The Jimquisition: What Would Link Do?

It's a little bit weird to hear anyone even tangentially related to journalism effectively stating that the people who are likely to be queried on their creative process might be well advised, rather than to offer a spur-of-the-moment rebuttal that's likely to be later torn to pieces by those with more time and space to fill in the holes with the worst assumptions, to simply refuse comment. But... that's where we find ourselves.

Kraken

There's nothing here that I don't agree with. I love the looks of the new Zelda, and I'm not going to get angry over it, but having a choice of gender or a playable Zelda would be cool, and their reasoning doesn't make any sense. For that matter, look at Linkle...I don't have the 3DS Hyrule Warriors but by all accounts, Linkle sounds pretty great.

Ian Chamberlin

I don't find anything said in this particularly controversial. Though I am disturbed by how little polygons are new intro; It robs it of artistry and emotion.

Sean Lennon

The main thing I took away from this video is that the new final fantasy might be cool. I've spent most of my social time among only my male friends and there are differences in how you act.

RR

I owe you a great debt, Jim. For in our time I think we all of us think to ourselves, "It would be AWESOME if I became a famous internet personality!" And then I watch your work and see you outlining a single simple concept over and over again, eg, "I'm not saying Nintendo MUST make a female lead Zelda or saying I oppose games that chose to have male leads, I just don't want the bullshit excuses about it," and then I look upon your comment section beating each other about the head and limbs over points you specifically said you weren't making, to say nothing of the potshots aimed at you, and I remember: I ain't cut out for this shit.

Kass Fireborn

Noticed that the copyright deadlocks are getting better planned and more sublte. Good work!

I assume Aonuma was fed that line from some PR twit. How hard is it to say "the idea never crossed our minds" or "we thought about it and decided not this time"

shadowscribble

Speaking of lack of creativity as an excuse for lack of female characters, FFXV is an entirely fictional universe where social norms can look like literally anything, so there was really no reason they couldn't explore themes of male intimacy with women around -- (And in fact, Japanese media does this all the time) -- instead of you know, reinforcing the gendered norms that men must behave differently about women. I'm really more salty about a series that has always been there for me with gender parity in the playable characters abruptly deciding the presence of women in their game would hinder their story telling than a game series which has never pretended to want to be anything but a story about a destined hero boy with a sword continuing to do just that. To me tho the excuses for FFXV are just as bollocks as the Zelda ones for pretty much the same reasons. I just can't roll my eyes intensely enough at "If there were women, our male characters who we write and who do whatever we want in a society that has raised them in whatever way we decide would behave differently, ergo, there is just no way to tell this story with women". I guess FFXV just feels more like a betrayal. I will say tho if those themes of male intimacy leads to some actually canonized homosexuality between playable characters for once I will probably forgive them. Zelda tho, I've got no expectations.

AV

I am not personally bent out of shape on the issue, not because I don't want to see rad womenses in gamin (I very do) but taking existing canon and changing it is the best possible way to get the redpill babbies violent and angry. Since you're taking their toys away. Yes, they have millions of toys, but they are a volatile group that should be prodded minimally to allow for maturing and eventual burnout. The more cause for riot for them the longer they get a stage to cry on.

Freya Northman

I'm wondering (hoping) either this was a lost in translation issue or Nintendo just hiding female Link or Zelda protagonist until the game is officially completed. What they showed was just a large tech demo of how the game will function, but no release date beyond claiming it'll be out in 2017. They also could be blatantly stating neither Female Link or Zelda will be the main protagonist to see if players care enough to demand it.

I personally don't care if Link is a boy or a girl, but their reasoning is fucking stupid. It's especially stupid considering they JUST released Linkle for Hyrule Warriors. That basically disregards every reason they had to not do it. Hell they could just give us the choice at the game menu. Although, I do understand they want Link to be a certain way. I just don't see why they can't say that. Maybe they're afraid of being raged at by people for being "sexist."