Nintendo Hiring for Next Console, What it Might Mean for Zelda

Nintendo Technology Development, a subsidiary wholly owned by Nintendo, has recently published a job description detailing requirements for an opening as “Senior Software Engineer – Architect”, or in other words a lead graphics architect. The personality in question would “play a key role in determining the System-On-Chip architecture”, what this means is that they will (along with a team of engineers) design a main chip linking all hardware components to each other.

Description of Duties

Nintendo Technology Development is looking for a lead graphics architect in the system-on-chip architecture group in Redmond, WA. The group is responsible for the architecture of Nintendo’s game console SoCs. The graphics architect plays a key role in determining the SoC architecture. The job responsibilities are:

• Evaluate HW graphics (GPU) offerings from SoC solutions available in the market based on performance, power, and silicon area.
• Evaluate the performance of the SoC solutions for both proprietary and standard graphics APIs.
• Determine workloads and simulation models for both performance and power characteristics of GPUs.
• Keep track of GPU architectural improvements in the industry and devise strategies to incorporate them for future Nintendo gaming platforms.
• Act as the graphics architectural evangelist working with global Nintendo teams for future and on-going programs.
• Work with external SoC vendors as the Nintendo focal point for graphics GPU architecture.
• Should be prepared to work through architecture, design, validation, and bring-up stages of SoC design in cooperation with internal and external teams.

As always Nintendo does have high standards for who they hire exactly:

Summary of Requirements

• The ideal candidate will have had experience working directly in a GPU architecture and design team with significant responsibilities.
• Low power and SoC design experience would be a plus.
• The candidate is expected to have good architectural insights and the ability to apply that for setting future graphics direction for Nintendo.
• A bachelors degree (graduate degree preferred) in computer science/engineering or electrical engineering.
• 5+ years of lead or architectural role experience are required.

What this most likely means is that Nintendo has started development on a new game console for us fans to enjoy, and this is of course not enitrely suprising; companies like Nintendo will start work on new hardware projects years before it is actually released.

One thing the job description does state quite a bit though is GPU power (graphics), and this could mean Nintendo is focusing specifically on GPU capaity for its next console. The description even states this: “Keep track of GPU architectural improvements in the industry and devise strategies to incorporate them for future Nintendo gaming platforms,” meaning Nintendo is registering the improvements the constantly evolving computer hardware market is delivering.

If you meet the above requirements and are interested in working for Nintendo, a link redirecting to the job listing can be found in the source at the bottom of the article.

What The Next Nintendo Console Could Mean for The Legend of Zelda

Taking into account that the listing does specifically state GPU capacity, we could be looking at a next-gen console running Zelda games in an extremely graphically detailed world, in the style of, for example the 2012 tech-demo, which already looked exceptional. Furthermore, with even higher CPU capacity we might also be looking at a Zelda game that features special effects or cinematic effects even stronger than what we have seen before. The underlying story could become more immersive, it could feature non-stop events (maybe even seasonal) happening all over the updated and highly detailed world of Hyrule, maybe even become online (although I’m not sure how I would feel about that).

If Nintendo follows the pattern it has been following the past one and a half decades, we should be looking at two The Legend of Zelda games for the Wii U, one being Zelda U from last E3. It’ also entirely possible that the second game could be ported to the newer console as well, in the style of Twilight Princess releasing on both the Gamecube and the Wii. Furthermore, with the poor launch of the Wii U it might well be that Nintendo would want to get this new console released as soon as possible, which could also mean that a situation as Twilight Princess‘ could certainly arise.

It’s hard to speculate with such little information, although knowing that Nintendo is looking at stronger hardware capacities does open up quite a few doors!

What do you guys think of this news? Do you like the fact that Nintendo seems to be focusing on graphics quite a bit? What do you think this new information could mean for future The Legend of Zelda titles? Hit us up with your opinion in the comments!

Source: Gamnesia