So, there is no female playable character in the new Zelda game because Aunuma is sexist. To explain why there won't be a playable female character in this game that should have one, he said "Zelda isn't playable because then what would Link's role be"? WHAT? That's a ludicrously sexist thing to say, for fairly obvious reasons! It's a modern version of the good old sexist stereotype that 'girls' have no place in adventure stories [because they should stay home, etc.]. This is a stereotype we're breaking down here in the West, but Japan sadly still holds out against the modern world. It's sad given how much I love the Zelda series, and it always has been one of the best in gaming, but that is the only way to explain his incredibly flawed "logic" in the quotes in the OP, sexism, from an older man in one of the most sexist countries in the developed world.
Sadly enough, due to series history and Nintendo's own bad record of womens' roles in their games this is exactly the result I expected, but it's still extremely disappointing even if it is in no way a surprise.
Full quote:
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/why.../1100-6440862/
As for the game otherwise it's looking good, but different, but maybe another thread for that?During the conversation, which was translated by a Nintendo representative, we asked Aonuma if the rumors of having the option to play as a female version of Link are accurate. He said that he's aware of the conversations happening online, stating: "So yes, there were rumors like that, and we did discuss as a staff as to what would be possible if we took that route."
However, instead of entertaining the idea of the player being able to choose the hero Link's gender, Aonuma said his team considered what they deemed to be the simplest option; making princess Zelda the lead character. "We thought about it," said Aonuma, "and decided that if we're going to have a female protagonist it's simpler to have Princess Zelda as the main character."
This idea was ultimately rejected, because according to Aonuma "...if we have princess Zelda as the main character who fights, then what is Link going to do? Taking into account that, and also the idea of the balance of the Triforce, we thought it best to come back to this [original] makeup."
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