Left-Handed Option? Should There Be One...

[Lucrei]

I'm with you 110%. I think that the left-handed market for the Zelda series is a little larger than for other games due to a simple fact - people will naturally gravitate towards heroes like themselves.

That's an interesting view TT. I never even considered that. It is awesome that Link is, or rather, was lefthanded - although, all things considered I would say the effect would be minimal on influencing more lefthanders to play Zelda. Just think about how many games you play that feature righthanders. I wouldn't think it makes a marginal difference - I think it's still regulated by the quality of the actual title. Interesting though.

Sure, we may be a minority, but I'm really hurt by the realization that I either need to suddenly be a master right-handed swordsman and gamer, or give up on the Zelda series forever because I share the same 'disability' that Link himself has...

Exactly you've nailed it, that's the biggest issue here! It was acceptable, albeit annoying in Twilight Princess, but Skyward Sword is utilising Motion Plus, to almost neccessitate the need for dominant hand usage. I don't have the time - nor the patience - to relearn how to hold and swing a sword, to the level of accuracy required, and I dare say neither do any of my fellow left handers, particularly when we can do it just as aptly with our left hands

I'd be perfectly fine with the game being held while animations for Link were remade - I don't need the rest of the game to be changed to make enemies' weak points to be more accessible. Heck, I'd even be fine if they released the promised version on time, as long as the aforementioned lefty version was going to be coming later.

Here, here! I would also be willing to wait. It's not like most gamers don't have plently of backlogged games they still need to complete. However, Nintendo owe it to their left-handed fan base to either offer the option, or release a second version. If they don't comply with this, the backlash WILL be enormous.

Is there a huge difference between this and saying, "Oh, you're being discriminated against based on gender? Well, we hope you can just have gender reassignment surgery."?

No there isn't. That just shows how ridiculous Nintendo are for even suggesting they should deny us the right to play left-handed.

Plus, aren't there theories that dominant hand preference is psychological? It certainly wasn't a "choice" for me. If it is, they are essentially labelling it a disability then, if they do not cater for it.

I'm right handed, yet I love holding the Wiimote (the sword) in my left hand for LoZ games (which I did in TP, to no ill effect).

Bravo for doing so good sir, but unfortunately this will not be the case with Skyward Sword. I myself, as a lefthander, could have played Twilight Princess with my righthand, as all the movements were random waggles and waves of the wiimote - you probably experienced something similar with your lefthanded playthrough. Skyward Sword however, is utilisting Motion Plus, which adds a whole level of depth to the motion, adding complete 1:1 precision. This is something you can not obtain without life experience. It's the reason why there aren't many ambidextrous people. You can't just switch your dominant hand, and expect the other to perform the same tasks with the same level of accuracy and precision. It just doesn't happen - unless you train yourself. As a lefthander, I don't want to, as a consequence of discrimination, train myself in a skill, that I don't need for anything else in my life. It's just wrong.

In conclusion: Just provide the option, and make everybody happy. Do not tell me that, even if you need to change everything for a lefty, the one year you've extended the release isn't enough time to simply flip all the models. They better give a really good, specific reason they can't accomplish this before I change my mind. I agree that it's very discriminatory to just say "just play right-handed".

I'm glad a righthander, such as yourself, can the see the issue here. We might stand a chance if you guys team up with us

I might make a blog post about this, it seems to be a pretty big issue, and I'd like to give the lefthanded Zelda community a voice - even if it is on my small, but growing blog. I'll let you know once it's up. Might have a bit more discussion first, I'd like to include as much opinion and views as possible - don't want it to be too ranty - more factual.

 

[NorthApple]

At first, I was ready to almost brush this off (considering it doesn't directly affect me and it's "only a game" or whatever), but after seeing how passionate some of you guys are, I've been trying to think a little more into it. It's probably already been mentioned as a point, but Nintendo aren't giving the impression they've thought this through... I mean, they're going on and on about wanting to make the game more accessible, and easier to play... but not including a left handed option seems to undermine all of this. It seems like a no-brainer. But that's an exellent point- I know if I was left handed I'd probably be more likely to play Zelda games and cherish Zelda games, because seriously, how many left handed heroes are there? Not many. It doesn't make sense.

And you guys are starting to make me think, surely, surely it isn't that difficult for Nintendo to include this option... I mean, I wouldn't mind waiting another 6 months or whatever so they could program one, as long as we get the game in the end then I'd be happy, and I'm sure a lot of other right handers feel the same. I know I wouldn't like it if it was me they were leaving out. Recently they've been giving a really good impression that they do understand the market and what gamers want from games, so I can't understand why they're in effect cheating some of their players out of the best possible experience, and perhaps cheating themseves out of some sales as well. Maybe Nintendo do have a ridiculously mind-blowing reason for not including one, but they owe it to the left handed players to at least explain why they should have to inconvenience themselves. And I for one would love to hear it.

Starting a petition sounds like a good idea though, and if Nintendo caught wind of it it might just make them reconsider. I mean, what's there to lose?

 

[Rofang]

Starting a petition sounds like a good idea though, and if Nintendo caught wind of it it might just make them reconsider. I mean, what's there to lose?

Months of sweet, sweet gameplay.

 

[Water-Is-Evil]

I'm a lefty, and I find that it's pointless to make a left handed version. Why you may ask. Well it's because I tried it with left hand wii mote and right hand chuk, but it was too hard because our hands are used to using our left hand for analog or dpad so it's better to just have the right handed version. If you insist on using left hand wii mote does it really make a difference? It will still work fine because if you swing left to right it will still swing left to right.

 

[Link428]

What would it hurt. Im a righty but I think that Lefties have the right to experience Zelda the way they want to play too.

 

[Ventus]

I myself write with my left hand, but I seem to do everything else with my right. I play Wii games at my friend's place with the analog in my left hand, but it wouldn't be bad to make SS have a lefty option. It is possible to it right now, if the game is already "complete", because they did the same thing with GC & Wii Twilight Princess.

 

[NorthApple]

Months of sweet, sweet gameplay.

Nintendo don't really listen to these things anyway. Big companies rarely do. But I was just trying to make a point, I mean at least if people who wanted the option had the chance to show they were serious about voicing their opinion, it would at least make it sting a little less if Nintendo don't include that option in the end. But can I ask, what kind of attitude is that to have... (to word this in a very over-the-top way...) to stay silent while others suffer just to benefit ourselves? That's really rather selfish and not a good way to think about things, but alas... that is the world I suppose.

I'm a lefty, and I find that it's pointless to make a left handed version. Why you may ask. Well it's because I tried it with left hand wii mote and right hand chuk, but it was too hard because our hands are used to using our left hand for analog or dpad so it's better to just have the right handed version. If you insist on using left hand wii mote does it really make a difference? It will still work fine because if you swing left to right it will still swing left to right.

Seems we've got the whole spectrum of opinions here XD But THIS is what I was trying to point out a while back, that gamers are used to using their left hand for a d-pad/analog-stick, and I think maybe this is part of Nintendo's reasoning? I don't know. EITHER WAY something would have to be sacrificed even if they put a left handed option in, because either you use your left hand for the sword, but have to re-learn how to move your character using your right hand, or you keep the precision of movement you had with your left hand but learn to wield the sword with your right. I don't know... in my last post, I said Nintendo maybe haven't thought things through, but maybe they actually have (what was I talking about, of course they must have thought about something that they know better than anyone could cost them sales). I suppose then it comes down to trusting them to do the right thing (if you'll pardon the unavoidable language pun) and pick what they think is best.

Gah, either way, someone's not going to be happy. And I still don't know where I stand in this...

 

[Rofang]

But can I ask, what kind of attitude is that to have... (to word this in a very over-the-top way...) to stay silent while others suffer just to benefit ourselves?

I do think it's callous of them not to include a handedness option. The extent to which this bothers me, though, is outweighed by the amount I want the game RIGHT NOW, and by the fact that it seems a number of lefties (myself included) are already used to left-thumbstick, and at least some of those that aren't can still adjust. Delaying the game significantly to accommodate the small number of outliers (even though I don't quite understand why it's so complex to include, Aonuma's explanation aside) just doesn't seem worth it.

Now color-blindness, that's something that Nintendo should be conscious of, because it affects a non-negligible number of people who have no means of "adjusting."

 

[NorthApple]

I do think it's callous of them not to include a handedness option. The extent to which this bothers me, though, is outweighed by the amount I want the game RIGHT NOW, and by the fact that it seems a number of lefties (myself included) are already used to left-thumbstick, and at least some of those that aren't can still adjust. Delaying the game significantly to accommodate the small number of outliers (even though I don't quite understand why it's so complex to include, Aonuma's explanation aside) just doesn't seem worth it.

Now color-blindness, that's something that Nintendo should be conscious of, because it affects a non-negligible number of people who have no means of "adjusting."

...It appears I misjudged you. Or perhaps that was you aim all along? Anyhow, I'm sorry if I came off rude.
But in any case, that's the best put point for not including it so far, and part of me has to agree with the logic you have there... umm.

Hahah, Link consist entirely of shades green and brown... I think Nintendo's missed the boat on that one. In seriousness though, I know what you mean. There are bigger, and harder-to-resolve issues to squabble over than this I guess. Maybe Nintendo realised they'd have to come to a compromise, and this was their answer to it. I'm going to shut up now anyway after making 4 posts and not actually bringing anything worthwhile to the table XDD

 

[Sevenyearwait]

Its all up to Nintendo. I think if Nintendo makes a lefty version of the game that they should do it if they don't then they should not.

 

[Linebeck1000]

Okay, so looking at the poll it would seem that the opinion of putting in a "left-handed" option is winning by a landslide, right? However, I think the majority were the right-handed people who blindly voted for this just thinking "ZOMG of course!!!111! If they didn't do that it would be racist!!!111" without even looking at the argument that Rofang, NorthApple, and a few other people put forth (the controlling with left thumb thing). That's nice of them to feel that way, but I always get irritated when I see threads dealing with this subject and all of the opinions are the same. I just shake my head and say, "*Sigh* You righties just don't understand... We just want to be treated like everyone else!". Like Aonuma said, it would be alot of work to modify it for this, and in the end, IMO barely any of the lefties would actually use it! And the very small minority of the already small minority of lefties that do use it could always just adapt like Rofang I think said. It just seems like a waste of time to me when they could be working on mini-quests, character developement etc.


But anyway, that's enough of my opinion. What I wanted to do with this post was propose a whole new thread, except the catch is that only lefties can participate in the poll. After all, that's whose opinion matters most in this subject, right? I think it would give us a more accurate view of just how much this feature is needed in SS, without the interference of the righties. Obviously there's no real way to tell if those voting in the poll are actually lefties, but for the most part I think the community can be trusted to answer honestly.

So what do you guys think? Should this thread be made or do you think the community can't be trusted enough and it would be pointless?

 

[NorthApple]

I said I wasn't going to post again, buuut... Linebeck1000 has a point there I think. I mean, I know I'm conscious of the fact that some would think I was interfering or being... handist? or something if I said something bold against having a lefthanded option, simply because I'm righthanded and in their eyes "I don't understand". People like Rofang on the other hand, are capable of saying something outright without the hypothetical gaggle of righties Linebeck above me mentioned thinking he's being unfair... the lefties themselves aren't restricted in their views, because I mean after all, you can't be accused of being "handist" against yourself (I really need to find out what the actual word for that is.) And that's awesome.

If we could remove interference we would get a lot better idea of where people who it actually concerns stand in the matter, but alas I don't know whether it would work.

 

[Rofang]

So what do you guys think? Should this thread be made or do you think the community can't be trusted enough and it would be pointless?

I'm too new to be able to speculate on the community's trustworthiness, but if you'd like a fair gauge, why not include poll options for the righties to click on? For example:
* I'm a lefty, and I'd like a left-handed option, even if it delays the release.
* I'm a lefty, but I do not want the release delayed over a left-handed option.
* I'm a righty, but I think there should be a left-handed option, even if it delays the release.
* I'm a righty, and I do not want the release delayed over a left-handed option.
* I refuse to be classified.

 

[Linebeck1000]

First off, I'd just like say that I am left handed myself, since I think that didn't come off very clear in my last post due to my odd wording... I was just trying to look at it from a right-hander's perspective.

Those extra options are a great idea, I hadn't thought of that for some reason. Though I still think that there might be people that would lie. I'm also new, so I don't know much of the community yet. I'd like to get a few more opinions on whether this thread would be a good idea or not, so I don't take the time to make it only to find out that no one is taking it seriously.

 

[NorthApple]

I've been around for nearly a year now, and the community here is, on the whole, one of the most considerate I've seen in a while. From experience, I'd say if you wanted to get accurate answers, then all you have to do is ask, and I think the people here would respect that and choose seriously :3

As for this thread, discussion seems to nearly have dried up anyway... gosh 59 people voted but there's not half as many posts as their should be, maybe people are just voting-and-running right now.