By referring to the site culture.gouv.fr, we discover the following definition: “this order is intended to reward people who have distinguished themselves by their creations in the artistic or literary field or by the contribution to the influence that they have made to the influence of Arts and Letters in France and in the world“. Difficult not to see in this appointment a pure communication stunt, which echoes the contradictory declarations of President Macron concerning the 10th Art, the latter being sometimes responsible for all the ills of our youth in distress, sometimes Art à full share and economic resource worthy of all praise. The attribution of the title of Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres to Eiji Aonuma, which falls without any coincidence during Paris Games Week 2023, therefore establishes the political position which would maintain that the JV is a cultural object deserving much praise.
“It’s not what you think“
Eiji Aonuma, who has been with the Nintendo team since 1991 (he started as sprite designer on NES Open Tournament Golf) is best known for his work on the Zelda saga. In 1998, he became co-director on Ocarina of Time, a position he retained on Majora’s Mask (2000). Then “solo” director on Wind Waker (2002) and Twilight Princess (2006), he will adopt the roles of supervisor and/or producer on the same saga from 2007. Position which is still his today, his latest work to date being The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
Eiji Aonuma joins the exclusive club of video game creators rewarded with the title of Knight of Arts and Letters, alongside Michel Ancel (Rayman), Frédérick Raynal (Alone in the Dark), and Shigeru Miyamoto, all three appointed in 2006. In 2007, Peter Molyneux (Populous, Fable) received the same honorary title.
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