Aonuma on valuing feedback from Zelda fans

Speaking with GamesMaster this month, Zelda producer Eiji Aonuma commented on how feedback from the fans is greatly valued.

He said:

“We’re constantly thinking about how to make it unique compared to other games, both in general as well as to others in the Zelda series. Of course, the response of fans is most important and something we care very much about, which is why recently we have been showing early previews at events like E3. We’re looking to see that there are no problems with the directions we’re taking, and are reflecting the reactions we do get into subsequent development.”

At another point of the interview, Aonuma talked about how the Zelda games are free of meaning. He finds the idea of putting ideologies in games “kind of scary.”

Aonuma stated:

“I haven’t and won’t be trying to put any message or meaning into the games. (If someone else were to make a Zelda game though, of course it might be different.) Occasionally I receive messages from fans telling me how playing Zelda games has changed their lives. While of course this makes me incredibly happy to hear, I feel a great sense of responsibility as well, so part of me feels that developers putting their own ideologies in games is kind of scary.”

That wasn’t all from Aonuma. During the same interview, he also weighed in on Link having a voice. You can find his comments about that topic here if you missed them last week.

http://nintendoeverything.com/aonuma-on-valuing-feedback-from-zelda-fans-not-trying-to-force-messages-into-the-games/

Very well Aonuma, take this message from a Zelda fan: of you are not competent enough to develop a good Zelda game in less than 5 years, it's time for you to think in another job.

He can take as much time as he wants as long as the game is good :)

I agree. Wii U came out in 2013. I think 3-4 years is good.

No, he can't. There are many Zelda games done in less time that are very good. No excuse.

It came in 2012 and it's taking 5 years after the last homeconsole Zelda.

Obviously, as time goes by we demand more about the game. It's time enought to make a masterpiece, and I don't expect less. So, after 5 years from the last home console Zelda game you better deliver!

Yeah, 2012 only a month away from 2013. From a consumer standpoint, if I bought a Wii U on November 18th 2012...Assuming that Zelda arrives on November 18th 2016...It'll be 4 years exactly. It'll be less than that if it comes out earlier than November this year. That's been standard fare for Zelda for some time now. TP came out in 2006, SS came out in 2011. It's been that way for a while.

For a while? Lately it's only the second time, and the last one was because a terrible management. TP was 2006 because the Wii version but was ready in 2005, 3 years after TWW. So again, no. 5 years in not the norm or excusable.

Would love to actually see or hear about real details on the game though.. :p

I am really hoping that Zelda U turns out to be amazing even if that means waiting so long that the game has to be shared between the Wii U and the NX.  A long development timeline might mean that the game is having development issues but it could also mean that it's just has a vast world that Aonuma wants to flesh out as much as possible.  I remember there being a lot of unhappy people after the 2014 game awards who were complaining that Zelda U looked too empty: it takes time to populate a world that is this big.