
Nintendo posts help-wanted ads for staff to work on upcoming Legend of Zelda game, and fluency in Japanese isn’t a requirement.
While certain video game series find far more success in one territory than another, Nintendo’s Legend of Zelda is a certified worldwide hit. Ever since the pioneering first installment in the franchise, Zelda has had a place in the hearts and imaginations of fans around the globe, and now here’s your chance to put your heart and imagination back into the series itself.
Nintendo of Japan has recently updated its online job listings, and they now include two project-based positions which are explicitly specified as being for the Legend of Zelda series. While the positions are being offered by Nintendo’s Japanese division, and successful applicants will be working out of the main office in Kyoto, the company has made it clear that it’s not necessarily looking for Japanese-born applicants, or even applicants who speak Japanese at a native level. Both job descriptions say they’re looking for someone with “a Japanese-language proficiency level that allows for collaborative activity with other team members,” and since that would be a low enough hurdle for native-speakers as to not even warrant mentioning, it’s pretty clear that Nintendo is welcoming of non-Japanese applicants.
The two positions Nintendo is hiring for are 3D CG Designer (Terrain) and Level Designer, with the listed requirements for each being:
3D CG Designer (Terrain)
Responsibilities: Creating field, dungeon, and other environments to be used in the game
Requirements:
● Experience making backgrounds with Maya、Adobe Photoshop
● Experience making environments for HD-era gaming hardware
● Special preference for candidates with an interest or desire to create Zelda environmentsLevel Designer
Responsibilities: Planning, implementing, and fine-tuning game events, overworld areas, dungeons, and enemies.
Requirements:
● Experience as a game planner for console video games
The specific salary for successful applicants (Nintendo hasn’t specified how many people in total it’s looking to hire) will depend on factors including experience, but Nintendo says the pay range for both positions is 3.8-8.1 million yen (US$34,200 to $73,000), with moving expenses and housing allowances of up to 66,500 yen per month also potential parts of the compensation package.
While being chosen wouldn’t make you the first foreign Zelda designer, this is still an opportunity to work on one of the most prestigious entertainment franchises ever to come out of Japan, and applicant can submit their applications through Nintendo’s website here.
Source: Nintendo via Jin
Top image ©SoraNews24
Follow Casey on Twitter, where he regrets selling his copies of the first two Zelda games.

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