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[theSlacker]

The one thing I hope we never get is a customisable Link. If they want to make Link a girl, fine. But then that Link should be a girl, end of. Link's not an avatar, he's a character.

Agreed. With everything in your post, but that part specifically. I'd rather they keep him as a set character, but if they were to change it I'd rather it be into another set character for that game, no "choose your own". And still, playable new female character or already established one is a higher tier then that as well for me.

 

[MrPanic]

In before they pull a Red Dead on us and Link dies near the end of BotW and we'll have to continue playing with Zelda.

Spoiler

Lmao at the thought of Link dying in a Nintendo game, actually impossible.

 

[MutFox]

I think the most elegant solution for incorporating a female Link is to allow the player to select Link's gender at the beginning of the game and changing nothing else but pronouns. Link already looks and sounds androgynous. All you need to do is change text like 'Boy Hero' to 'Girl Heto' and boom, female Link.

So you want a create your own character game.

Can we choose skin colour and body type too?
How about race? (Gerudo, Zora, etc...)

Seems like a spin off game.
Which I'd play.

 

[Foldedpencil]

Why does Nintendo consistently interpret requests for female Link as requests for a playable Zelda?

More like they are trying to convince those requesting a playable female Link that they actually would be better served by playing as Zelda. Daddy Nintendo knows best silly. I am very interested in playing a female link because I think the character design would be fresh and amazing. I have zero interest in Zelda as a character. At least this time she isn't in that gaudy purple dress.

Also, to his point "everyone has their own ideas of exactly how they would expect a female character to act or behave." -- That is the whole issue here, Nintendo is propagating the notion that there are expected ways for female characters to act.

I have no problem with them keeping Link a man or anything like that UNTIL I have to listen to them justify it over and over. Though I have to wonder how much of this is acounted for by translation and cultural differences.

 

[emb]

Why does Nintendo consistently interpret requests for female Link as requests for a playable Zelda?

Do people feel like this is a problem?

So long as she gets to be in the spotlight, portrayed as heroic, to me this would be the better option. Seems like playable Zelda solves the same problem in a more interesting way.

I suppose playing as Zelda has story consequences; in that, why save some random guy called Link? But playable Zelda at least makes more sense with the title. Link wouldn't even need to be in the game at all, ala Zelda being absent in stuff like Link's Awakening or MM.

I'm not intending to be dismissive though. I'd be curious to hear from those who specifically want a female Link.

 

[Shaanyboi]

How are Link and Zelda supposed to have a baby Zelda if Link is a girl?

Get a suitable donor.

 

[AuthenticM]

How awesome would it be if they pulled a Metal Gear Solid 2 and had Link only be the playable character for the prologue?

 

[Dremorak]

Zelda seems to get more and more badass looking as the series goes on. Hoping this one has her kicking butt throughout and not just at the end.

 

[Ninjimbo]

We've already played as Zelda and Medli in other games in the series. There's precedent for it. I'm sure that we'll see a female protagonist in the future that is just as capable as Link is. I doubt anyone at Nintendo is against the idea. It's more a question of how and is it a Zelda game if you're not playing as Link.

We'll see Zelda headline her own game before the end of the decade. That's my prediction.

 

[Albino_Yeti]

Oh come on! I wish people would stop being so damn inflexible about what is acceptable for female characters in our pro-feminism society. Crying is not a fucking sign of weakness, it's a sign of humanity, and compassion. Jack Bauer was one of the most bad ass characters on television, and that dude cried a lot.

For real though. Some people get upset way too easily over nothing.

 

[Raonak]

Playable Zelda will probably happen at some point in the series.

 

[Ascenion]

I think the most elegant solution for incorporating a female Link is to allow the player to select Link's gender at the beginning of the game and changing nothing else but pronouns. Link already looks and sounds androgynous. All you need to do is change text like 'Boy Hero' to 'Girl Heto' and boom, female Link.

This ties back into the argument of whether or not Link is an established character or an avatar. This only works if you don't see Link as a character and Nintendo clearly does and I'm inclined to agree. This is effectively the difference between Geralt and Commander Shepard. You can choose some things about Geralt but he's still him. Commander Shepard is a avatar completely left to the will of the player for almost everything. Link was never the latter don't make him that because then he isn't Link.

 

[Voysa Reezun]

Nintendo should just branch off one of these timelines into a timeline where Link is female. It would make a lot of people happy and still keep most Links as a young male.

I think that it would be neat to play as female Link, but whatever they do with that character, I'm happy with it.

 

[Afrodium]

So you want a create your own character game.

Can we choose skin colour and body type too?
How about race? (Gerudo, Zora, etc...)

Seems like a spin off game.
Which I'd play.

Nah, this solution explicitly avoids changing anything besides the words NPCs use to describe you. Nothing would change in the character model.

 

[redmetal86]

Why does Nintendo consistently interpret requests for female Link as requests for a playable Zelda?

Word, gimme that Impa.

 

[Gangster Bastard]

Zelda won't be playable because she speaks.
If we ever get to choose Link's gender I'll bet the female version will be based on Linkle, which is fine by me.

 

[Ray Down]

Word, gimme that Impa.

You do in Hyrule Warriors....still not a real Zelda game.

 

[wrowa]

Why does Nintendo consistently interpret requests for female Link as requests for a playable Zelda?

Because Eurogamer specifically asked him about a playable Zelda?

"Eurogamer: Zelda fans continue to show interest in having Zelda as a playable character (...)"

 

[El Topo]

I'm not intending to be dismissive though. I'd be curious to hear from those who specifically want a female Link.

The argument for female Link is based on the assumption that such an option would be less intrusive and thus not require a completely different game. It is, I would presume, the attempt of a compromise.

 

[MutFox]

Nah, this solution explicitly avoids changing anything besides the words NPCs use to describe you. Nothing would change in the character model.

Changing skin colour also works in that.

 

[WiiRevolution1]

I still believe that he's just keeping it a secret. My theory I posted was:

----

But if he is wearing the blue clothes in flashback then that leads credence to my other crazy theory: That the real Link, whether its OOT Link or not, really did die in flashbacks. And you are just a random person who sees it happen and/or picks up the Master Sword after the real Link dies. Thas why the Master Sword is rusted, because you aren't Link and its rejecting you.

To go with another theory of playable girl Link, and this has my bias because its my dream, especially in such a huge world as this. At the begining of the game, the person who picks up the sword after Link dies is randomized, atleast between the "Link" we see and the "Zelda". And thats the biggest secret that Anouma has been hiding but subtly hinting at. From the "that may not be Link" at E3 2014 to even pointing out the similarites of Link and Zelda's design on the Switch Treehouse. And as someone thats dreamed about this moment, I have to ask, why do they look so similar? Link and Zelda have NEVER looked so similar to each other, its really similar. If they had showed "Zelda" in the trailer with the same clothes but with sword/shield everyone would immediately go "female Link???" but everyone seems to be ignoring their similarities. In what we believe to be "present" scenes from the trailer she even has Link's trademark sideburns, which she doesn't have in any scene when she's not wearing the blue clothes. If my theory is true these two could easily be siblings where one is put to sleep 100 years to infuse "Courage" and the other "Wisdom" and stories roles are reversed depending on what character you get. Can you imagine starting the game, it saying "Wake up Link" and then a girl wakes up? You'd wonder if your high or something at that point lol.

But Anouma does listen very carefully to fans so he knows at this point people want a playable girl Link. So this could be his way of doing it without actually making a girl Link and ruining his idea of Link. I can even see text from a future game saying "remember that story of BOTW? How did it go? The boy in blue saved the world...or was it the girl in blue? The ancient texts seem to tell the story differently from different sources." (Of course this means she'd likely never show up in another game, but if any game needs a girl Link its this one! RIP in piece girl Link in Smash.)

The end of the game would be completing the previous Link's quest and if OOT, creating the two successful timelines.

Theres just too many similarities between Link's new design and Zelda's new design that I really can't help but to feel like something like this will play out.
----

Him pointing out how similar Link and Zelda's clothes are and then immediately moving on in Amiibo treehouse part pretty much sealed the deal. There is a reason why we aren't wearing the green tunic, because we don't play as Link. Someone put us into the chamber to try and mold us to be Link, to give hope to the survivors. And when you start a new game your character either randomly generates between the "Link" and "Zelda" characters, with the other character being a NPC thats swapped depending on which character you pick, or its even more randomly generated possibly between different species. But it'll probably be just the two characters we see.

But there has to be a option to play as girl Link from the beginning to end. To many subtle hints. But we'll likely have until March 3rd to know for sure.

 

[Enduin]

I would very much like for them to pull an MM after BotW. Give younger team members a strict deadline and recycle the BotW engine and assets but freedom to try something new and creative. Like make a game with Zelda as the playable character. I have no interest a female Link or similar surrogate.

But Nintendo by all accounts seems rather indifferent to the idea of a female playable character in the Zelda series. Which is very unfortunate.

What does this even mean in context?

Nothing because he never said that, or at least that's now how what he said was reported which was "No one ever explicitly said that was Link."

There was no actual talk about gender. Everyone took it that way though, well not everyone but a very loud segment did and it just snowballed from there in an avalanche of stupidity.

 

[Kouriozan]

It's not crazy to expect Zelda to be playable in some form, look at the convention that Aonuma wanted to challenge with Zelda U

"Play by yourself" is really interesting there, of course the latest trailer showed Link with Zelda running away, I expect some gameplay sections there.

 

[Pandy]

What do people think the Zelda Amiibo does?

 

[Inferno313]

It's not crazy to expect Zelda to be playable in some form, look at the convention that Aonuma wanted to challenge with Zelda U

"Play by yourself" is really interesting there, of course the latest trailer showed Link with Zelda running away, I expect some gameplay sections there.

If I remember that correctly, he was simply identifying two tenants of Zelda games up until this point that he'd like to reconsider going forward. One could argue that "Triforce Heroes" is what came out of the desire to reconsider "Play by yourself"

 

[Ordinaryundone]

What does this even mean in context?

Probably just a dumb joke. "Will we be able to play as Girl Link?" "Dohohoho I didn't know there was a Man Link to begin with!"

That sort of thing. As we see in this interview, in Nintendo's eyes Link is male and it was never really a discussion one way or another. Zelda is the go to female protagonist of the series and if there was going to be a female playable character it would be her.

 

[Nirolak]

It's not crazy to expect Zelda to be playable in some form, look at the convention that Aonuma wanted to challenge with Zelda U

"Play by yourself" is really interesting there, of course the latest trailer showed Link with Zelda running away, I expect some gameplay sections there.

If I remember the rest of that talk, I think the idea was adding in multiplayer at some point, but not with Breath of the Wild.

I could be hallucinating.

 

[gwiz210]

All I'm saying is in the treehouse when they were discussing the BotW Zelda amiibo he made sure to point out that Zelda's tunic and Sheikah Slate are identical to Link's, but he wouldn't say what the amiibo does in game.

 

[Slime Scholar]

This has to be GAF's most retreaded argument.

If I remember the rest of that talk, I think the idea was adding in multiplayer at some point, but not with Breath of the Wild.

I could be hallucinating.

You are correct.

“I would like to take what I learned from Breath of the Wild and see if we can somehow fuse those learning points into another multiplayer Zelda. For example, with Triforce Heroes, which followed a similar format of Four Swords, there was a multiplayer involved in that game.”

A 3D co-op game with both Link and Zelda would be a dream.

 

[Firemind]

Who cares? Do people want to play as male Metroid too?

 

[MutFox]

Who cares? Do people want to play as male Metroid too?

Sure, since it's not Samus. ;P

 

[Alo0oy]

How utterly shameful and unforgiveable that the pigs at Nintendo are so out of touch to show Zelda, an iconic female character, CRYING over losing her kingdom and everything she ever held dear.

If there were any talented and sensitive writers left at that company, they would be able to write a more preferred feminist angle, where instead of crying she severs the head of the nearest moblin to drink its blood while proceeding to have a threesome between herself, Link and the Gerudo woman.

And by Link I of course mean Female Link.

Do you have something bottled up you wanted to say or something? This post reads like it came from KotakuInAction.

 

[LotusHD]

Who cares? Do people want to play as male Metroid too?

Obviously some people do care. If you're not of them, well I mean... no one forced you to come in here.

Do you have something bottled up you wanted to say or something? This post reads like it came from KotakuInAction.

It happens all the time.

 

[Nickle]

I still believe that he's just keeping it a secret. My theory I posted was:

----

But if he is wearing the blue clothes in flashback then that leads credence to my other crazy theory: That the real Link, whether its OOT Link or not, really did die in flashbacks. And you are just a random person who sees it happen and/or picks up the Master Sword after the real Link dies. Thas why the Master Sword is rusted, because you aren't Link and its rejecting you.

To go with another theory of playable girl Link, and this has my bias because its my dream, especially in such a huge world as this. At the begining of the game, the person who picks up the sword after Link dies is randomized, atleast between the "Link" we see and the "Zelda". And thats the biggest secret that Anouma has been hiding but subtly hinting at. From the "that may not be Link" at E3 2014 to even pointing out the similarites of Link and Zelda's design on the Switch Treehouse. And as someone thats dreamed about this moment, I have to ask, why do they look so similar? Link and Zelda have NEVER looked so similar to each other, its really similar. If they had showed "Zelda" in the trailer with the same clothes but with sword/shield everyone would immediately go "female Link???" but everyone seems to be ignoring their similarities. In what we believe to be "present" scenes from the trailer she even has Link's trademark sideburns, which she doesn't have in any scene when she's not wearing the blue clothes. If my theory is true these two could easily be siblings where one is put to sleep 100 years to infuse "Courage" and the other "Wisdom" and stories roles are reversed depending on what character you get. Can you imagine starting the game, it saying "Wake up Link" and then a girl wakes up? You'd wonder if your high or something at that point lol.

But Anouma does listen very carefully to fans so he knows at this point people want a playable girl Link. So this could be his way of doing it without actually making a girl Link and ruining his idea of Link. I can even see text from a future game saying "remember that story of BOTW? How did it go? The boy in blue saved the world...or was it the girl in blue? The ancient texts seem to tell the story differently from different sources." (Of course this means she'd likely never show up in another game, but if any game needs a girl Link its this one! RIP in piece girl Link in Smash.)

The end of the game would be completing the previous Link's quest and if OOT, creating the two successful timelines.

Theres just too many similarities between Link's new design and Zelda's new design that I really can't help but to feel like something like this will play out.
----

Him pointing out how similar Link and Zelda's clothes are and then immediately moving on in Amiibo treehouse part pretty much sealed the deal. There is a reason why we aren't wearing the green tunic, because we don't play as Link. Someone put us into the chamber to try and mold us to be Link, to give hope to the survivors. And when you start a new game your character either randomly generates between the "Link" and "Zelda" characters, with the other character being a NPC thats swapped depending on which character you pick, or its even more randomly generated possibly between different species. But it'll probably be just the two characters we see.

But there has to be a option to play as girl Link from the beginning to end. To many subtle hints. But we'll likely have until March 3rd to know for sure.

He's already said that there is no female Link. Besides, Link doesn't start with the classic green tunic because then you wouldn't be able to find new clothes/armor as loot.

 

[zeldablue]

I don't want a female Link. I don't want character customization. I would literally be happy with like...2 seconds of playing as Zelda.

A game starring Impa or Sheik would also be cool for gameplay reasons. It'd be a Zelda game...but with ninjas. (And also I just want an excuse to go back to Ocarina of Time's world)

That's pretty much all I have to say on the subject. :\

A hidden new game plus or DLC with Zelda or some other character who is not Link, would also be awesome. I would never say no to more content.

If Zelda's Amiibos sells like crazy, maybe Aonuma will wake up a bit. Zelda has a gigantic female fanbase that buys a crap-ton of their merchandise.

 

[Dragnipur]

Link isn't girl. He's an established male character. I'd be really excited to be able to play as Zelda/Impa/etc. but Link should not be made a girl.

 

[Painguy]

Were some ppl srsly mad that Zelda was crying?

 

[Iva Demilcol]

The sooner some people realize is dumb to swap genders of an established male character, the better for their health.

 

[Kin5290]

Oh come on! I wish people would stop being so damn inflexible about what is acceptable for female characters in our pro-feminism society. Crying is not a fucking sign of weakness, it's a sign of humanity, and compassion. Jack Bauer was one of the most bad ass characters on television, and that dude cried a lot.

The trailer is our first look at Zelda, though. Showing her to be doing a girly run, crying, and collapsing in Link's arms are all things that a creative mind decided was appropriate for the first major look at Zelda. That wasn't necessary, and whoever cut the trailers could easily have shown Zelda acting competent, helpful, or active, but they decided not to.

Sure, Jack Bauer cried a lot, but did the trailers for 24 show him do nothing but cry and be an emotional mess? Of course not. Instead, the trailer depiction of Jack Bauer kicking ass, being active, and fighting terrorism. The trailers define Jack Bauer as a badass government agent fighting terrorism, and that definition carries on through the series.

This trailer defines Zelda as a weepy girl who needs to be comforted by a (far more active, since he's the protagonist) man.

 

[Garrett Hawke]

I still want female Link someday.

If this was a western company they absolutely would've caved already, lol.

 

[brad-t]

This trailer defines Zelda as a weepy girl who needs to be comforted by a (far more active, since he's the protagonist) man.

She's the princess of a kingdom that she desperately tried and failed to prevent from falling into complete ruin. I think a breakdown is justified. I don't get how Link comforting her is somehow devaluing her — what else should he do?

I do hope Zelda has a more active role, but I think people are projecting their pre-existing feelings and expectations onto the trailer.

 

[Garrett Hawke]

She's the princess of a kingdom that she desperately tried and failed to prevent from falling into complete ruin. I think a breakdown is justified.

The issue is that that was how they chose to introduce us to this Zelda. We get lots of action shots of Link, and then our first of Zelda is her crying.

Edit: maybe second, with the first of her bathing. Lol

 

[psyfi]

A girl Link would be really rad, both for pure variety and change of pace, but also for representation and political reasons. I'd love to see it happen. A spin-off title or woman side protagonist in a mainline Zelda would be cool too, but I really want a female Link.

 

[dh4niel]

It's better to have a new female character then make an existing male character female.

 

[Chaos17]

Why does Nintendo consistently interpret requests for female Link as requests for a playable Zelda?

Giving a sense to character is important for story.
Zelda character has already a strong image in the mind of people.
Giving a choice of gender just for the sake of it won't make happy players in long term in general.

People then will call Nintendo lazy for not have putted any effort into the sotry as a female character. That's why they began to do it in a spinn off and see how people take the females characters. During the past months, people mentionned more the cool Zelda in Hyrule warrior more than any other female character even when Linkle was realased. Wich can give an indication of how important for players that a character needs "a place" in their mind/heart and that mean having a background.

 

[Principate]

The issue is that that was how they chose to introduce us to this Zelda. We get lots of action shots of Link, and then our first of Zelda is her crying.

Edit: maybe second, with the first of her bathing. Lol

I mean I totally understand peoples issue of it based on what's portrayed in the trailer. For one Zelda isn't shown in any sort of action roles nor is she shown in any sorts of substantial commanding roles. Her father in the trailer tells link to save her. She isn't exactly portrayed as someone hugely competent in battle that can take care of herself. She's shown crying and breaking down (something the hero link has never been shown to do in all the media of the game).

I mean OoT Zelda was incompetent as all hell but she at least had plans and felt like someone that could largely take care of themselves if not for the fact Ganondorf was the baddest motherfucker around. Twilight Princess also helped you battle. This Zelda in all media that was someone doesn't come across as someone that could particularly take care of their own shit. She probably can in the game overall, or at least there's a lot more too it but based on what they've shown doesn't scream super reliable person.

 

[SystemUser]

How are Link and Zelda supposed to have a baby Zelda if Link is a girl?

Do Zelda and Link ever actually get together? How many times has that happened? Are they super inbred and that is why Link is a mute? The Zelda lore is so good.

 

[Opa-Pa]

Do people feel like this is a problem?

So long as she gets to be in the spotlight, portrayed as heroic, to me this would be the better option. Seems like playable Zelda solves the same problem in a more interesting way.

I suppose playing as Zelda has story consequences; in that, why save some random guy called Link? But playable Zelda at least makes more sense with the title. Link wouldn't even need to be in the game at all, ala Zelda being absent in stuff like Link's Awakening or MM.

I'm not intending to be dismissive though. I'd be curious to hear from those who specifically want a female Link.

I think the biggest reason would be that some people want the option to choose Link's gender because the character represents the player, so women would feel represented if they had the option, whereas with Zelda they'd just be playing as a pre established female character (the best next thing?)

Personally as a man, I'd enjoy either simply as a nice change of pace, but it'd love the option of female Link especially so that more people can enjoy the games the way we dudes have been able to for so long now.

 

[Afrodium]

This ties back into the argument of whether or not Link is an established character or an avatar. This only works if you don't see Link as a character and Nintendo clearly does and I'm inclined to agree. This is effectively the difference between Geralt and Commander Shepard. You can choose some things about Geralt but he's still him. Commander Shepard is a avatar completely left to the will of the player for almost everything. Link was never the latter don't make him that because then he isn't Link.

But Link was conceived as an empty vessel that the player could insert themselves into. I know it's been said over and over again in this thread that the modern interpretation of Link is one where he's an established character, but beyond having audible gasps and more animated facial expressions, Link is still a blonde mute boy who is brave and adventurous. It's a huge stretch to compare him to characters like Geralt and Sheperd, and even roleplaying as Geralt offers much more variation in character choices than there is on the spectrum of Links.

 

[LotusHD]

But Link was conceived as an empty vessel that the player could insert themselves into. I know it's been said over and over again in this thread that the modern interpretation of Link is one where he's an established character, but beyond having audible gasps and more animated facial expressions, Link is still a blonde mute boy who is brave and adventurous. It's a huge stretch to compare him to characters like Geralt and Sheperd, and even roleplaying as Geralt offers much more variation in character choices than there is on the spectrum of Links.

I don't feel like we'll even get to name him in this game.