One name we're quite used to seeing when the credits of a Nintendo game roll is Shigeru Miyamoto, but it seems he's not listed in the latest Zelda game Echoes of Wisdom.
Max Nichols of Hyrule Interview has noted how this is apparently "the first ever Zelda game" where the creator of the series does not appear in the credits (via Nintendo Everything). As mentioned by the source, Miyamoto is now 71 and is no longer "directly leading" multiple teams.
The series co-creator Takashi Tezuka has also not been featured in the latest Zelda game credits, although this isn't the first case of this. The credits also supposedly show 53 percent of the 338 people credited on Echoes of Wisdom "have never been credited in a Zelda title before".
In recent years, Miyamoto has spent his time promoting Nintendo's theme parks and more recently the Nintendo Museum. If you haven't played Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom yet, in our Nintendo Life review we called it a bold blend of new and old that was up there with the series' best.
Have you seen the credits roll in Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom yet? Did you notice this yourself? Let us know in the comments.
[source x.com, via nintendoeverything.com]
Comments 56
Quite surprising. You’d think they’d both be listed under like a “The Legend of Zelda Created By” credit at least.
The end of an era. Nintendo is going in a different direction. Hope we all gonna remember his legacy.
"Shigone Miyamoton't"
@LavenderShroud or at least on the Special Thanks, right?
You mean like the MGS 3 remake how it's no longer a Hideo Kojima game? Sad really. End of an Era indeed.
Even without credit, the wisdom he offered throughout the series history will certainly echo.
…Makes sense, he didn’t work on the game or as a team head (even just from an org chart perspective). I thought folks wanted the credits to be accurate?
Well, the game was largely made in Tokyo by Grezzo. I’m sure the next Kyoto production will include his credit by virtue of his desk being 5 feet away..
Even the President of Nintendo (be it Hiroshi Yamauchi, Satoru Iwata, Tatsumi Kimishima, or Shuntaro Furukawa) gets credited in every Nintendo game, even though they might not have any active role in the development of the game. Makes me wonder if Shigeru Miyamoto is going to be retiring soon, if he hasn’t done so already and they have yet to announce it.
Because he's busy spearheading the movie.
Yeah, but pretty much everything in the game owes it's existence to Miyamoto is one way or another. He doesn't need to be in the credits - we all know.
I'm not sure it would be relevant. I'm not sure they have ever credited IP creators if they weren't involved in a sequel. Also they had that policy saying only people who have worked at least 6 months on a game should be credited, leading to complaints in the past. It makes sense this would apply to everyone, including a legend.
If only we could get rid of Aonuma and Fujibayashi instead …
@BrianJL He doesn’t need credit in the game, he IS the game.
He is the master hand behind it all.
The legend of miyamoto, hands of time.
Everything he touches turns into gold.
@AstroTheGamosian He basically is retired from making games. His focus are movies, theme parks and such.
Miyamoto has been a great developer. It would be sad to see him retire. But at least Nintendo is carefully planning developer successions unlike other studios that rid developers every few years.
To those who moan about the “new” direction of games away from years yonder: it’s always good to check whether you know the latest slangs and music. If not, perhaps the world has moved forward as you have. 😉
And I think it shows. The game so far (and I’m nearing the end) is a good homage, but it’s missing crucial game design finesse that’s present in even the least good Zelda games with his involvement.
I think we're rapidly approaching the point where we won't be seeing Miyamoto's name appear in almost any game credit sequences.
The man is old, and has left behind an incredible legacy. Everyone sails off into the sunset at some point.
@Yoshi3 You realize Aonuma has helped direct or produce every 3D Zelda game, right? Including most of the ones you probably like?
@Ralizah yeah, and he has ran out of ideas and his own genius. But the worst was blaming traditional fans for his own mistakes. Whenever someone uses that excuse then it’s clear that their brilliance has diminished and loses my respect.
Stooping to Rian Johnson’s lows? No thanks… next one!
Did Miyamoto blame fans for Star Fox Zero or ever did with any other game? Naaah, that man has class.
Also… fun fact, when Aonuma was promoted as a producer instead of as a director (starting with Skyward Sword) that’s when Zelda started following some questionable paths. Ironically it was the same time when Miyamoto stepped down as a producer.
THAT leads me to the conclusion that it was Miyamoto who actually called the big shots as a producer instead of Aonuma.
Aonuma as a producer and Fujibayashi as a director have only lead to divisive Zeldas: Skyward Sword, BotW and TotK, Triforce Heroes, the DS games, A Link Between Worlds.
And even though I love most of these latest games, each one has had something that started destroying Zelda and transforming it into Aonuma’s own interpretation of the IP instead of Miyamoto’s vision.
I know we shouldn’t idolise people or push them to positions above what they do.
But I honestly would like to see Miyamoto being credited in the IPs he created ‘forever’. Or at least the main ones.
Just a ‘Special Thanks’ as suggested above would suffice.
I think video games haven’t figured this all out yet as they are usually group efforts, so the original creators sometimes get left out after a while. I wouldn’t imagine a Lord of the Rings movie or TV series not mentioning Tolkien, for example.
@Yoshi3 Err, blaming fans for what, exactly?
And wait... Rian Johnson, the director? What's he got to do with any of this?
It might be weird to me that they didn't even give him the "Special Thanks" treatment. He might likely not be involved in development, or even in feedback, but this seems somewhat sad.
@Ralizah Aonuma: “Well, I do think we as people have a tendency to want the thing that we don’t currently have, and there’s a bit of a grass is greener mentality. But I also think that with the freedom players have in the more recent games in the series…there still is a set path, it just happens to be the path that they chose. So I think that that is one thing I kind of like to remind myself about the current games that we’re making.
But also, it’s interesting when I hear people say those things because I am wondering, “Why do you want to go back to a type of game where you’re more limited or more restricted in the types of things or ways you can play?” But I do understand that desire that we have for nostalgia, and so I can also understand it from that aspect.“
That was said when the reception of TotK among fans wasn’t what they were expecting. Instead of taking the feedback, he basically denied the comments and blamed it on nostalgia fans.
Ironic that with the newest Zelda game the thing that fans are clamoring about it is the dungeons and the mix between traditional and new Zeldas.
So, nah, I think that man’s ego is all over the place at this point in time and instead of listening he is encasing himself in his own Yes men.
(Maybe blaming was not the correct word, neglecting would have been better) 😅
(Also forget about Rian Johnson example, I just hate the guy lol, some people will understand)
@Yoshi3 you forget two games on Fujibayashi's portfolio: Small game Breath of the Wild, and even smaller game Tears of the Kingdom.
We have to remember one thing, nonetheless – The Legend of Zelda is a LEGEND. It's not a novel, but a fable. Not "How to kill a mockingbird", but "The Legend of Arthur". It's a series that should shun the "chronology" to embrace hard that all of the Zelda games are interpretations of the myth of Zelda, which the undoubtedly are, made and or designed by different people and or developed for different consoles.
@cyberrb25 mhhh but I did mentioned BotW and TotK… and I’m not arguing about its quality or if they are small or big games. I’m talking about it’s divisiveness among the Zelda community because of the games’ design, not about story or interpretation as a legend. Zelda was defined by certain gaming elements and design (Zeldavania design for starters), which were slowly thrown out the window by those two (and now Zelda has become a completely different thing) And it started when Aonuma stepped up as a producer and Miyamoto stepped down. Fujibayashi’s role as a director is just to follow and execute the producer’s vision, just as when Aonuma was director and Miyamoto the producer.
This is an analysis of legendary developer Igarashi (from Castlevania fame) of what makes a Zelda Zelda.
https://youtu.be/VvUx43CrvaM?si=R_6PyiJwOZMLjQCZ
@Yoshi3 ‘blaming the fans’? definitely reaching a bit there and getting unnecessarily upset or angry
@Yoshi3 imagine calling BOTW divisive and not Twilight Princess....
This seems odd, but I wonder if maybe he didn't want to be credited, as he has passed the torch to a newer generation. Still, it would have been nice if he had been given a special thanks, I guess. But again, knowing Japanese culture, he probably was too modest to ask and I doubt he will sleep any less because of it.
@Pillowpants I was thinking the same thing. Like he could have been credited, but maybe wanted to be humble or show humility and opted not to be.
First of all I think the game is great. But the game also has some flaws that made it worse than the usual Zelda game. I hope that this is not the case because Miyamoto wasn't the last Quality Check
@Fiskern mhhh last time I remember, BOTW was criticized for LOTS of stuff among its undeniable positives. Weapon breaking system, teeerrible dungeons and generic bosses, non sensical story format, poor reward system, exclusion of items. Popular has nothing to do whether it’s divisive or not. Imagine being so divisive that now the IP is DIVIDED among fans and categorized between “traditional” Zeldas and “new” Zeldas because of one entry and its sequel. What was Twilight Princess so divisive in its time with fans according to you? Because I only remember positives, at least nothing Zelda tradition or identity breaking.
@Pillowpants i assume that he wasn’t on site with staff at the time of development, otherwise he’d probably been credited for supervising. I’d expect he’ll receive supervisor credit in future titles.
There's your next title, cloutragers and clickbait content creators-
Nintendo Refuses to Credit Miyamoto! Another Scummy Move! alongside a picture of Miyamoto with a photoshopped sad face and the YouTuber doing a compo face
I assume legally speaking, Nintendo is the creator of TLOZ, not any specific individuals. They won't want to be paying out royalties to people who don't directly work on the game any more.
@Yoshi3 You're mixing up the role of a producer and director.
The director oversees the design, story, world, team and creation of the game itself
The producer oversees the business aspect, ensuring deadlines are hit, that demos/trailers are completed on time, that contracts are signed, budgets aren't exceeded.
@kevinm360 yes and no. The producer is the one that wants its vision created, it’s baby done, and the director is the one in charge of creating it, in the roles you correctly said. But at the end, the producer is the one that makes the final decisions and approvals, not only from a business standpoint but sometimes from a creative one (it all depends on the type of producer)
Miyamoto only directed the first Zelda, however he is credited as the creative mastermind and supervisor behind many of them, because he is the one who approves the direction in which the games were creatively developed.
At the end, the director is the creative tool to get things done, but not the one with the vision (unless he acts in both roles)
There are many types of producers and the roles they are in but you are not wrong.
If you look into the list of directors and producers for the Zelda series you’ll see that the many directors kept following the creative supervision of the producer at the moment, Miyamoto.
When Aonuma started putting his own vision into the Zelda series as a producer, things started to go …. Let’s say… far away from what they were 13 years ago
As much as I'm grateful to Miyamoto for everything he's done (and is still doing even if mostly outside of game development) it makes sense for this to be the case considering what the article mentioned and also that this game is mostly developed by Grezzo.
Credit where credit is due. I don't think there are many people comfortable with getting undue credit. (Unless you're Donald Trump, ofc.)
Maybe just his nose is credited. Because doesn’t he stick it in all of Nintendo’s output?
(I’m jesting of course).
Good. Miyamoto is a legend whose time has past.
Look, I have some issues with the BOTW/TOTK direction - not that I don't think they are great games, but they're "not MY Zelda" if you know what I mean. But, the franchise can't stay the same forever, nor should it. It's great for them to evolve and try new things. Sometimes they don't work, and sometimes they do. We can always have the more traditional style games too, like Echoes, that combines some of the new elements with the more classic design. We also always have our old games. When I really pine for the glory days of Zelda, I fire up my NEW or SNES, you know? It's all good.
You have to get the secret ending to unlock the Miyamoto credit.
Even if Miyamoto was not directly involved in the creation of The Legend of Zelda Echoes of Wisdom, this game would not exist without him, as he is the creator of the series.
They could have added a "The legend of Zelda otōsan: Shigeru Miyamoto" or something similar.
Nintendo are you there?
Please consider updating the credits.
It'd have to happen eventually.
Considering Miyamoto said he hoped series like Mario would continue in long past his time. He probably wouldn't want either Mario or Zelda so intrinsically tied to him that it'd hurt either series if he's not involved in them
So I'd understand why he'd he'd went from director to producer to supervisor to uncredited (although you'd think he'd at least be in the Special Thanks, lol).
The lack of any Miyamoto involvement goes some way to explaining the middling reception to this game.
@Yoshi3 Aonuma is an amazing director / producer. His teams accomplish the seemingly impossible on this aged hardware
@Antraxx777 that's more thanks to the programmers talents for optimizing the games for an aged hardware... not the director nor producer. Yes... as a director he was great.... as a creative producer calling the shots... not so much.
His legacy is solidified, so let the kids have at it. True, they could throw a "special thanks" or "created by...", but it's OK. Rather humble imo.
Yeah, look at other media. Comics still say Stan Lee Presents even though he hasn't worked at Marvel in 40 years, and is now dead. You'd think a final credit like, "The Legend of Zelda, created by Shigeru Miyamoto" would be included or something like that.
I've always found credits annoying and hate you can't just skip them in most games. Occasionally when they are interactive it can be fun but I never pay too much attention to the names lol
@graviton I consider myself an old fart (31 years old, but still), and I am not well-versed in the latest slang and music. But I always try to stay on top of the latest gaming trends.
And having just beat Echoes of Wisdom a few minutes ago as of this writing, I thoroughly enjoyed the new direction Nintendo took the series in with this entry. I can’t wait for the next game where we play as Zelda!
Still, it would have been nice if Shigeru Miyamoto got some sort of credit for creating the series. Even Gene Roddenberry (the creator of Star Trek) got credited as the creator of the franchise in every series from Deep Space Nine-onwards.
sadly we are approaching the end of a era, severals developers that worked at Nintendo since the NES era, is preparing for his retiriment, meaning the Switch sucessor era, could be the final console generation, with the involviment of Shigeru Miyamoto, Yoshi Sakamoto, Takashi Tekuza, Koji Kondo and many more.
@Giancarlothomaz agree, if the Switch successor lasts as long as the Switch, Miyamoto will be almost 80, I don't think he'd be directly involved even in Pikmin past that age. Even if he'd still be at the company (though I'd suspect he would be)
If this was said before in the original review, it didn't register with me... I believe this game is worth a purchase, but I'm having trouble with the claim that it's "up there with the series' best." I mean, really?
@AstroTheGamosian I agree. It would have been nice if Miyamoto was accredited for creating Zelda in Wisdom of Echoes.
However, I don’t think this is how Nintendo wants to proceed forward. Zelda is a Nintendo brand. Rarely, do the public know of the designer who designed a battery charger or random kitchen utensil. And this is the way Nintendo wants it.
Or rather, Nintendo wants people to view Zelda, first and foremost, as a Nintendo character. And not the creation of just one person.
It is a corporation. It isn’t the temple for specific game developers. Haven’t you wonder why we haven’t seen Bowser (the American CEO) in directs much when compared to his predecessor Reggie? Nintendo, as least in the Switch era, has removed much individuality and personalities from their general promo.
Or it could be Nintendo wanting to highlight the upcoming generation of developers in the company.
At the end of the day, it could just be some random junior forgetting to add that into the game. 😂
Miyamoto deserves to be in "Special Thanks" section for every game series that he was involved in the creation of originally for the rest of his life.
Show Comments
Leave A Comment
Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...