Nintendo has responded to a fan petition that calls on the company to name a character in the next Legend of Zelda game for Wii U after the late comedian/actor Robin Williams. The petition, posted at Change.org, was launched immediately following news of the actor's death last week and calls for a non-player character to be named "Robin." It has gathered more than 100,000 signatures.
In a statement to Polygon, a Nintendo spokesperson offered support for Williams--who enjoyed the Zelda series and even named his daughter Zelda after the fictional princess--but would not commit one way or the other regarding a tribute. "Robin Williams was loved at Nintendo," the Nintendo spokesperson said. "Our hearts go out to his entire family, and especially to Zelda Williams who we've worked with multiple times."
Zelda and Robin Williams appeared in marketing campaigns for various Legend of Zelda games throughout the years.
"We appreciate the outpouring of support from the gaming community, and hear the request of fans to honor him in a future game," the Nintendo spokesperson added. "We will not be discussing what might be possible for future games during this difficult time, but we w ill hold our memories of Robin close."
The creator of the petition, Nick Schaedel, says: "He won't get to play it, but he'll live on forever in a universe he always loved." The Legend of Zelda for Wii U, an open-world game, launches sometime in 2015.
Last week, Blizzard Entertainment announced that it will create a World of Warcraft NPC based on Williams, who enjoyed the MMO. Blizzard's announcement came after fans launched a petition asking for such a character.
Williams was found dead in his California home last Monday in an apparent suicide. He was 63.
| Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on Twitter @EddieMakuch |
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