Breath of the Wild Zelda U May NOT Even Have a Place in the Timeline

[VitaTempusN92]

Hey everyone, Vita here. Today I found some in which may be unfortunate news. It seems that from what I've been seeing lately of Aonuma's words on Zelda U and future Zelda titles that are really starting to worry me. And that is the possibility that Zelda U and future Zelda games may NOT even be placed the timeline at all as Zelda U may be the first of a new series of stand alone Zelda games that exist in their own universes. I didn't want to believe it at first but the things that Aonuma keeps saying keeps on making the possibility stronger and stronger. And it keeps haunting me to death. I will go through Aonuma's quotes that make this possibility stronger in order:

1)

Aonuma:"I don't want people to get hung up on the way Link looks because ultimately Link represents the player in the game. I don't want to define him so much that it becomes limiting to the players. I want players to focus on other parts of the trailer and not specifically on the character because the character Link represents, again, the player."

2)

Aonuma:"Because I have been at E3, I haven’t had much time to spend in doing this research, but I certainly have been checking fan reaction and I am really excited many comments have said how beautiful the game looks. The designers have been working really hard to make sure the visuals look like something players don’t expect, or maybe something they haven’t seen before, and this applies to not just to the scenery, but to the enemies and things like that.

"Another interesting comment I’ve heard, quite frequently actually, is that, “Oh Link’s a woman. Link is female now.”

"That might be something that consciously we kind of did, but not to say anything specific – I am not saying anything specific – but, I am hoping people continue to comment, and I will continue to follow the fan comments and reactions to the trailer. I am certainly curious, and I am sure there are things we as developers can glean."

Those two quotes alone by far seem to suggest the possibility that Link may be more customizable this time around or perhaps TOO customizable to the point that could ruin the chances of this game being timeline essential or having a place in the timeline. It was at this point really started to get skeptical on things. Anyways, on to the next set of quotes:

3)

Aonuma:"One thing I have to say is, I never said that wasn't Link. I said 'No one ever said that was Link.' Every game needs to have a protagonist. You have to have a main character, so we create one that is ultimately supposed to become the player. With each iteration of Zelda, we make this main character and it's not as though this protagonist is not the same character all the time. It's just a role within the game that the player occupies."

"That's something that I tell my designers when they create the character. Certainly, as part of a series, maybe people will think it’s the same main character but, ultimately, it's the player character. It's the person with the controller in their hands, if that makes sense. This kind of information can just exponentially grow, so I just wanted to make that clear."

4)

Aonuma:"I'm interested in seeing something like that, but I think one of the charm points of this particular franchise is that fact that it's called 'Legend of Zelda' but Zelda is not the main character. She's not the protagonist. But if you ask me what that is, I don’t know. I can't really explain it. Maybe if she's the main character, then maybe the title needs to change."

These two quotes seem to only get more worried about this "unfortunate" possibility. This is Aonuma further seems to suggest that Link will be more customizable and that Zelda will become the new story essential main character and all Link is just the player's customizable avatar with choice of having him be male or female much like Arisen from Dragon's Dogma. Anyways, on to the final three quotes:

5)

Aonuma:"The impact of the player character on the environment that has been, and really, having the player experience the impact, is something that is consistent through all versions of the Zelda games, but I want to continue to have players experience that and even build upon that experience. In traditional Zelda games there is kind of an order in which you do things. You can’t do 3 until you do 1 and 2 for example. But with the new Zelda game, I really want to open the opportunities up for the players to really make an impact on their environment and to give them a little more freedom to choose their path the story takes."

6)

Aonuma:“When I say Link, it’s not one specific character. It is the protagonist in the Zelda game. Please understand.”

7)

Aonuma:"In the trailer I talked about the idea of the open world and how we’re going to really bring it to life in the next installment of the series. With Hyrule Warriors, it’s not a huge open world, but it’s a large area with battles taking place all the time. Link has to figure out what his strategy is, what his part is going to be, and how he is going to take over as many of these areas as possible. In that sense, it’s unlike the traditional Zelda titles where there is a process – a flow you have to follow. You start at A, you go to B, you get the key kind of thing. My goal is to eliminate that sort of formula and make it more of, as in with Hyrule Warriors, this large space where you have to figure out what your experience is going to be within that space. You define it."

It was this point that this unfortunate possibility became too strong to deny as by this point, it pretty much already 83% confirmed that this new game is potentially a reboot of some sort or a stand alone series games that are set in their own universes. From all can say as of now, I can already confirm that this new game most certainly may NOT be "Zelda" at all or least the "Zelda" that we know and love. Aonuma is obviously taking this whole "rethinking the conventions" garbage WAY TOO far. Zelda isn't supposed to be so much like Skyrim, Zelda isn't supposed to be too much like Dragon's Dogma. Zelda CAN be inspired by those type of games but as LONG it's STILL ZELDA and has a place in the ZELDA TIMELINE! This is ridiculous! This is exactly what I was afraid of when Aonuma first mentioned about the "rethinking the conventions" thing last year in the first but I didn't want to believe it as kept hoping that maybe he wouldn't go too far, I hoped that maybe we might get another prequel game, a game in that sets far in the future of adult timeline in new Hyrule, or maybe even another child timeline game that far in the future in Hyrule but NO, instead he just HAD to go TOO far as I feared and trying be like other developers TOO much.

It is at this point where I'd rather play HW than Zelda U cause Zelda U doesn't even seem to be a real Zelda game at all, at HW seems to actually APPRECIATE what Zelda MEANS to US, as it is considered like a collaboration Zelda's GREATEST HITS as a tribute to the greatest video game franchise ever to exist. I think of Hyrule Warriors as like an "In loving memory of Zelda" type game. Why do I say all this? Cause the Zelda we know and love is DEAD and HW is a tribute to honor the loving fond memories of the Zelda we know and love as such a great game series gets replaced with this new Zelda and Aonuma with confidence had this to say:

[video=youtube_share;VZnQlgwIGNc]http://youtu.be/VZnQlgwIGNc?t=1m32s[/video]

Aonuma:"This is the new world of Zelda"

Note: Aonuma's quote is at 1:32.

Wow, just wow, I honestly CAN'T believe this really happening, my number one favorite video game series I grew up with is pretty much dead now and with this new "The Sage Legends I: Hyrule Chapter I: Ganon's Dogma" game. I even made a meme comic about this. Though there is one noticeable flaw in block 6 but here it is anyways:

http://global3.memecdn.com/zelda-u-is-actually-the-sage-legends-i_o_3373723.jpg

Since it's too big and long to post directly as an image on here, you have to click on the link I provided above to see it.

Anyways, that's all I have to say for now, I'm tired. :tired: Please feel free to let me know your thoughts and opinions on this matter. Perhaps maybe one or more of you can help me feel better on this matter.

Edit: If the video starts at the beginning for you, just skip to 1:32 to see the part I was trying to show where he says "this is the new world of Zelda".

 

[Justac00lguy]

Honestly I think the whole Link being the player has always existed, hell, we've been able to name Link for years now. The actual name holds no real significance other than to be the canon name that we all refer to the main character as. Thing is, Link, for the most part, has been this blank canvas that we take control as, which gives the sense that we're the hero and not just controlling the hero.

The part where Aonuma is discussing this being a "new Zelda world" has been said before, or implied, with new generation Zelda games. Nintendo always likes to sort of revamp the series to give it that fresh feeling. You look at the original game in the series and Ocarina of Time and you see two even different world's - the series was reinvented in a way when it transitioned into a 3D world yet all of these past legends still coexist within the same Timeline. I'd interpret this new world more so as Aonuma referring to the new conventions that are going to be present. So not new in the sense that it's a completely new world, but new as in its a different world in terms of how we interact and explore within. If you really think about each and every individual Zelda game, they're all different legends, worlds etc.

Anyway, if this was a possibility I don't see the point in Nintendo seemingly putting more emphasis on continuity and whatnot. They celebrated 25 years by giving us a game that explained some of the origins of the series, they then released the Official Timeline, and their most recent title was a sequel that heavily connected with an age old classic. It seems to me as if they're advancing in this aspect and warming to concept of a more interconnected world where each legend has its place in the grand scheme.

 

[Dromgar]

First of all, it's still yet to be confirmed that Link or "the avatar" is customizable. Your quotes merely have Aonuma stating that this character shown in the trailer is the player's avatar, not a specific character. In multiple Zelda games, the avatar is named what the player desires, not Link. To say that due to this, Link is now customizable is a massive misstep in logic. It is a possibility, but it is far from proven.

He's rethinking conventions that have existed for a while in the Zelda franchise such as doing dungeons in a specific order. You can also see this done in LBW in which a number of people greatly enjoy the freedom that it provides. This is also somewhat paying homage to the series origins in the LoZ. When he speaks about changing the title if Zelda were the main character, he's merely saying it hypothetically. If Zelda were the main character, they would have to change the title for sake of consistency. If she had been the new protagonist they would have most-likely made the announcement at E3 rather than tease the fan base with our traditional chosen Hero.

You then go on to claim that "it pretty much already 83% confirmed that this new game is potentially a reboot of some sort or a stand alone series games that are set in their own universes". I have a personal peeve with people who state possibilities as fact, especially when they try to use faulty statistics based upon nothing to make their opinion sound more accurate. Aonuma has specifically said that Hyrule Warriors will not be on the timeline, this statement alone proves that the placement of games on the timeline is still highly considered by the developers. They are aware of the timeline that they have to maintain and won't be so quick to cast it aside. This act could only result in a negative outburst of fans of the series, and the developers aren't that careless.

You act as though you know a lot about the game, but the fact of the matter is none of us do. We know very little about the game outside of the trailer. In an early article before the announcement at E3, the title in development was confirmed as taking place in Hyrule. Aside from that and what we know from the E3 trailer, very little information is known. Despite your egregious remarks about how Zelda is dead, all we can do is wait for more information to continue to be released and find out all that this new game will entail. Every Zelda game is unique. Just because this one may be different doesn't mean that the entire franchise is dead.

 

[Jamie]

it pretty much already 83% confirmed that this new game is potentially a reboot of some sort or a stand alone series games that are set in their own universes

Where did you get this statistic? What calculations did you do?

I can already confirm that this new game most certainly may NOT

"Certainly" and "may" mean entirely different things. Don't use them in a sentence like that, it makes no sense.

Essentially, I think your post is nonsense. There's no real evidence.

 

[VitaTempusN92]

First of all, it's still yet to be confirmed that Link or "the avatar" is customizable. Your quotes merely have Aonuma stating that this character shown in the trailer is the player's avatar, not a specific character. In multiple Zelda games, the avatar is named what the player desires, not Link. To say that due to this, Link is now customizable is a massive misstep in logic. It is a possibility, but it is far from proven.

He's rethinking conventions that have existed for a while in the Zelda franchise such as doing dungeons in a specific order. You can also see this done in LBW in which a number of people greatly enjoy the freedom that it provides. This is also somewhat paying homage to the series origins in the LoZ. When he speaks about changing the title if Zelda were the main character, he's merely saying it hypothetically. If Zelda were the main character, they would have to change the title for sake of consistency. If she had been the new protagonist they would have most-likely made the announcement at E3 rather than tease the fan base with our traditional chosen Hero.

You then go on to claim that "it pretty much already 83% confirmed that this new game is potentially a reboot of some sort or a stand alone series games that are set in their own universes". I have a personal peeve with people who state possibilities as fact, especially when they try to use faulty statistics based upon nothing to make their opinion sound more accurate. Aonuma has specifically said that Hyrule Warriors will not be on the timeline, this statement alone proves that the placement of games on the timeline is still highly considered by the developers. They are aware of the timeline that they have to maintain and won't be so quick to cast it aside. This act could only result in a negative outburst of fans of the series, and the developers aren't that careless.

You act as though you know a lot about the game, but the fact of the matter is none of us do. We know very little about the game outside of the trailer. In an early article before the announcement at E3, the title in development was confirmed as taking place in Hyrule. Aside from that and what we know from the E3 trailer, very little information is known. Despite your egregious remarks about how Zelda is dead, all we can do is wait for more information to continue to be released and find out all that this new game will entail. Every Zelda game is unique. Just because this one may be different doesn't mean that the entire franchise is dead.

First off, not everyone names Link names other than Link, I name my Link, Link. Plus, according to HH and Zelda game manuals and guides as well even the games themselves, Link IS an existing essential timeline relevant hero who just happens to be NAMED Link. Yes, Link himself DOES indeed have history too. Essentially, this means he is NOT supposed to be the player. However, the games are designed so that the player CAN actually temporarily assume the role as whatever Link incarnation from either point of the timeline whenever they play a Zelda game even though they're not really Link, they're fill in for him as him in the game as they experience HIS life story from HIS perspective. So Basically the player only meant to just be Link for the games so they can experience his life story from his perspective as they play. As it is set in the pages of HH, in the actual story, Link is Link, in the games, the player is Link. However, Aonuma wants to take the player being Link in the games aspect to higher level. When achieved to such level, this will create PROBLEMS for the TIMELINE. Why? Well, as I've tried to explain before, Aonuma not only wants the play to be Link but he wants make it so Link can be the player so that the player can truly play as him/her-self. In other words, this is what I meant when I mentioned about Aonuma suggesting the idea of a "fully customizable Link". The point is, from what I'm getting at is that Aonuma seems like he wants to even rethink the timeline as well, trying to make a more confusing timeline (as if the timeline we already have isn't confusing enough ) where there is no specific Links, where the player as whatever "Link" character he/she is regardless of the character's gender is the hero/heroine of each story and not the Link we all know and love. It's not like I'm saying it's 100% confirmed, it's that with the 83%, I'm more trying to say that it is unfortunately very possible. When I said "83% confirmed", I was exaggerating on the "confirmed" part but meant the "83%" as it's that possible. I tend to do that sometimes cause I'm a very emotional and passionate person. Please understand.

Where did you get this statistic? What calculations did you do?


"Certainly" and "may" mean entirely different things. Don't use them in a sentence like that, it makes no sense.

Essentially, I think your post is nonsense. There's no real evidence.

First off, I don't like it when people try to tell me what I can or can not do. One of which especially, when it comes to ways of speech, there is something called "freedom of speech" that I like to follow by. How would you like it if someone told you what you can or can not say or what words can or can not use in a sentence. Also, from what I what I recall, using "certainly" and "may" in the same sentence is actually pretty common. I even asked my 32 year old brother about this and even he agrees with me and he has a lot of ELA (English Language Arts) experience. Plus, yes, I do admit that I may have a weird awkward way of speech but that's NO reason to shun (which means to hate on or to despise) me. If you don't appreciate what someone like me has to say, then mind your own business buddy.

---

@Everyone who asks: All the more relevant evidence is here:

http://www.zeldainformer.com/news/that-was-link-in-zelda-wii-u-and-he-wasnt-female-according-to-aonuma#.U6eX5rEXGPE

http://www.zeldainformer.com/news/eiji-aonuma-is-paying-attention-to-our-reaction-to-zelda-u-notes-the-female#.U6eYIrEXGPE

http://www.zeldainformer.com/news/eiji-aonuma-talks-about-zelda-being-a-protagonist-more-about-zelda-u-and-th#.U6eZm7EXGPE

http://www.zeldainformer.com/news/eiji-aonuma-wants-to-give-players-more-freedom-to-choose-the-path-their-sto#.U6eZ5LEXGPE

http://www.zeldainformer.com/news/aonuma-laughs-at-question-about-link-link-is-just-a-protagonist-and-nothing#.U6eaCbEXGPE

http://www.zeldainformer.com/news/aonumas-goal-is-to-eliminate-the-formula-in-zelda-u-let-the-player-define-t#.U6eXI7EXGPE

 

[ZeldafreakCJM]

I'm glad I'm not the only one that's worried by how Aonuma has been talking. Change can be good, but it's not inherently good. I'm also quite afraid that they're going to change too much about the series. I hope the game still has a good story and a place in the timeline cause otherwise the changes are just going to serve as a means of alienating me and people like me.

Also, Link being the player flew out the window the minute Nintendo decided to treat him as an icon of the series, not only have I never viewed him as an avatar, I fail to see why they still cling to that notion when it's obvious that he's not one. Hell the most recent games barely treat him as such, and honestly I prefer him this way. In fact I kinda want to actually see the option to rename him go at this point, just treat him like the type of character Samus is.

Furthermore, customization would be terrible, I don't want it, it'd be like playing a Mario game and only having the option to pick from playable Miis, with the default being a Mario Mii. Even if the Mii looked very similar to Maro it still wouldn't be Mario, so the same goes for Link, the default non-customized Link wouldn't be Link to me, no matter how similar it looks.

Finally, all the info we have about the game is a 45 second teaser and some vague quotes that if you want to be honest, can mean anything we choose to make them. As hard as it is (especially for people who don't deal well with uncertainty) we need to just wait and see. At the very least, I don't want any Zelda game to be revealed like this ever again. SS was bad, but all we had was a picture and maybe one or two quotes, while Zelda U on the other hand has a teaser that ignited controversy and outcry for a significant change to a character I grew up with and frankly adore, and a ton of super vague quotes about changing things to be other things.

 

[Spiritual Mask Salesman]

The whole link is the player thing is something that has already been well established. This is why the creators of zelda don't want voice acting for link because the player is link and adding voice acting would change that concept. What Aonuma said shouldn't be something to worry about because its stuff nintendo has been trying to explain for awhile now.

I honestly think you're over reacting.

 

[Farore's Chosen]

I don't care if it does or not. The timeline is so convoluted and confusing that I don't even try to keep up unless something is a direct pre/sequel to another game. All I care about is that it'll be a blast to play.

Besides that looks an awful lot like Link to me and he has gone through several visual transformations over the years. I first knew Link as a brunette from his first two games, imagine how stunned I was at the time when the first Zelda game for my GBA showed him in his ahem, punker stage. lol then I saw more of Link and wondered why he and Zelda both were blonde and both have stayed blonde since. Just roll with it.


Besides Link isn't gonna be customizable outside whatever armor/clothes he usually gets anymore then the Mario Bros would be. Why? He may be the link between the game and the player But he is a well established character in his own right. People claiming that he's a girl are just a bunch of whiny brats and possibly homophobes nitpicking and making fun of his new look to stir **** up.

 

[DJ Twitch]

I really hope their bringing back the "avatar" thing, after SS, I knew I was in trouble. I can't help but play Zelda in the mindset that I am Link, but he's completely unrelatable. Link needs to be one or the other, I'm sick of the middle ground they've been sitting in; if he's going to be an avatar, give us customization and choices, if he's going to be a character, make him talk or something.

Also, "New world of Zelda" can be interpreted as a way of saying the series is progressing. It may not have anything to do with other games, but it can still fit in the main canon since they'll later on say "Oh it takes place before X" Or, maybe, it takes place in the very distant future.

But yeah, I can see why we're all worried, there are few things I hate more than reboots.

In fact I kinda want to actually see the option to rename him go at this point, just treat him like the type of character Samus is.

Furthermore, customization would be terrible, I don't want it, it'd be like playing a Mario game and only having the option to pick from playable Miis, with the default being a Mario Mii. Even if the Mii looked very similar to Maro it still wouldn't be Mario, so the same goes for Link, the default non-customized Link wouldn't be Link to me, no matter how similar it looks.

That's... HORRIBLE D:

 

[Farore's Chosen]

[QUOTEIn fact I kinda want to actually see the option to rename him go at this point, just treat him like the type of character Samus is.

Furthermore, customization would be terrible, I don't want it, it'd be like playing a Mario game and only having the option to pick from playable Miis, with the default being a Mario Mii. Even if the Mii looked very similar to Maro it still wouldn't be Mario, so the same goes for Link, the default non-customized Link wouldn't be Link to me, no matter how similar it looks.][/QUOTE]


Nah,it would definitely make it more irritating to keep track when you've got more then one person in the house playing a Zelda game, after all renaming Link is partly about giving him a name you like more and partly to keep track of which save file belongs to who.

 

[ZeldafreakCJM]

That's... HORRIBLE D:

What part are you referring to? Also, honestly I'd prefer he become more of his own character than be customizable. I don't view him as an avatar, I view him as a character. Customization would ruin my image of him and may actually make me not buy it. At the very least he needs to be like he was in SS.

In fact I kinda want to actually see the option to rename him go at this point, just treat him like the type of character Samus is.

Furthermore, customization would be terrible, I don't want it, it'd be like playing a Mario game and only having the option to pick from playable Miis, with the default being a Mario Mii. Even if the Mii looked very similar to Maro it still wouldn't be Mario, so the same goes for Link, the default non-customized Link wouldn't be Link to me, no matter how similar it looks.]

Nah,it would definitely make it more irritating to keep track when you've got more then one person in the house playing a Zelda game, after all renaming Link is partly about giving him a name you like more and partly to keep track of which save file belongs to who.

You could still rename the file, I just don't think Link needs to be renameble anymore, especially when the games don't even give you a chance to put a name in before automatically assuming you're gonna call him Link, or in ALBWs case not even having a naming option but rather a rename button.

 

[Salem]

I'm kind of confused by the OP, I don't grey how these quoted meant to mean that Zelda U won't have a place in the timeline.

On the other hand, I actually don't mind this, in fact it won't bother me if they ignore or make the timeline less important from now on.

 

[Farore's Chosen]

What part are you referring to? Also, honestly I'd prefer he become more of his own character than be customizable. I don't view him as an avatar, I view him as a character. Customization would ruin my image of him and may actually make me not buy it. At the very least he needs to be like he was in SS.



You could still rename the file, I just don't think Link needs to be renameble anymore, especially when the games don't even give you a chance to put a name in before automatically assuming you're gonna call him Link, or in ALBWs case not even having a naming option but rather a rename button.

Renaming Link=Renaming File in Zelda games and nobody likes it when someone accidentally saves over their save file. Besides renaming Link/file has been going on since the first game, its not a new feature

 

[Deleted member 14134]

I think most of your worries are speculations that have not been confirmed yet. Of course he's going to call it new as it is a new game on a new console and a newly designed world. Also you put too much worry into the timeline. So what if it doesn't take place on the timeline? Nintendo probably doesn't put that much thought into it. Play the game for the gameplay not for this timeline everyone keeps worrying about.

 

[ZeldafreakCJM]

Renaming Link=Renaming File in Zelda games and nobody likes it when someone accidentally saves over their save file. Besides renaming Link/file has been going on since the first game, its not a new feature

I'm not saying it needs to happen, just that I wouldn't mind it. Furthermore, if it did they could easily still allow you to rename the file to whatever you want without that name you chose being applied to Link. We all know that's his name anyways so, at least to me, it wouldn't be a big deal. At the very least, I'm fine with him staying the way he is right now, what someone who's strongly against not being able to rename feels is how I feel about customizing him (aka NO!). Plus I'm kinda tired of Link not getting the attention he deserves in the story, a Zelda story based around the whole reincarnation thing would be awesome, but it won't happen because Nintendo is hellbent on the notion that Link is an avatar even through he's really kinda not.

Also, everyone let's not assume that VitaTempusN92 is somehow in the wrong for being worried about this game not being part of the timeline. While I don't think we have any strong evidence to support his speculation/fears (just lots of super vague quotes about conventions and change, thanks Aonuma), it's worth noting that lots of Zelda fans care about the timeline and the lore, I'm one of them, and that quote about making your own experience is actually kinda worrisome assuming it is talking about the story and/or the timeline.