Interview:Iwata Asks: Twilight Princess (Part 3): Difference between revisions

{{Interview|2006-11-23

|interviewee = [[Shigeru Miyamoto]] <br> [[Eiji Aonuma]]

{{Interview/A|Iwata|You missed some really interesting stuff! There were lots of different points of view about your "upending of the tea table." (laughs) Some people said that this time nothing like that happened, while others disagreed and said that one by one all the plates and bowls were overturned, and before they knew it everything had been changed! (laughs)}}

{{Interview/A|Miyamoto|I think what we did was enough, but even that didn't satisfy my desire to do more. If only I could change it just a little bit more... (laughs)}}}}

<b>Iwata:</b> Yes, I'd have to agree with you.<br><br>

<b>Miyamoto:</b> Those aspects might not always be seen when playing the game, but nonetheless I'd like to praise the staff on all the work they put into making those fine details! (laughs)<br><br>

<b>Iwata:</b> Everything you see in the game world is fully-formed, not made in the same way as the set of a TV show which, if you view it from a certain angle, hasn't been fully built. Realising a vision like this may have been hugely expensive but you've really come up with a world you rarely see in video games. A lot of time and effort has gone into crafting all the details in this game, so I'd really like the players to thoroughly enjoy this rich gaming experience.<br><br>

<b>Miyamoto:</b> Even things such as the doors have been lovingly put together.<br><br>

<b>Aonuma:</b> It's just another indication of the quality that's found in Zelda games. If we were making a game that only used a fixed camera angle for example, there would be no need to make things that appear on the sides or behind the player as they wouldn't be seen. But that's not the kind of approach we like to use for a Zelda game. We were also keen to make the locations on the landscape interconnect and make them accessible from any direction where possible, that's why we really feel that no corners have been cut. The reason we made such an effort to include as many features as possible is because our aim is to make people feel that the vast land of Hyrule is a true living and breathing environment.<br><br>

<b>Iwata:</b> Okay, finally I'd like to ask you both to give a message to the many fans who've been waiting for Zelda: Twilight Princess. Aonuma-san, would you like to start?<br><br>

<b>Aonuma:</b> Well, to put it simply, I just want the fans to really embrace the wonderful world we've created. We worked ourselves to the bone making this and feel we've accomplished our goal and produced a truly great piece of work. I really hope you take the time to play this game as a new type of Zelda experience awaits you.<br><br>

<b>Iwata:</b> Miyamoto-san, what would you like to say?<br><br>

<b>Miyamoto:</b> I doubt there are many teams out there that could make something of this caliber. It's completely faithful to the spirit of Zelda, I mean, this game sticks to that clear path that a Zelda game must stick to. I know I can't predict how the world will react to this game, but I think I can safely say that there's nothing else like this available. The staff remained positive, and even when they were exhausted they worked hard right until the last moment putting everything together. Because this game contains so much energy, I'd really like people to pick it up and give it a try. As for my role this time, I feel I've helped more in putting everything together into its final form, rather than assisting with the creative side. Now it's finished, I can look back and feel that it's been a very enjoyable experience. What do you think, Iwata-san?<br><br>

<b>Iwata:</b> Firstly, I think the final product really benefited from the decision to extend the development time by an extra year. The sheer scale of this project meant that there wasn't a clear plan from the start, but in spite of this I feel that the Zelda development team achieved their true potential and demonstrated their astonishing ability by bringing all the elements of this game neatly together in one well-rounded package. I haven't had the chance to play the game through in its entirety yet, but I have been able to check all the individual pieces and can confidently say that the wealth of ideas and energy that has been put into this game really shines through. Even with all the resources we have here at Nintendo, we could only make something like this once every few years. In fact, it might not be easy to do something like this again, so I really want everyone to have a wonderful time playing this game.<br><br>

<b>Aonuma:</b> Indeed, and with this version of Zelda, you should really get your money's worth with over a hundred hours of gameplay.<br><br>

<b>Iwata:</b> And none of that time feels in the slightest like a chore, which is really an achievement.<br><br>

<b>Miyamoto:</b> When we say it will take a hundred hours, we don't mean you will spend half the time just building up your strength and supplies... Well, perhaps there is the odd time you have to collect rupees, but that's it! (laughs) Even then, we have made it so that the player will have fun coming up with ideas to get those rupees. This is a game you won't tire of!<br><br>

<b>Aonuma:</b> Another thing is that this project has seen a mixture of creators, both old-timers and newcomers alike who've worked together to produce ideas that manage to combine a fresh approach with oddly nostalgic gameplay.<br><br>

<b>Iwata:</b> And because of that, I think we've made a game that has a very broad appeal.<br><br>

<b>Aonuma:</b> That's right, and even people of Miyamoto-san's generation will be playing this one! (laughs) Three generations of people will be able to enjoy this gaming experience.<br><br>

<b>Iwata:</b> By "three generations", you mean like Touch Generations, right? (laughs)<br><br>

<b>Aonuma:</b> Right. Which is a good thing! (laughs)<br><br>

<b>Miyamoto:</b> I also wanted to mention the sound and programming teams as well as the people who made the videos and demos. They didn't take part in these interviews, but worked just as hard as the rest.<br><br>

<b>Aonuma:</b> That's right. <br><br>

<b>Iwata:</b> To tell the truth, I still have lots of questions I wanted to ask the developers in these interviews...<br><br>

<b>Miyamoto:</b> Speaking of which, these discussions are being translated and put on the international Nintendo sites as well, aren't they? I just wanted to add to the many fans of Zelda around the world that members of the foreign localization teams came over and worked with us during the development. And to these teams, I wanted to say that they really are very dedicated to what they do.<br><br>

<b>Aonuma:</b> They certainly did work hard. This is actually the first time a Zelda game is being released simultaneously worldwide too. Various localization teams from around the world came to Japan and worked together with us on making this possible.<br><br>

<b>Miyamoto:</b> They even worked alongside us until late at night.<br><br>

<b>Aonuma:</b> They did. Generally speaking, I heard that most people in other countries tend not to work that late, but these guys sometimes worked until 1am! <br><br>

<b>Miyamoto:</b> I said to one of the European team members: "You're working late!" and they replied: "Yes, because the Japanese staff haven't gone home yet!"<br><br>

<b>Iwata:</b> (laughs)<br><br>

<b>Aonuma:</b> There was a good sense of unity among us. When they went to the local convenience store to buy a late-night bento box to eat, we thought: "That's just what we do!" (laughs)<br><br>

<b>Iwata:</b> To the localization teams that worked together on this project, you certainly know your Japanese culture!<br><br>

<b>Aonuma:</b> I agree. <br><br>

<b>Miyamoto:</b> Another thing, there are more people translating the game's text into English than there were making the original Japanese! (laughs)<br><br>

Aonumas: There were, weren't there? (laughs) There were people to pick out the intricacies of the original Japanese, others to convert the language into English and then even more people in charge of perfecting it and making it sound natural!<br><br>

<b>Miyamoto:</b> Not forgetting the people who iron out the parts of the story they think are weird! (laughs)<br><br>

<b>All:</b> (laughter)<br><br>

<b>Iwata:</b> I'd just like to say thank you to everyone for spending such a long time today answering my questions.<br><br>

<b>Aonuma:</b> Thank you.<br><br>