Hidemaro Fujibayashi says new Zelda developers should not feel limited to ideas from Ocarina of Time, Breath of the Wild, or Tears of the Kingdom. The Legend of Zelda franchise is currently focused on the Ocarina of Time remake.
However, the producers want the next generation of developers to know the series must evolve.
Zelda’s Fujibayashi Wants New Ideas, Not Just More Breath of the Wild
Speaking to Polygon, Hidemaro Fujibayashi explained how the franchise has evolved over the years and why it’s important not to just pull ideas from the past. His comments do not confirm the next Zelda game’s format.
This is the kind of probing and discussion that we do with the team such that they don’t feel like they need to pull from an already existing pool of ideas that Zelda has plotted.
I want to really open it up to their imagination and their ideas. And I feel like Zelda as a franchise is big enough, is malleable enough, that it can support all of that. As Mr. Aonuma was saying before, it’s not like we give very specific orders, like “This needs to be done that way” or “That needs to be done this way,” but it’s really taking a step back and watching the team as they embark on their journey to freely tap into the uniqueness to really be able to create something that’s original.
The Zelda franchise is also expanding beyond video games, with a live-action Zelda movie set to release in 2027. Reflecting the franchise’s malleable nature, the film’s plot will be an original story, drawing on Hyrule adventures from different generations to create the most engaging narrative for viewers.
Previously, Eiji Aonuma said that some people working on this game had never even played the original Ocarina of Time. Learn more about how that shaped the remake experience here.
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I'm Robert DeFelice. I spent years covering pro-wrestling industry for outlets such as Fightful. After years in wrestling journalism, I’ve transitioned to video games, another passion of mine.
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