Japanese video game news site Famitsu has shared an interview with Final Fantasy XIV director Naoki Yoshida. During the interview Yoshida was asked which game he has played lately that has impressed him lately and he stated that The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom was one title which has blown him away. He said that numerous things impressed him about the creative Zelda game, particularly about how the the game’s concept came about.
“All recent games are interesting, but I was particularly impressed with The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom. This may be a bit of a geeky topic, but even from a creator’s point of view, there were many points that made me think, ‘Wow, that’s amazing,’ in terms of how the resources were used, how it was made, and the game design.
In fact, the base resources used in that work are almost the same as other Zelda works. In other words, by focusing all of their efforts on the fun of the game, they kept production costs to a minimum. That’s why, with the understanding that sales may not grow as explosively as the main game, they are challenging themselves to ‘figure out how to make it more fun.’
However, in order to achieve a balance, they deliberately do not use original resources. This idea does not come about overnight. It is very interesting to know who came up with that form and how they did it.
I don’t think that a method of saving costs, sharing resources, and investing in a system framework would come out of the ideas of young people. That work was born because the knowledge of veterans and the sensibilities of young people worked very well together as a team. I would like those who are aiming to become game developers or those who have just started their careers to play that work from that perspective. For me, it is a work that is extremely noteworthy.”
Thanks to Greatsong1 for sending in the news tip!
