Producer Anxiety Ahead of Launch
Eiji Aonuma, the longtime producer of The Legend of Zelda franchise at Nintendo, is preparing to launch the highly anticipated remake of 1996's seminal The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time next week. And after so many years and so many Zelda games, you'd think it was routine for him. But it turns out he's nervous this time.
"I'm all nervous about releasing the remake of 'Ocarina' because I don't know how it's going to turn out, I can't stop thinking about it," he told AFP at a press event in Paris. The stakes are certainly a bit different this time around, as Aonuma and his team undertook the daunting task of remaking what many regard to be one of the greatest games of all time, as opposed to every other Zelda game they've made that is an original work.
Team Dynamics and New Perspectives
The original Ocarina of Time was the first project Aonuma worked on with legendary Nintendo designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Now, he and his team are remaking it, introducing changes that may surprise veterans of the original release. Aonuma also noted that some members of his current development team had never played the original game, a factor he views as beneficial for the project.
Public interest in the title appears exceptionally high, evidenced by strong preview engagement metrics and substantial viewership numbers across digital platforms ahead of launch.
Release Details
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Remake is scheduled for release on November 5.
