Miyamoto Says Zelda: Skyward Sword Is Only Half-Complete

[Greg Tito]

Miyamoto Says Zelda: Skyward Sword Is Only Half-Complete

The next Zelda game missed the 2010 Holiday release and it may just miss 2011 as well.

Watching Shigeru Miyamoto fumble around with the Wii Remote during Nintendo's 2010 E3 presentation [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/101374-E3-2010-From-the-Nintendo-Press-Conference] and complain more than once of the interference that the audience's cellphones were having on his control scheme didn't really instill me with a lot of confidence for The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. Nintendo had originally pegged the next Zelda to be one of its "Big Three" releases for 2010, along with Mario Galaxy 2 and Metroid: Other M. Pushing back the release of Skyward Sword to "early" 2011 was a disappointment for many fans, but we were willing to suffer delays if it meant a good game. Now though, it seems that the release date has slipped even more as Miyamoto has said that work on Skyward Sword is only partially finished.

"What we are focused on is creating gameplay mechanics so the gameplay experience feels very dense. In fact, the overall experience is going to feel more dense," Miyamoto said. "We hope that people will want to go back and replay the game once they finish it."

Skyward Sword is "over half complete," Miyamoto said.

Now, Miyamoto could have just been speaking in generalities, and there may be a bit of a language/culture barrier, but at this point in development other game designers might say that they were in polish mode or that they were testing to make sure that all of the systems work well together. Especially if the game in question was trying to be ready to ship in the first six months of 2011.

But no, it's just "half-complete" and Miyamoto is still working on mechanics.

You heard it here first: I don't think we'll see Skyward Sword until the Holiday 2011 season and I wouldn't be very surprised if it comes out in 2012.

Source: Pocket-lint [http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/37425/interview-shigeru-miyamoto-nintendo-zelda]



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[Dastardly]

=SNIP=

This is a bit reassuring, actually. I was afraid they'd shove it out to draw attention back to the Wii in the wake of Move and Kinect. I'm secretly hoping the other half of the design process is creating another Wind-Waker style over-world through which to travel. Also, if the extra time helps them perfect Wii swordplay, it's completely worth it.

It's okay, I can wait. The promise of this game alone gives me a "skyward sword," if ya =nudge, nudge= knowhatImean. (And yes, I replied to this topic for the express purpose of leaving you with that line.)

 

[Hippobatman]

You heard it hear first: I don't think we'll see Skyward Sword until the Holiday 2011 season and I wouldn't be very surprised if it comes out in 2012.

*Ahem*

Anyway; I want this game to be as good as possible, so they can take their sweet time making a gem.

I want another awesome Zelda game!

 

[Tim Latshaw]

Better to polish Zelda and have people think it's uninspired than to release it early and erase all doubt.

 

[Outright Villainy]

Well it's good they're making sure they perfect it, but awh...

I want it now.

 

[Guffe]

Well this just means that the game will be better right??
Besides I won't be able to play games in 2011 so just polish it to a nice little diamond in 2011

 

[zelda2fanboy]

"Now, Miyamoto could have just been speaking in generalities, and there may be a bit of a language/culture barrier, but at this point in development other game designers might say that they were in polish mode or that they were testing to make sure that all of the systems work well together. Especially if the game in question was trying to be ready to ship in the first six months of 2011."

I bet they make holiday 2011 and it's probably what they were shooting for all along. I mean, why not have the big title everyone wants come out during the Christmas season? In fact, that's been the case for every console Zelda since Link to the Past. "Over half done" could very well mean 2/3 or 3/4 or 9/10 done, which could include testing and optimizing into the development time.

 

[Ninjamedic]

Oh great, another OoT Rehash.

How about some innovation please??

 

[Dorkmaster Flek]

You heard it hear first: I don't think we'll see Skyward Sword until the Holiday 2011 season and I wouldn't be very surprised if it comes out in 2012.

*Ahem*

Anyway; I want this game to be as good as possible, so they can take their sweet time making a gem.

I want another awesome Zelda game!

You beat me to the Grammar Nazi reply. Sloppy, guys. Anyway, I totally agree. If it's only half done, delay it. Remember what happened the last time Miyamoto promised a Zelda game by the end of the year and kept his promise? We got Wind Waker. A lame Triforce piece fetch quest bolted on at the last minute; two dungeons cut from the final build leaving the smallest number of any console Zelda game outside of Majora's Mask; and the remaining dungeons feeling rushed and plain, especially in the second half compared to the first half.

For my money, Wind Waker had the most disappointing dungeon selection of any of the 3D Zelda games. And before anybody mentions how Majora's Mask only had four dungeons, let me just say that it may be true, but those four dungeons were some of the best dungeons I've ever seen in a Zelda game. I don't know what the reason for this is, but it may have sometime to do with the fact that the game was directed by the lead dungeon designer from Ocarina of Time. Perhaps the dungeons got more time and attention as a result, but whatever the reason, the dungeons in Majora's Mask rank as some of the best designs ever in my book.

 

[Semudara]

Oh great, another OoT Rehash.

How about some innovation please??

Says the guy who hasn't played it and knows almost nothing about it.

How do I know you know almost nothing about the game? Because none of us do, yet.

 

[gigastrike]

If it took them 7 years to make Twilight Princess then, by all means, take your time.

 

[Ninjamedic]

Oh great, another OoT Rehash.

How about some innovation please??

Says the guy who hasn't played it and knows almost nothing about it.

How do I know you know almost nothing about the game? Because none of us do, yet.

Which has been said every time a Zelda game has been announced, this is predictible as the sun rising in the morning.

I'm just pissed off today, apologies If I sound like I'm trolling.

 

[Hippobatman]

Snip

Indeed, Majora's Mask was thouroughly a well designed game. Even the water dungeon was well done, and that's no small feat. Plus, the boss there still creeps me out.

Now, the focus in pretty much any Zelda game is the dungeons, however, Majora's Mask had an incredible side to it which I haven't seen in any other games from the Zelda franchise. The somber mood, the masks, the characters and that dead deku kid you encounter at the start. It made the game unique, and I hold it up as the best Zelda game, ever. It created an atmosphere outside the dungeons which I truly appreciate.

Remember the guy in Icana Valley hiding in the cupboard? And the ghost of the dead Goron hero?
Saving them almost made me cry. Cry, damnit.

Majora's Mask has a strong character, and I want Nintendo to take as much time with Skyward Sword to make it unique in its own right, just as Majora's Mask was.

 

[Bigwig]

The topic title is a bit misleading. He said it was "over" half complete, not "only." This could mean anything.

 

[Samus Aaron]

I waited through years of delays to get Twilight Princess, and it ended up amazing for its time. No reason to doubt Nintendo now.

 

[Semudara]

-snip-

I couldn't agree more. I can only hope that Skyward Sword will capture some of the spirit that made Majora's Mask so interesting and unique, yet still so unquestionably Zelda. They can take as much time as they want, but I really hope that this is the game where they bring the series back to full power!

And Ninjamedic, your post was alright. The cynicism was not entirely unjustified.

 

[CrystalShadow]

Ah, well, back to the old way of working, huh, Myamoto?

Ocarina of time was announced about the time the N64 was launched...

It took 4 years before it was released.
And it was delayed so many times it's not even funny.

Meanwhile, Wind Waker shows signs of being a rush job, as does Twilight Princess.

So, going back to the time when a Zelda games took ages to make isn't necessarily a bad thing.
If anything, it suggests they may be facing particularly complicated design issues that still need working out.

(Ocarina of time for instance was the first 3d Zelda game, which is not a trivial change to deal with ultimately.)

 

[Hippobatman]

-snip-

I couldn't agree more. I can only hope that Skyward Sword will capture some of the spirit that made Majora's Mask so interesting and unique, yet still so unquestionably Zelda. They can take as much time as they want, but I really hope that this is the game where they bring the series back to full power!

And Ninjamedic, your post was alright. The cynicism was not entirely unjustified.

Amen.

Time will tell if it justifies a 'Hallelujah' as well.

 

[C117]

Well, I'm willing to wait. Now I've got plenty of time to finish Majora's Mask and Wind Waker...