Nintendo is not beyond experimenting with the series, and more to the point they made a solid commitment to delivering two installments of the series per generation. Thus far they haven't had one. So it is plausible that Nintendo initially gave the go ahead for Retro to do their own take on the series.

That said it is worth considering that the game was well into development when it may have been decided it was different enough, and the need for a new franchise was great enough that there was ample justification to rewrite the game as a stand alone. Given that it is Retro I think it isn't out of the realm of possibility that they could be developing a first party version of Oblivion.

Both Oblivion and Fallout 3 have been huge successes on the high definition consoles. Having a developer versed in the first person that also happened to be working on a fantasy game heavy into sword play would be an obvious leap.

Zelda 3rd party games were on the Philips CDI, but yeah Retro is a subsidiary of Nintendo.

I dont know how to feel about the concept tho. Retro did some cool stuff for Metroid, but it applied. Of course they did have that one game announced right after the original Metroid Prime, that got canned, which looked more like a mythological action/adventure. Hard to say

^Minish Cap made by Capcom.

If this was true I doubt it would have been FPA,wasprobably more like Raven Blade as a more western action adventure game using western style.

^ ah right, Im not so up on my portable zeldas.

He said console Zelda.  Capcom also made Oracle of Ages/Seasons.

One funny thing i was thinking about the new Zelda is the fact, that Link is left-handed. That game must be using motion plus. It's perfect for it. With motion plus wouldn't you have to switch hands, with the wii-mote?

In TP they made Link right handed for the Wii version... because most Americans are right handed. Maybe they'll do the same for Zelda Wii.

Link is right handed in LoZ:TP, the Wii version at least

Yeah, that's why I started to play the Wii (my first HOME console) with the Wiimote in the right hand, even if I am left-handed. I can say it was difficult at the beginning, and now my right hand is stronger (especially because of Metroid). I hope there will be a choice of the mode tough, because there will surely be WM+ in Zelda Wii and it will be difficult with 1:1 (or nearly) motion... If they don't think about it, I maybe won't be able to play Zelda Wii correctly... and it would be a shame !

Link is fictional, he can be foot-handed as far as anyone else is concerned.

I hope a new Zelda is shown. Retro or not. A first person perspective would be kinda cool.