Considering that Nintendo’s Zelda: Breath of the Wild came out about two years ago, it would make sense for Nintendo to start looking at the next iteration. It appears that day has come, as job postings for Nintendo’s Kyoto location have been discovered.
Nintendo currently has a listing for two jobs that entail working on the “Legend of Zelda” series. Whether this is an entirely new game or downloadable content for the 2017 Game-of-the-Year winning BotW is not mentioned. They are looking for a topography designer and a level designer, each with a salary that is dependent on the person’s experience in the field. Better yet, they offer a housing allowance and transportation expenses. The barrier for entry —besides experience? Fluent Japanese, as it states in the listing that the applicant must “be able to communicate in Japanese when collaborating.”
All the hopeful applicant has to do is apply, and if they stand out, they will go through two possible interviews before the choice is made. Both jobs are contract work, to be renewed after 3 months if all goes well, and the hours consist of a regular work week. Obviously, the applicant would have to live in/move to the Kyoto area for the duration of employment.
So if you ever wanted a chance to make your mark on one of Nintendo’s (and gaming’s) flagship franchises, now is the time. And considering Nintendo’s track record of integrating new aspects into each Zelda entry (the 3-day time limit of Majora’s Mask, the sailing of Windwaker, the fully open-world of BotW) it will be interesting to see how they change things for this next game.
If you have the chops and would like to try applying, just go to the official website to apply. Fair warning, the page may need to be translated.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is out now on Nintendo Switch.
