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The Legend of Zelda was inspired by Western RPGs says Shigeru Miyamoto, because Nintendo wanted to appeal to more players: “We had to create new types of games”
Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto has said that the original Legend of Zelda drew inspiration from Western role-playing games, as the company sought to broaden the appeal of its output beyond its existing catalogue. The remark sheds light on the thinking behind one of gaming's most influential franchises, suggesting that Nintendo deliberately looked outside Japan and outside its own established genres when shaping the series.
According to Miyamoto, the goal was to reach a wider range of players, prompting the studio to move beyond familiar formulas. He is quoted as saying "we had to create new types of games," indicating that Zelda was conceived partly as an experiment in expanding Nintendo's audience rather than simply extending existing hits.
In short
- Miyamoto says Western RPGs influenced the original Legend of Zelda.
- Nintendo aimed to appeal to a broader range of players.
- Zelda was part of a push to create new game types.
Explained simply
Shigeru Miyamoto is a legendary video game designer at Nintendo who created some of the world's most beloved games. He has recently explained how The Legend of Zelda came to be, offering rare insight into the creative thinking behind this hugely influential gaming franchise.
In the early 1980s, Nintendo wanted to expand beyond the types of games it was already known for, to appeal to a wider audience. The company looked to Western role-playing games, which were popular outside Japan, as inspiration for how to create something fresh rather than simply copying what had worked before.
This explanation matters because it reveals how video game companies think strategically about their creative work. It shows that deliberate choices about inspiration and audience help shape the most successful and lasting games in the industry.