Zelda Hints? Or Zelda Rumors?

You decide the story

May 14th, 2004

Another IGN round table discussion. Again, it's about the DS and The Legend of Zelda, along with a few other things. Could it be there's a second Legend of Zelda game in the works that's be co-developed alongside Zelda Reborn? Or is this just a big smoke trail to throw us off the mark. Decide for yourself here.

IGN: Are you aware of the Reggie-lution?

Perrin Kaplan : I might be part of the Reggie-lution. We have a lot of secret plans as far as the Reggie-lution is concerned. We conspire often. We conspire greatly. And just be careful because the flowers that bud around his feet are toxic.

IGN: The DS is apparently the third pillar. How will you market it independently from Game Boy Advance?

Perrin Kaplan : I sense that you're not with us on that -- that it's a third platform. So your question is how we're going to market it?

IGN: Yeah, and not just the DS either. The Game Boy Advance too.

Perrin Kaplan : Well obviously the Game Boy Advance is selling very well, as you know. We have sold 21 million units in the US and if you look at the Game Boy history 168 million have been sold worldwide -- that's a huge number. It continues to sell very well. I think the SP, nobody will argue it's a pretty sexy product. It's selling at light speed and that's going to continue. The DS really is a different product. What our intention is, and I believe we will see this happen, is that universe of portable players will expand. The DS really allows us to extend this whole portable gaming experience. So now what we're going to figure out now that we've seen people's reaction to the DS, which has been very, very good, is to sit down and figure out how we're going to market the product.

IGN: It's coming out at the end of this year. That's not a whole lot of time to tell everyone what it's all about. How do you plan to do it?

Perrin Kaplan : I think anything that's really interesting -- anything that's got sex appeal to it -- you won't have a problem communicating it pretty quickly. We pulled stuff together for E3 in a pretty subtle fashion and impressed people here -- we didn't have a lot of time to do that. The DS was just announced not that long ago and here we are: it's the buzz of the show floor. At least, that's the feedback we're getting. But I don't think we'll have a problem with time at all.

IGN: Since the DS can play GBA games and more, why own a GBA?

Perrin Kaplan : I think what this does is that if we're able to extend out our number of portable players, I think the initial appeal the DS gives you is that you can start with a library of 500 games. That said, if you want games that are built for two screens then those are going to be the DS games. You're going to buy that hardware to have those games. It's nice to start with a library of 500 games. That's a very big positive. But that product will continue to extend out for a little, if that makes sense.

IGN: So do you think with all the excitement for Nintendo DS that developers will abandon GBA development in favor of the dual screens?

Perrin Kaplan : I don't think so. You see people who develop for all of the platforms. It's not a matter really of abandoning one for the other. This I think will have different teams applied to it. There will be teams that work on Game Boy Advance games and others that work on DS games. There will be some similarities between the two in terms of development, but there will also be definite differences too. I mean, building something for a separate screen will take a different set of rules.

IGN: Will there be any regulations on how to develop for DS? As in, if developers don't want to take advantage of, say, the touch screen, would Nintendo recommend instead that they develop for the GBA?

Perrin Kaplan : A lot of that has to do with personal relationships you have with them, but no, developers are encouraged to come up with whatever ideas they can conceive. The DS is a blank canvas and we're encouraging developers to come up with ideas. I do think that if they were going to make a game that was just for one screen, though, they would make it for GBA.

IGN: Is that the final design of the DS?

Perrin Kaplan : We're getting close to what will be a final design.

IGN: What changes will be made to the final design?

Perrin Kaplan : I think you should spend your time guessing.

IGN: Don't worry, we will.

Perrin Kaplan : No, you'll see it shortly. We're mostly home.

IGN: So when will we see it?

Perrin Kaplan : At… I'd say before launch. Once we begin taking this on the road again. Once we're home and get stuff wrapped up from E3, get ourselves ready, and go back out -- you'll see it about that time.

IGN: Any idea where the stylus is going to go on the machine? Perrin Kaplan : Don't at the moment, no. But you'll see soon.

IGN: Are you going to have an event to demonstrate the DS at length?

Perrin Kaplan : What you're really asking is whether or not you're going to get your hands on it really soon, and you will. It'll either be brought to you or you'll be invited somewhere to see it.

IGN: Are you addressing the cart costs for developers making DS games?

Perrin Kaplan : We will be working with developers and publishers on the cost structure.

IGN: What's the battery life for DS?

Perrin Kaplan : Very similar to the SP and I think very different from the PSP. I'm not quite sure why Sony said "Two to 10 hours" [for PSP's battery life]. That must mean that it's two hours.

IGN: Where do you think the DS stands against the PSP?

Perrin Kaplan : I think that's a question I should be asking you guys. I think Sony has developed a very nice looking screen. I think that having a system with claims to all the multi-functionality is a big question in our minds. Pricing is a huge questions. Whether they're going to port games is a big question. And I really do think that the products are very, very different. Nintendo is very established with proven results in a big, big way. We've got 180 months of being in the number-one position in portable and own about 98-100% of the marketplace. We've beat out nine competitors. From our view DS is a very different product that takes a little bit of a left turn so to compare them directly doesn't make perfect sense.

IGN: Where does Nintendo stand on DS and the Internet

Perrin Kaplan : 802.11b wireless will take you to the Internet [on DS] and you'll be able to connect that way. Nintendo is not opposed to online. I think people have this perception that Nintendo does not support online. We support businesses that are profitable. We don't agree with charging a monthly fee to be online. This is wireless and will work without you having to pay a monthly fee.

IGN: Is there going to be a Space World?

Perrin Kaplan : I don't have an answer for that.

IGN: What happened to Silicon Knights?

Perrin Kaplan : They are going to continue the business of what they do. We respect the work that they have done. They are a really, really good team. I just think Nintendo and Silicon Knights have slightly different priorities, which does happen in business quite frequently. But we have a lot of mutual respect for each other.

IGN: We just bumped into Denis Dyack, president of Silicon Knights, as he was on his way into a Nintendo meeting. So what kind of plot are you hatching?

Perrin Kaplan : There is nothing that precludes us from having a relationship. I mean, they may make a product for DS or otherwise. But it's just purely as a second-party -- that part of the relationship has changed.

IGN: What happened to Mario 128?

Perrin Kaplan : Miyamoto continues to work on a variety of different games and I think he's still got that in development, but he's just not ready to present it. He's got his attention on so many things and now with the DS coming he's just going to begin to finalize what he's working on. It has not disappeared, though, I'll just say that.

IGN: How'd you like the reaction to Zelda at your pre-E3 conference?

Perrin Kaplan : Oh my God. We were really happy that people had such great reactions to DS, Metroid, Star Fox and to a variety of different things. But we also like to be able to trick people, to say that we're done announcing and everything and then at the last minute pull out one more thing. And it was like crazed fans at a Beatles' concert. People were freaking out. It was great. The sound in the room was awesome. It felt great and Miyamoto loved it.

IGN: Miyamoto said that one of the reasons they showed the new Zelda was that many, many, many, many people wanted the new look. Do you think that after the release of Wind Waker Miyamoto realized that -- great as it was -- it might not have been the Zelda title fans wanted?

Perrin Kaplan : No. No. Miyamoto and the millions of fans who played Wind Waker are very happy with the cel-shaded look. You guys played it and loved it. It's a great game and it sold in the millions. He's an artist and he just decided to do something else. We knew that people were going to say, "Oh, is the new Zelda because you made a mistake with Wind Waker?" You don't make a mistake when you sell something in the millions and millions. That kind of cel-shading is very difficult to do. That's a beautiful game and this will be a beautiful game.

IGN: So is there another cel-shaded Zelda in development then?

Perrin Kaplan : That I can't tell you.

IGN: So have you seen this rumored two-minute Zelda trailer that Nintendo was going to show off, but pulled at the last minute?

Perrin Kaplan : I have and it's beautiful. What's not beautiful about the new Zelda?

IGN: What happened with the GameCube peripheral that Nintendo president Satoru Iwata would be at E3 2004?

Perrin Kaplan : You'll hear more about it this year.

IGN: Is it a hard drive or mass-storage memory device for the GameCube?

Perrin Kaplan : You'll hear more about it this year.

IGN: Will Nintendo Revolution still launch at the same time as systems from competitors Sony and Microsoft's consoles?

Perrin Kaplan : We will be at the right time and it will be during that time, yes.

[Laughter]

IGN: What does that mean?

Perrin Kaplan : You're asking for a specific date for our next system -- we don't have one. Nintendo is going to remain competitive and will launch around the same time as competitors.

IGN: But not later than?

Perrin Kaplan : No, not later than.

IGN: The codename Revolution implies a new way to play games. Can we safely assume that this will be the case?

Perrin Kaplan : I think DS shows a new way to play games. The opportunities for that seem almost endless. Our hope and intent is to create something as unique as DS [with Revolution].

IGN: Will you help market Resident Evil 4?

Perrin Kaplan : Nintendo is very committed to Capcom's GameCube-exclusive game. You will see a lot of activity on it.

IGN: Do games like Metroid Prime 2 and the new Zelda mean that Nintendo will focus more of its efforts to make games for the adult market?

Perrin Kaplan : I think that's a fair statement. I think Nintendo is certainly not leaving one arena to enter another. It's really an extension, making sure we've got good quality games across the board. I think a lot of the products that we have right now do appeal to the older audience and I think a lot of it has to do with how you package it. I feel that we hit on the market this time.

IGN: Do you feel that third-party support for GCN will be a problem this year?

Perrin Kaplan : No, I think all the major licensees continue to have a relationship with Nintendo. It's just a matter of moving forward and making sure that all the right products are on the platform. Resident Evil 4 is actually a really great example of the great product you can get.

IGN: Is next year's E3 going to be the E3 for Revolution?

Perrin Kaplan : It could very well be. That's our plan. But that's a long ways off. This business changes every day so I won't make any commitments at the moment.

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