Interview:Iwata Asks: Link's Crossbow Training: Difference between revisions

{{Interview/A|Iwata:</b> Yeah}}

{{Interview/A|Miyamoto:</b> Where's the producer, Mr. Aonuma? And there is one more producer behind Link's Crossbow Training besides Mr. Aonuma.}}

{{Interview/A|Iwata:</b> Mr. Tezuka is also a producer, right?}}

{{Interview/A|Miyamoto:</b> Until now, it had been a long time since Mr. Tezuka has had anything to do with Zelda, and I thought it would just be better if he were here too, since I might not be able to answer all of your questions. (laughs)}}

{{Interview/A|Iwata:</b> (laughs) For now, rather than hearing too much about the details of the game, I'd like to ask you what sort of image you had in mind when creating Link's Crossbow Training.}}

{{Interview/A|Miyamoto:</b> I see. Well, where should I start? I've always been into first person shooter (FPS) style games, 3D games in which you can walk around freely and see things from your own point of view.}}

{{Interview/A|Iwata:</b> And why do you like those games?}}

{{Interview/A|Miyamoto:</b> I think it is more comfortable, more natural. We are creatures of habit. We don't look at our feet when we're walking around, and we're always trying desperately to take in the scenery while we're living our lives. So, even in these games I want people to be able to get really into the 3D geography, so it feels like you're really there, since I think it's a really natural thing to be able to look around while you're walking. At first when we were developing The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, I even proposed using a first-person perspective.}}

{{Interview/A|Iwata:</b> Ocarina of Time from a first-person perspective!?}}

{{Interview/A|Miyamoto:</b> I thought that might surprise you! (laughs)}}

{{Interview/A|Iwata:</b> During the Nintendo 64 era you had to keep hardware limitations in mind, didn't you?}}

{{Interview/A|Miyamoto:</b> Well, although I had originally planned to make a game with a first-person perspective, the idea of having a child Link in the game was born, and then it became necessary for the hero to be seen on the screen.}}

{{Interview/A|Iwata:</b> I see. So, if the hero isn't visible on screen, it's really hard to tell the difference between adult Link and the child Link, right?}}

{{Interview/A|Miyamoto:</b> That, and also the fact that it's a total waste not to have Link visible on screen when he is so cool looking! (laughs) So, we decided to have the hero visible in Ocarina of Time, but I had always thought that FPS games which you could operate from your own perspective were really interesting, so I was proactively supporting such projects like the 007 GoldenEye game.}}

{{Interview/A|Iwata:</b> While there are people like you, Mr. Miyamoto, who find these FPS games to be really fun, there are, on the other hand, people who feel FPS games are too difficult. I think that quite a lot of Japanese people feel this way – why do you think this is?}}

{{Interview/A|Miyamoto:</b> I really don't know what the reason could be.}}

{{Interview/A|Iwata:</b> I don't share this opinion, but some say that Japanese and Westerners would have different abilities when it comes to grasping 3D games, since people who were traditionally hunters would have a better understanding of using space, whereas people who were traditionally farmers might not.}}

{{Interview/A|Miyamoto:</b> So I guess my ancestors were hunters! (laughs) But don't get me wrong, I'm really no expert at FPS games. I can get beat in a second, but I think they're really fun.}}

{{Interview/A|Iwata:</b> It seems that you're always in tune with what you find enjoyable.}}

{{Interview/A|Miyamoto:</b> Yeah, you can read me like a book!}}

{{Interview/A|Iwata:</b> For example, the idea for Wii Fit was born because you found the simple act of weighing yourself every day enjoyable, and similarly, the creation of a game in the FPS genre was a reaction to your internal sensor telling you that it would be fun.}}

{{Interview/A|Miyamoto:</b> If there is something simple which someone can find enjoyable, the same joy can be experienced by anyone on earth, I believe. That's what I always have in mind when I am creating games. For example, when we were working on Wii Sports, people in America kept telling me that there was no way that games this simple would sell in the States. When Wii Sports finally went on sale though, the games appeared to have even stronger appeal in the US than they did in Japan. When you see a phenomenon like that occur right in front of you, you start to see that there really isn't any difference in what east or the west find enjoyable.}}

{{Interview/A|Iwata:</b> So, in order to show a lot of different people how much fun FPS games are, you created Link's Crossbow Training.}}

{{Interview/A|Miyamoto:</b> Right.}}

{{Interview/A|Iwata:</b> I can understand why you say you wanted to expose more people here in Japan to FPS games, but the game was released in the US, where there already are a lot of people who are into FPS games, right?}}

{{Interview/A|Miyamoto:</b> Well, even in the US, as in Japan, there are people who used to be into gaming, but don't play anymore, or just aren't into FPS games.}}

{{Interview/A|Iwata:</b> Well I've certainly heard from an American reporter I've spoken to about how much trouble he has been experiencing in playing FPS games. (laughs)}}

{{Interview/A|Miyamoto:</b> Well first of all, FPS games were originally shooting games. You couldn't scroll, you played on a level surface, and I think a lot of people really liked that style of game.}}

{{Interview/A|Iwata:</b> Back then,  it had nothing to do with age; both kids and adults could enjoy these shooting games. When they played Link's Crossbow Training, some people were even reminded of those pop-gun games they used to play at carnivals.}}

{{Interview/A|Miyamoto:</b> Even when you go to an amusement park today you can find target practice games. There'll be some Wild West set-up where your enemies hide behind a rock and you take shots at a target. It seems really simple, but when you try it you see that it's really fun. But the gaming world has become more and more complicated to the point that people no longer think of it as being accessible.}}

{{Interview/A|Iwata:</b> During the Nintendo 64 era, when GoldenEye 007 came out, even in Japan there seemed to be signs indicating the likely spread of the FPS genre. But although the popularity of those games began peaking in the US soon after that, I think that there was still not much progression in Japan among people who enjoy playing video games.}}

{{Interview/A|Miyamoto:</b> In the US, various types of FPS games made for PCs slowly began to be released on home consoles. However, in Japan, there had been no basis for FPS-style games, and advanced games just kind of sprung up suddenly. I think it was our responsibility to continue releasing fun FPS games to the public to keep them engaged and interested though...}}

{{Interview/A|Iwata:</b> There's a really big difference between the simple shooting games and the advanced FPS games, isn't there? I think that although a lot of people would find the FPS games really fun, many have this image that it's really hard to bridge the gap in difficulty between the two.}}

{{Interview/A|Miyamoto:</b> Right, and I really felt there was room for a game that would bridge that gap, which is why I created Link's Crossbow Training. Since you use the Wii Remote to aim, it's a really comfortable way of playing a FPS.}}

{{Interview/A|Iwata:</b> Just out of curiosity, and since there's no reason for you to be studying English or training your brain, why did you use the English word "training" in the title?}}

{{Interview/A|Miyamoto:</b> (Laughs) Because something like "Link's Crossbow Classroom"  sounds a little funny, don't you think? Since it is a kind of introduction to FPS games, we were originally thinking of calling it "Introduction to Wii Zapper", but then we decided that people might get that confused with "Introduction to Wii"  (Introduction to Wii is the Japanese title for Wii Play), and we didn't want that to happen. Also, if we had given it a name like "The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Crossbow", it would have seemed like a grand-scaled sequel in the Zelda Series, and we didn't want it to be misinterpreted as such. That's why, in the end, we went with "training" for the title.}}

{{Interview/A|Iwata:</b> When I hear a story like that, that's when I really get a feel for the depth of the gaming world. When I hear something like that, I wonder if some people will begin to question the game's depth.}}

{{Interview/A|Miyamoto:</b> Well, it's what you'd expect from the creators of Zelda. (laughs)}}

{{Interview/A|Iwata:</b> So what made you decide to use Zelda in the creation of a FPS bridge-building game?}}

{{Interview/A|Miyamoto:</b> Well, once we finished the Ocarina of Time, we decided to make Majora's Mask as a kind of side story.}}

{{Interview/A|Iwata:</b> Oh right, I remember that. When I first heard of the idea for Link's Crossbow Training it really reminded me of Majora's Mask. I remember thinking that it was aiming to make use of the game world and game system of Twilight Princess in a different setting.}}

{{Interview/A|Miyamoto:</b> Yeah, that's true. The terrain created for Twilight Princess was vast. And honestly, I really thought there was more we could do with it. Those sort of sentiments always cross our minds in video game development though... (smiles).}}

{{Interview/A|Iwata:</b> (laughs)}}

{{Interview/A|Miyamoto:</b> So, after we finished with the development of Twilight Princess, I talked to the staff about whether or not we could do a side story. With a big series like Zelda, we usually only release a new version every 3-5 years, but we thought it would be great to make something for those people that really enjoyed Twilight Princess where they'd be able to keep playing in the same world. I think it's important for players to be able to play new games at a fairly fast pace.}}

{{Interview/A|Iwata:</b> On the other hand, it's also probably important to keep the development pace moving for the sake of developers as well, right?}}

{{Interview/A|Miyamoto:</b> That's true. So, I asked our Zelda staff to think about a new project with an extra story based around Twilight Princess. But then, they were coming up with stories that can be described as 'epic tales' rather than 'side stories'.}}

{{Interview/A|Iwata:</b> And the people have to wait 3-5 years for it again?}}

{{Interview/A|Miyamoto:</b> Of course it's also important to continue creating epics, but I do not believe that an epic tale alone can make a great game. I mean, depending on what kind of characteristics are added to a game, the fundamental enjoyment behind it can get lost amongst all the gadgets. With that in mind, we took some time to ponder over the new project and I ultimately suggested that we make a game based on the Twilight Princess that utilized the Wii Zapper.}}

{{Interview/A|Iwata:</b> I will ask you about the Wii Zapper in a minute, but what was the staff's reaction when you proposed that idea?}}

{{Interview/A|Miyamoto:</b> They were kind of shocked. It was like killing all the ideas they were working with until then. Some even felt that we should not do something which makes it look like we are reusing the already existing software and selling it to the consumers.}}

{{Interview/A|Iwata:</b> Well, at the beginning of the project, even I sensed an air of disagreement, or at least a lack of understanding, amongst some of the staff.}}

{{Interview/A|Miyamoto:</b> Which is why I proposed to them that we make a working prototype and ask our test players to play and let us know their impressions. If they told us that it wasn't fun, we'd stop development right there.}}

{{Interview/A|Iwata:</b> And what was the reaction of the test players?}}

{{Interview/A|Miyamoto:</b> It was great. Nintendo of America got together a group including a number of die-hard Zelda fans, but none of them said; 'What? This isn't Zelda!?', and they started really enjoying the game, and we knew that it was a go. After that, we received daily reports on the product that allowed us to tweak aspects of it as we continued working on it.}}

{{Interview/A|Iwata:</b> I was the one who initially conveyed the idea for Link's Crossbow Training to people at Nintendo of America when I was on a business trip there, and they told me they were pretty worried about the project. I mean, they had to wonder 'Is it ok to tinker with a product as popular and important as Zelda?', but as soon as they received the prototype, such anxiety apparently disappeared, as I have not heard of any more concerns from them since then.}}

{{Interview/A|Miyamoto:</b> Well, everyone likes video games. Even if you have a preconceived idea of what things a game should have in it, when it comes down to it, as long as the game is fun it really won't make much of a difference. For this matter, I intentionally ordered our team a number of "don'ts" in the game's development.}}

{{Interview/A|Iwata:</b> What do you mean by that?}}

{{Interview/A|Miyamoto:</b> Like, we cannot include anything unnecessary or we cannot make a movie, or the player should be able to complete one stage within three minutes.}}

{{Interview/A|Iwata:</b> Interesting. (laughs)}}