Petition asks Nintendo to name character after Robin Williams
Over 100,000 people have signed the petition, though it's not clear yet whether Nintendo might bring Williams to a future title.
Following the suicide of actor Robin Williams last week, fans of both the comedic actor and of "The Legend of Zelda" are asking Nintendo to incorporate him into a future game.
Fans are using Change.org to post a petition, asking Nintendo to include the actor in a video game. As of this writing, the petition has over 109,000 signatures and has attracted the attention of Nintendo.
"Robin Williams was loved at Nintendo. Our hearts go out to his entire family, and especially to Zelda Williams who we've worked with multiple times," the company told CNET in an e-mailed statement. "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."
Williams was a well-known fan of video games, including "The Legend of Zelda" franchise. As the petition noted, he named his daughter Zelda after the princess in the franchise and had gone on the record several times saying that the franchise was one of his favorites. Nintendo had recently hired Williams and his daughter to promote the franchise.
Nintendo's non-committal response leaves open the possibility of Williams becoming a character in a future game. The petition clearly states that gamers aren't asking that his character be "playable," so incorporating him into a future "Zelda" game wouldn't be too difficult.
Nintendo released its Zelda-themed game, Hyrule Warriors, in Japan last week. The game is scheduled to land in the US next month.
(Via WSJ)