I could say that there was one particular inspiration.
Mr. Miyamoto: Actually, we do have some anime fans on the team, but we also have fans of particular movie directors too. We have a mixture of people that helped create this title. Even if they wanted to make a game based on someone's style, we probably wouldn't let them.
"My Neighbor Totoro" impressed me with what they did with the style. That's something I like to look at, to see something within an existing media that is creative and different. That's what we try to do with our products, to take something people have seen and try to do something new with it. It's when you're really able to do something revolutionary within a media that's existed for some time that I think you're able to shock and startle people. That's usually how it is for me. "Laputa" was another one that impressed me.
How do you successfully create a game that's new and different, while at the same time maintaining a distinct Zelda feel?
Mr. Aonuma: I've been working on Zelda play control since The Ocarina of Time. We really liked that system and thought we could make use of a similar system, while improving it for this game. We did that to provide a new feel to the game. It also makes it easier for the player to control Link and get involved in the gameplay. We have the new controller this time, so we've tried to add features that will make it easier to control Link.
Mr. Miyamoto: Also, we've had discussions about how to make a game that's accessible to people who have never played the Zelda franchise before, while at the same time making it feel fresh to fans of the series. This time around we essentially kept many of the items from the past games, and early on in development I was a little worried that doing so might make the game feel old and too similar. We decided that trying to introduce newer and more complex items just raises a barrier for people who have never played the franchise before. It can hinder them from being able to jump in and enjoy it.
Also, Zelda has always been based on the player thinking things through in his or her head, trying to find a way to solve the problems that are proposed before them and figuring out puzzles to move into the next room. We've tried to focus on ways to improve that. However, since we have the sailboat in this game we've been able to take some of the existing items and apply them in ways which allow them to be used on the boat. We think that it's really going to be thrilling for players who've experienced past Zelda games.
Stay tuned for more next time.
This game does not feature extensive voice acting. Why?
Mr. Aonuma: We've obviously carried this on from the previous Zelda games. We can express what we want within the game without having to use a lot of voice acting. While I can't say for certain it will always be like that with Zelda games, the way we've done it for The Wind Waker is suitable for the world. Also, as people have played Zelda over the years, they have formed their own ideas of how Link might sound. If we were to put a voice in there that might not match up with someone's image, then there would be a backlash to that. So we've tried to avoid that.
Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask for Nintendo 64 shared similar visual styles. Do you think the next Zelda will use the same visual style as The Wind Waker? Also, since you're so pleased with the art style do you think you will extend it to other titles?
Mr. Miyamoto: With Zelda, it's not so much that we want to go with the toon shading as it is that we are really happy with the proportions of Link in the game. We like the fact that we can have the package art match the artwork in the game. In the past you'd have a Game Boy Zelda game and a home console Zelda game where the art styles didn't match. On top of that, the art style on the boxes didn't match the art style in the games. We've really tried to cut back on that, so you can see the same Link across the different platforms. We think that this is a good style with which to do that.
On the other hand, if we were able to do something more along the lines of Zelda II, which was more of an action-based game, then probably the proportions of Link as we see him in The Wind Waker would not necessarily be as appropriate at that point -- we might have to reevaluate the style.
As for bringing this game's graphic style to other titles, we place great value on the creativity of our different development teams. So, we wouldn't want to try to apply what one team has done to others. Another thing that's important to us is that Nintendo always try to do something that the competition isn't doing. If we were to see a trend where toon shading become the trend in game development then maybe we would change our direction toward realism.
Actually, when I first saw the toon shaded Zelda I was very surprised and excited by it. However, I was startled by the response we got from the press when we showed it off the first time. They all said, "Oh, so is Nintendo now taking Zelda and trying to aim it only at kids?" Really, the whole concept we had behind it was that we thought it was a very creative and new way to show off Link. All the sudden it had been interpreted as Nintendo's new strategy, and that was a shock for us.
When it comes to Nintendo strategy, it's not that we want to make games for kids. It's that we want to make them creative while appealing to a wider audience. Obviously we see games as entertainment, and we want to find the best way to make the gameplay experience entertaining for everyone.
Regarding the anime style, did other artists' work inspire you while working on this game?
Mr. Aonuma: While we haven't been inspired by anyone in particular, you could say that because we've all grown up reading manga and watching anime that it probably inspired us to want to create a videogame in a similar style. I don't think I could say that there was one particular inspiration.
Mr. Miyamoto: Actually, we do have some anime fans on the team, but we also have fans of particular movie directors too. We have a mixture of people that helped create this title. Even if they wanted to make a game based on someone's style, we probably wouldn't let them.
"My Neighbor Totoro" impressed me with what they did with the style. That's something I like to look at, to see something within an existing media that is creative and different. That's what we try to do with our products, to take something people have seen and try to do something new with it. It's when you're really able to do something revolutionary within a media that's existed for some time that I think you're able to shock and startle people. That's usually how it is for me. "Laputa" was another one that impressed me.
How do you successfully create a game that's new and different, while at the same time maintaining a distinct Zelda feel?
Mr. Aonuma: I've been working on Zelda play control since The Ocarina of Time. We really liked that system and thought we could make use of a similar system, while improving it for this game. We did that to provide a new feel to the game. It also makes it easier for the player to control Link and get involved in the gameplay. We have the new controller this time, so we've tried to add features that will make it easier to control Link.
Mr. Miyamoto: Also, we've had discussions about how to make a game that's accessible to people who have never played the Zelda franchise before, while at the same time making it feel fresh to fans of the series. This time around we essentially kept many of the items from the past games, and early on in development I was a little worried that doing so might make the game feel old and too similar. We decided that trying to introduce newer and more complex items just raises a barrier for people who have never played the franchise before. It can hinder them from being able to jump in and enjoy it.
Also, Zelda has always been based on the player thinking things through in his or her head, trying to find a way to solve the problems that are proposed before them and figuring out puzzles to move into the next room. We've tried to focus on ways to improve that. However, since we have the sailboat in this game we've been able to take some of the existing items and apply them in ways which allow them to be used on the boat. We think that it's really going to be thrilling for players who've experienced past Zelda games.
Stay tuned for more next time.
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