Zelda director admits Wii U GamePad ‘disrupts gameplay’

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild’s director Eiji Aonuma has admitted that the Wii U GamePad can actually disrupt gameplay by forcing players to look back and forth between the GamePad and their TV.

“We realized that having something on the GamePad and looking back and forth between the TV screen and the GamePad actually disrupts the gameplay, and the concentration that the game player may be experiencing,” Aonuma told Wired. “You have your car’s GPS system on your dash. If you had it down in your lap, you’re going to get into an accident!”

The GamePad is, of course, the key feature of Nintendo’s Wii U console, and features a touchscreen that can be used to incorporate additional gameplay elements or act as an off-TV display.

The GamePad can still be used to play the entire game off-screen, however, Wired says. The game will also support the Wii U’s Pro Controller, for players who prefer to play using more traditional control methods.

Zelda: Breath of the Wild is, of course, also on the way to Nintendo’s next console, the Nintendo NX, but Aonuma suggests it’ll play similarly across both consoles.

“I’m not going to create something where the users are going to have a different experience,” he says.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is due to launch simultaneously on Wii U and NX in 2017.

Source: wired.com