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[entremet]

After seeing the new Mario Wii-U announcement of an announcement, which seems to be handled by same team that handled the NSMB series, I could be wrong. It got me thinking, why doesn't Nintendo add another in house dev team to Zelda. Mario is currently being handled by EAD Tokyo--The Galaxy games and 3DLand--and the another EAD team in Kyoto. Both lead by different producers and both series of Mario games have their unique own style.

Much like the Galaxy games explored the fantastical and the NSWB games focused on established troupes, could another team focus more revolutionary innovation to the Zelda series, while the current team stick with the tried and true?

For the record, I thoroughly enjoyed SS and thought it was a great installment.

 

[TheCongressman1]

I think it would be interesting to see different teams take on Zelda, but not the NSMB team, please.

 

[Beth Cyra]

Isn't the Dev team for PH and Spirit Tracks different then the console team?

 

[ElectricBlanketFire]

You should probably check with Fi.

 

[Somnid]

There are 2 Zelda teams both headed by Aonuma.

 

[entremet]

Isn't the Dev team for PH and Spirit Tracks different then the console team?

According the Wikipedia, no. It's the same team, lead by Aonuma. Not sure how vetted the info is.

There are 2 Zelda teams both headed by Aonuma.

If that's the case, maybe a different producer would be in order. I'd love an Intelligent System Zelda game.

 

[Beth Cyra]

According the Wikipedia, no. It's the same team, lead by Aonuma. Not sure how vetted the info is.

Aonuma oversaw them but I could of sworn that even he made mention of them having two teams, one doing the work on TP and SS while the other team worked on the handheld projects.

 

[GrotesqueBeauty]

Yes, and while they're at it they should develop the next Metroid internally.

 

[Shion]

EAD Tokyo & Koizumi.
Please.

 

[AntMurda]

According the Wikipedia, no. It's the same team, lead by Aonuma. Not sure how vetted the info is.

Aonuma's EAD Kyoto Group No. 3 has two project teams. Typically one for the console, and one for the handheld. But the producer (Aonuma) is the same, the directors and staff take turns alternating from one project to the other.

So Zelda has 2 teams but 1 group.

Mario has 2 teams each in a different group.

Producer Hiroyuki Kimura and Director Shigeyuki Asuke typically developed the NSMB series in EAD Kyoto Group No. 4. (This group also does Big Brain Academy and Pikmin)

Producer Yoshiaki Koizumi and Director Koichi Hayashida typically develop the Galaxy / 3D land series in EAD Tokyo Group No.2.

Another way to look at it. Mario generates much more revenue and has two bigger teams spanning two producers. Zelda makes less revenue and has one producer managing two teams.

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

I haven't seen anything good come out of the traditional teams handling Zelda since OOT.

Give it to Retro.

 

[King of the Potato People]

Or you know just make them all great not depending on vehicle gimmicks, instead bringing back the connected worlds with night/day and weather effects where Link can walk from one corner to another, both on console and hand-held.

Yet making a purely retro Zelda could get boring, it needs to be a balancing act with what made the old ones great and at the same time have new ideas. It's a balance act that isn't working greatly at the moment.

 

[entremet]

Aonuma's EAD Kyoto Group No. 3 has two project teams. Typically one for the console, and one for the handheld. But the producer (Aonuma) is the same, the directors and staff take turns alternating from one project to the other.

So Zelda has 2 teams but 1 group.

Mario has 2 teams each in a different group.

Producer Hiroyuki Kimura and Director Shigeyuki Asuke typically developed the NSMB series in EAD Kyoto Group No. 4. (This group also does Big Brain Academy and Pikmin)

Producer Yoshiaki Koizumi and Director Koichi Hayashida typically develop the Galaxy / 3D land series in EAD Tokyo Group No.2.

Another way to look at it. Mario generates much more revenue and has two bigger teams spanning two producers. Zelda makes less revenue and has one producer managing two teams.

Yeah. Makes sense given what a huge money maker Mario has become, crazy since during the GCN/GBA generation we only got one original Mario game!

 

[Somnid]

According the Wikipedia, no. It's the same team, lead by Aonuma. Not sure how vetted the info is.

If that's the case, maybe a different producer would be in order. I'd love an Intelligent System Zelda game.

To be a little more precise it's closer to 1.5 teams. As one picks up the majority of the members will move to it. In the case of OOT3D and SS releasing in the same year they pulled in Grezzo to help out. I don't think they could do 2 full-on projects by themselves simultaneously but there are always multiple Zelda projects in development.

 

[AntMurda]

To be a little more precise it's closer to 1.5 teams. As one picks up the majority of the members will move to it. In the case like OOT3D and SS releasing in the same year they pulled in Grezzo to help out. I don't think they could do 2 full-on project by themselves simultaneously but there are always multiple Zelda projects in development.

There was a good schematic on Kyoro Report. But the way it works is that each group.

EAD Kyoto Group 1-5
EAD Tokyo Group 1-2

Has a certain group of core members. Producer, Director, and Planners. Then each project starts with a couple of programmers and core designers. Once the game passes a certain milestone; the production team (a ton of EAD programmers and designers) joins the project to fully develop and finish the game.

If there are enough big games in full production, the other games either become stagnant or seek production aids (like we said in mario kart 7).

 

[Madao]

I haven't seen anything good come out of the traditional teams handling Zelda since OOT.

Give it to Retro.

blasphemy!
they made MM.

 

[Triton55]

I think it would be interesting to see different teams take on Zelda, but not the NSMB team, please.

The NSMB team is also the Pikmin team.

 

[ProXimity]

I don't think so. Do you seriously want what's happening with CoD, Halo, and BF/MoH to happen to Zelda?

 

[B.K.]

They should let Monolithsoft make a Zelda game.

 

[Sophia]

They should let Monolithsoft make a Zelda game.

For the love of all that is good in gaming, yes!

 

[Truth101]

They should let Monolithsoft make a Zelda game.

Eww

 

[King of the Potato People]

Apprentice: Hey Aonuma we could make a Zelda game closer to a classic world layout like ALTTP but with a cel-shaded style like TWW, with heart and side quests like MM, and what if 3D represented the portals into the dark world, or the way that Kinstones could shape the environments, or to have a dungeon inside a rainbow, or to represent Vaati using winds to conquer parts of Hyrule, imagine Link has to manipulate the ‘dimension’ itself.

Aonuma: Give Link a monorail!

 

[Beth Cyra]

They should let Monolithsoft make a Zelda game.

Only if it's the Nacom X Capcom/Project X Zone team.

 

[Anth0ny]

Get Koizumi to work on it. Please.

 

[Supermanisdead]

Apprentice: Hey Aonuma we could make a Zelda game closer to a classic world layout like ALLTP but with a cel-shaded style like TWW, with heart and side quests like MM, and what if 3D represented the portals into the dark world, or the way that Kinstones could shape the environments, or to have a dungeon inside a rainbow, or to represent Vaati using winds to conquer parts of Hyrule, imagine Link has to manipulate the ‘dimension’ itself.

Aonuma: Give Link a mono-rail!

Apprentice: Hey what if we turn this fan fiction daydream into a game.

Aonuma: Shutup.

 

[zroid]

I think giving Zelda to a completely new team will probably ruin it. What they need is new talent mixed in with the veterans. The existing Zelda team has a lot of great ideas, and that's evidenced in everything that was excellent about Skyward Sword, including but not limited to the art direction, the mechanics and the dungeon design.

These people know how to make a good Zelda game, they just need help modernizing it. More input is required from individuals who are fans of the franchise but not so closely tied to its development over the years. People who can look at the whole series through a wide angle lens and articulate to the core team what worked best and what didn't.

 

[Sanic]

However it's structured, I think a different set of core guys should probably take a stab at the series. I thoroughly enjoyed SS, but there are a lot of smaller issues that would (hopefully) be cleared up with a fresh team building something from scratch.

 

[Gamer @ Heart]

If it still has dungeons, it wont be different enough for you people.

 

[Hiltz]

It would be interesting to see another Nintendo development team try its take on the franchise even if it is just with one title . It doesn't hurt to have some new blood around. After all, look at how well Metroid Prime and DKC Returns turned out. Nintendo just needs to provide some senior staff to supervise the team.

I mean, if Capcom can do it, then certainly an internal first-party developer can make a good Zelda title too regardless of being done in the traditional style or something original as a spin-off concept.

 

[Zabuza]

Skyward Sword was a bad Zelda game by my standards. Too much padding and godawful backtracking. Hopefully the WiiU Zelda is better.

 

[HylianScribe]

While part of me doesn't like to wait for a new Zelda game, I've said for years now that I think the frequency of new releases is getting out of hand.

1986-2000 (little over 15 years):
The Legend of Zelda
The Adventure of Link
A Link to the Past
Link's Awakening (also DX revamp)
Ocarina of Time
Majora's Mask

*Does not include spin-offs like BS Zelda no Densetsu, BS Zelda no Densetsu: MAP2, BS Zelda no Densetsu: Inishie no Sekiban, Link: The Faces of Evil, Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon, Zelda's Adventure, or the LCD games (Game Watch, Game & Watch, Barcode Battler)

2001-2011 (roughly 10.5 years):
Oracle of Seasons
Oracle of Ages
The Wind Waker
Four Swords (with A Link to the Past revamp, also on DSiWare)
Four Swords Adventures
The Minish Cap
Twilight Princess
Phantom Hourglass
Spirit Tracks
Ocarina of Time 3D
Skyward Sword

*Does not include spin-offs like Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland, Tingle's Balloon Fight, Irozuki Tincle no Koi no Balloon Trip, Link's Crossbow Training, or Master Quest.

In roughly the past 10 years, we've had roughly double the amount of Zelda games released as in the previous 15 years before that. I do want things shaken up in terms of who's developing the next Zelda games for WiiU/3DS, but I also don't want them to rush things. I'm not sure if the OP was getting at creating two dedicates teams with two heads to get more Zelda's out, and possibly on a more fixed schedule, but I think that's a bad idea.

 

[Criminal Upper]

No.

 

[Himself]

Yes it'll only freshen things up.

 

[Boney]

oh boy

 

[Platy]

They need to send the portable ones back to Capcom for more Oracles/Minish Cap awesomeness

 

[andthebeatgoeson]

Didn't they add a team in Austin?

 

[Pre]

They should let Infinity Ward make it. That would be so EXTREME!

 

[Boney]

They need to send the portable ones back to Capcom for more Oracles/Minish Cap awesomeness

flagship no longer exists and some of the team has been incorporated and re-estructured into nintendo iirc

 

[Beth Cyra]

flagship no longer exists and some of the team has been incorporated and re-estructured into nintendo iirc

Wasn't the director of SS one of the people who worked directly on Minish Cap?

 

[crazy monkey]

They should let Infinity Ward make it. That would be so EXTREME!

we already have ruppes.

 

[entremet]

Wasn't the director of SS one of the people who worked directly on Minish Cap?

Yes. Same director actually.

 

[Anth0ny]

While part of me doesn't like to wait for a new Zelda game, I've said for years now that I think the frequency of new releases is getting out of hand.

1986-2000 (little over 15 years):
The Legend of Zelda
The Adventure of Link
A Link to the Past
Link's Awakening (also DX revamp)
Ocarina of Time
Majora's Mask

2001-2011 (roughly 10.5 years):
Oracle of Seasons
Oracle of Ages
The Wind Waker
Four Swords (with A Link to the Past revamp, also on DSiWare)
Four Swords Adventures
The Minish Cap
Twilight Princess
Phantom Hourglass
Spirit Tracks
Ocarina of Time 3D
Skyward Sword

In roughly the past 10 years, we've had roughly double the amount of Zelda games released as in the previous 15 years before that. I do want things shaken up in terms of who's developing the next Zelda games for WiiU/3DS, but I also don't want them to rush things. I'm not sure if the OP was getting at creating two dedicates teams with two heads to get more Zelda's out, and possibly on a more fixed schedule, but I think that's a bad idea.

Bolded are the ones that matter.

Seriously though, the wait between Twilight Princess was excruciating. The two shitty DS games and a remake of OOT didn't help. It would be nice if they let another team work on the portable Zeldas while EAD3 (sigh) works on the console Zeldas.

Spoiler

Ideally, Retro would work on a new Zelda while EAD3 does a 3DS Zelda.

 

[Roto13]

Why do I insist on clicking on Zelda threads.

 

[soxinthebox]

Works well for Activision

 

[RPGamer92]

Developed by Monolith Soft please

 

[HylianScribe]

Bolded are the ones that matter.

Seriously though, the wait between Twilight Princess was excruciating. The two shitty DS games and a remake of OOT didn't help. It would be nice if they let another team work on the portable Zeldas while EAD3 (sigh) works on the console Zeldas.

Spoiler

Ideally, Retro would work on a new Zelda while EAD3 does a 3DS Zelda.

The Minish Cap is a really good Zelda game, and aside from not having the d-pad as an alternative for moving Link as opposed to stylus-only input and lack of a true, land-based overworld, I don't fully understand the hate towards the DS ones.

 

[Anth0ny]

The Minish Cap is a really good Zelda game, and aside from not having the d-pad as an alternative for moving Link as opposed to stylus-only input and lack of a true, land-based overworld, I don't fully understand the hate towards the DS ones.

wow I totally missed Minish Cap >_>

But yeah, the controls really killed any interest I might have had in the DS games. Couldn't stomach them. I wish Nintendo stopped using Zelda games as their guinea pig for each of their consoles "features". You don't see touch controls or motion controls tacked on to Mario games...

 

[Kamek]

Developed by Monolith Soft please

A Zelda overworld developed by them is my dream.

 

[pramath]

I don't care who develops it or how try do it... All I want is a game half as good as A Link to the Past...
Is that too much to ask?

 

[Rafaelcsa]

But yeah, the controls really killed any interest I might have had in the DS games. Couldn't stomach them. I wish Nintendo stopped using Zelda games as their guinea pig for each of their consoles "features". You don't see touch controls or motion controls tacked on to Mario games...

The way you worded this makes it seem like it has happened for every Zelda ever, but it's only true for the 2 DS and the 2 Wii Zeldas. Since they are the most recent games in the franchise, I can see though why you'd think that Zelda always has the "token current console gimmick" thing going on.

Besides, Skyward Sword has the best use of motion controls on the Wii, so it justified its use more than well. I think the point only holds up for Twilight Princess, where motion controls were really tacked on. Touch controls in the DS Zeldas never felt like tacked on to me, even if I do prefer buttons to them. The games did feel like they were planned since the beginning to use touch controls.