Summary
Eiji Aonuma, the producer of Nintendo’sLegend of Zeldafranchise, has been named an official Knight by the French Minister of Culture. This is a title that is given by the Minister of Culture to outstanding individuals, first established in 1957. Its purpose is to recognize significant cultural contributions in terms of art, literature, and other media. Aonuma joins the ranks of several other individuals with this honor, including fellowNintendo revolutionary Shigeru Miyamoto.
Aonuma is a legendary developer, having worked on theLegend of Zeldagames for over two decades. Aonuma’s firstZeldagame was 1998’sOcarina of Time, serving as its director and dungeon designer. Aonuma directed other popular mainlineZeldagames, likeMajora’s MaskandTwilight Princess, until he moved into the role of series producer starting in 2007. Aonuma wasTears of the Kingdom’s producer, with the game becoming both a commercial and critical hit when it released this past May.
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Firstreported by Le Figaro, the French Minister of Culture, Rima Abdul-Malak, is awarding theLegend of Zeldaseries producer with this title. Aonuma will be joining other video game creators like Michel Ancel, Peter Molyneux, and the aforementioned Shigeru Miyamoto, who have all been honored with this distinction. The announcement was first made during the 2023 Paris Games Week trade show, though an official date of the ceremony has yet to be announced.
Another Japanese creator that was given this distinction wasUrusei YatsuraandInuyashacreator Rumiko Takahashi, who was awarded this title earlier this April. The last person to be recognized with this title in terms of video games would be Rebecka Coutaz in 2022, who is the vice president of DICE and former director of Ubisoft Annecy. Other distinguished video game creators who hold the title of knight include the general director of Bethesda France, Julie Chalmette, and Audrey Leprice, co-founder of French Studio The Game Bakers.
The success ofTears of the Kingdomcannot be understated, as it is one ofthe best-selling games on the Nintendo Switch. It managed to sell over 10 million copies within the first three days of its release, with over 18.51 million copies being sold by the end of June 2023. 2023 would also see Aonuma promoted to a senior officer position at Nintendo EPD. The future of theZeldaseries is looking bright, and the title of Knight is a well-deserved honor for Aonuma after his longtime contributions and work with the franchise.
