Considering the fact that they were using the Wind Waker as a technical test for the next Zelda game by updating the graphics, I guarantee that Nintendo is going to use this Wind Waker engine a TON internally to test things for the next full installment while they're still working on the engine for that game.
I think that Aonuma was telling the truth when he announced the game in the first place. They were testing graphical styles on the WiiU by recreating past Zelda games, and the Wind Waker turned out so well that they decided to do more with it than just recreate an area. Recreating the gameplay will let them work with the WiiU from a coding level as well, so they're going to put everything they learn towards the development of the new Zelda game.
So it's a win-win for Nintendo (and us, in the long run). They get some "easy" time with working with the WiiU in development terms, and they also get to sell the product of that time to people who have been BEGGING for a remake of this game for years and to people who might have never played it. I don't think their only reasoning was that they could sucker people into buying a cheap remake.
JordanElek
I SEE the point you're making (or at least I think I do). I just don't feel comfortable in BUYING it. I know that game engines only get more complex with each new system, so maybe there was something to using an older game as a base point in order to test how things should go moving forward. (I can't figure out why Nintendo just couldn't use those same resources to build an entirely new project, but whatever. lol) My previous point point was in response to your last reply, and simply put, if this was just about the demands of playing Wind Waker, which I really haven't seen much of, outside of people asking for a "New Play Control" version of it for the Wii, there were other, more cost-friendly ways of doing it.
Of course, if their Wind Waker test turned out as well Aonuma claims it did, giving the whole game the HD treatment would be a no-brainer from that point on. And while I can understand the developing angle, the potential of the game at retail ASAP speaks louder than what it could mean down the road for the series. Bottom line is that the Zelda name in and of itself is one of Nintendo's best selling points, and just getting ANY Zelda on the market for the Wii U is better than nothing at all, especially since the system is already starving for a system-selling game (even to the point of Iwata already apologizing for lack of software, despite the system's launch). There's no doubt in my mind that Nintendo went through with this 'test' because it was fully aware of where the Wii U was and what it could possibly take to improve momentum. Otherwise, this simple recreation wouldn't have gotten to this point, even if it did turn out with a favorable result.
It simply doesn't get any easier to understand than 'Zelda+HD Graphics=Attention', which is what Nintendo has gained in some extent because of WW Wii U's announcement. I won't argue your point that releasing an HD Remake wasn't Nintendo's only reason for doing this, but I'm confident in saying that it has become their main reason for getting it to this stage. It's not even that bad of a scenario, but I certainly don't see this as some love letter to fans, either, especially if it sells at the same price as any other Wii U game with minimal new content.
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