How Zelda: Ocarina Of Time Benefits From A Glaringly Obvious Tactic That Few Game Devs Follow

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time has been regarded as one of the best games ever made for nearly 30 years, and its new Switch 2 remake is seeing similar levels of acclaim. Part of the reason for its critical success seems to be its deep understanding of the source material, and that shouldn't be a surprise when considering how well Nintendo has retained staff over the years--something very few other game companies have managed to do.

Speaking to GameSpot, longtime Zelda producer Eiji Aonuma acknowledged the benefits of having developers on the team who have been working at Nintendo for decades.

"I think you see a real benefit to having some very long-term-tenured staff members around who have shared the same experiences over time, because every time you get to the next step, it's easier to discuss how to proceed, or if you're going to do something new," Aonuma said via an interpreter. …