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TotK producer Eiji Aonuma WaPo interview: "I’m kind of reaching my limit here"

LectureMaster

Gold Member

Since the turn of the century, Aonuma has been the franchise master of the Zelda series. He’s worked on every title since 1998’s “Ocarina of Time,” often called the “Citizen Kane” of video games thanks to innovations that inspired “Grand Theft Auto” and countless other titles.

“I found myself at times wondering, ‘should I be doing this at my age?’” said the 60-year-old Aonuma in an interview earlier this month, after traveling here from his home in Kyoto for a launch event on the eve of the game’s release. “I’m kind of reaching my limit here and I don’t want to push myself too hard.”
Later, as he slowly lowered himself to sit for a photo, he smiled and muttered, “like a grandpa.”


Zelda producer Eiji Aonuma: “I would really be happy if our game encourages imaginative thinking in people, and that they could carry that into their real lives.”
Huge hat off to Mr. Aonuma. Normally at age 60 we'd expect a easier and leisurely life. Old man still has great passion and delivered such a masterpiece. It is per se the pure heartwarming side of gaming.
 

LectureMaster

Gold Member
Idk how you even advance dramatically from ToTK. You either scrap and build from scratch or polish what’s here with small tweaks.
Maybe something like time travel close to titanfall 2 or dishonored 2 but in a full-blown open world. That would require a stronger spec for their next console.
 

Zannegan

Member
Maybe something like time travel close to titanfall 2 or dishonored 2 but in a full-blown open world. That would require a stronger spec for their next console.
Reminds me of my favorite moment from Skyward sword. Sailing through the desert, even though it was only part of a dungeon, was magical in action.

Expanding on that to be forward and backward in time, like Ocarina on crack, would be crazy.
 

Madflavor

Member
Idk how you even advance dramatically from ToTK. You either scrap and build from scratch or polish what’s here with small tweaks.

I honestly feel after TotK they should go back to a more traditional Zelda. Scale back the world, and really focus on fleshing out the dungeons, areas between them, and the towns. Wide as a lake, but the depth of an ocean.

Because the alternative is stick with the new Open World format with Zelda, and just go bigger and bigger and bigger with each new entry, and I don't see how that's gonna work. It's going to be absolutely soul sucking. 6+ year long waits between new entries is so long.
 

MagnesD3

Member
I honestly feel after TotK they should go back to a more traditional Zelda. Scale back the world, and really focus on fleshing out the dungeons, areas between them, and the towns. Wide as a lake, but the depth of an ocean.

Because the alternative is stick with the new Open World format with Zelda, and just go bigger and bigger and bigger with each new entry, and I don't see how that's gonna work. It's going to be absolutely soul sucking. 6+ year long waits between new entries is so long.
I really hope the next one is alot more traditional in structure, Im fine with it being a big (not as big as BOTW) open world but I dont want it to be a an open freestyle sandbox game like BOTW. Also no more weapon breaking, Id personally love it if you had weapons that leveled up the more you used them to encourage players to use them and fight enemy camps with rewards that allowed you to upgrade your weapons as well, give them unique movesets with purpose and everything, keep all the unique clothes and make them upgrade able by use and items as well. There's alot they could do but Im fine as long as we would get traditional dungeons/items.
 
I honestly feel after TotK they should go back to a more traditional Zelda. Scale back the world, and really focus on fleshing out the dungeons, areas between them, and the towns. Wide as a lake, but the depth of an ocean.

Because the alternative is stick with the new Open World format with Zelda, and just go bigger and bigger and bigger with each new entry, and I don't see how that's gonna work. It's going to be absolutely soul sucking. 6+ year long waits between new entries is so long.

Totally agree. Something is missing with BOTW/TOTK.

I would much prefer a smaller more intimate world the size of OOT, but really flesh out the design of those areas.

BOTW and TOTK have so much content but I feel most people never even bother. It's too watered down with tons of stuff and I don't really need a 160 hour game....just give me a solid 40.
 

Madflavor

Member
Totally agree. Something is missing with BOTW/TOTK.

I would much prefer a smaller more intimate world the size of OOT, but really flesh out the design of those areas.

BOTW and TOTK have so much content but I feel most people never even bother. It's too watered down with tons of stuff and I don't really need a 160 hour game....just give me a solid 40.

If they do another BotW style entry after TotK, Zelda just may not be for me anymore.
 

bender

What time is it?
take-a-break-break.gif
 
I honestly feel after TotK they should go back to a more traditional Zelda. Scale back the world, and really focus on fleshing out the dungeons, areas between them, and the towns. Wide as a lake, but the depth of an ocean.

Because the alternative is stick with the new Open World format with Zelda, and just go bigger and bigger and bigger with each new entry, and I don't see how that's gonna work. It's going to be absolutely soul sucking. 6+ year long waits between new entries is so long.
This.
 

L*][*N*K

Banned
He has been the man behind Zelda since Majora's Mask and what a spotless job he has done, truly fantastic. He probably has one more game in him, then I assume Hidemaro Fujibayashi will take over as Zelda producer.
 

GigaBowser

The bear of bad news
Totally agree. Something is missing with BOTW/TOTK.

I would much prefer a smaller more intimate world the size of OOT, but really flesh out the design of those areas.

BOTW and TOTK have so much content but I feel most people never even bother. It's too watered down with tons of stuff and I don't really need a 160 hour game....just give me a solid 40.
This is a minorities opinions though reviewers and public likes open world Zeldas more

Higher scores and WAY higher sales
 

MagnesD3

Member
This is a minorities opinions though reviewers and public likes open world Zeldas more

Higher scores and WAY higher sales
So does Call of Duty but yes your right it does sell more and get high reviews from the "mainstream masses" but how much stock does that hold..
 
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GigaBowser

The bear of bad news
So does Call of Duty but yes your right it does sell more and get high reviews from the "mainstream masses" but how much stock does that hold..
Never saw no call of doody gets a 96 on metacritic

Anywayss this is the new Zelda template now older template is only going to be in the spinoff top down zeldas now maybe
 

MagnesD3

Member
Never saw no call of doody gets a 96 on metacritic

Anywayss this is the new Zelda template now older template is only going to be in the spinoff top down zeldas now maybe
That metacritic is journalists though and not the massive public your referring to.. I'm talking about reviews of the masses.
 
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Dampf

Member
He's mentored Hidemaro Fujibayashi to become a beast director, he can retire knowing Zelda is in great hands now.
I would rather have Koizumi take the lead. He's a much better fit to Zelda than Mario, as he has proven with Majoras Mask.

Fujibayashi cannot design dungeons, so he can't replace Aonuma. Literally that guy is the reason why Skyward Sword has the simplest and most linear dungeons in the series (albeit with great theming of course, which is the reason why the dungeons are beloved by many, not the complexity). And the lackluster TOTK dungeons are probably also designed by him.
 
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Robb

Gold Member
Hopefully he’ll keep going for at least one more installment. I really want to see what he and the team has in mind to top TotK.

Not to mention seeing what they can do with all these in-game systems on more powerful hardware.
 
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Valt7786

Member
I'd be happy with another ToTK style game but obviously on more powerful hardware, give combat an overhaul, give us unlockable combat moves like in twilight princess etc, different movesets for weapons etc.
 

Boy bawang

Member
Idk how you even advance dramatically from ToTK. You either scrap and build from scratch or polish what’s here with small tweaks.
Fully destructible world in my opinion. Buildings, but also landscape. Break a dam and flood a valley for example.
I don't know how to make it properly work in a game though, but then again, I don't work in videogames.
 
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