Nintendo has responded to a fan-petition that has amassed more than 90,000 signatures calling for legendary comedian and actor Robin Williams to be included in the upcoming Zelda title for Wii U.
Williams, 63, was found dead earlier this week after a history of tackling depression, which resulted in Nick Schaedel, a user on Change.org, to start a petition calling for a NPC character to be named “’Robin’ in his memory.”
“Robin Williams was loved at Nintendo,” a Nintendo spokesperson told Polygon. “Our hearts go out to his entire family, and especially to Zelda Williams who we’ve worked with multiple times.
“We appreciate the outpouring of support from the gaming community, and hear the request of fans to honor him in a future game. We will not be discussing what might be possible for future games during this difficult time, but we will hold our memories of Robin close.”
Robin Williams was known to be a Nintendo enthusiast and he was remembered for his involvement in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D commercial, which featured his daughter who was named after the princess from the series, Zelda Rae Williams.
Nick Schaedel returned to the petition he initially created and added more clarity on the subject:
“I would like to restate the original intent of the petition: to name a character in tribute. I do not think it reasonable to expect Nintendo to redesign a character, rewrite the mythology, or depict Robin Williams’ mannerisms or likeness in game. Nor would I want them to have to broach the issue with the Williams family at this time. All I suggested was that the localisation staff, when the game hits their desks, could consider naming an existing character “Robin”. I don’t think it fair to expect him to be the “King of Hyrule”, nor do I think Mr Williams would have wanted that. In my mind, all I pictured was a humble villager on a hilltop somewhere, with a few goats and a nice view. Not an incarnation of the man, but a tribute to him.”
You can also add your name to the petition here.
The Legend of Zelda title for Wii U is still in development and is scheduled for release in 2015.
