Williams took part in the America: A Tribute to Heroes charity telethon for victims of 9/11. He performed at the 2008 We are Amused comedy night to benefit Prince's Trust. Robin Williams is one of many famous people who show signs of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), and he uses these characteristics to bring laughter to those who need it most.
- Petitioning Nintendo of America
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Name an NPC in the new Legend of Zelda game after Robin Williams
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Today, Robin Williams passed away. There aren't enough words to describe this worldwide icon's impact on comedy or cinema, though many people, including the President of the United States, have tried.
Robin was an avid player of video games, with a love for all things Nintendo, and a particular love of all things Legend of Zelda. It is well-known that he named his daughter after the series' titular princess. Nintendo of America itself only recently hired him and his daughter to promote the franchise in a series of ads.
So, in a day where there aren't many words, what can we do? Well, there's a new Zelda game on the horizon. A bold reinvention, a fresh new open world adventure for Wii U. I would like to suggest that when the game is localised to English, Nintendo of America and the Treehouse name one of the characters "Robin" in his memory.
He won't get to play it, but he'll live on forever in a universe he always loved.
Nintendo of America, Nintendo
Sincerely,
[Your name]
Recent signatures
News
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Reached 100,000 signatures
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A response from Nintendo
Hello again.
Man, what a crazy few days. Thank you all again for your support and for sharing this to so many. Today, Nintendo issued a statement about the petition to Polygon. I will reproduce it here:
"Robin Williams was loved at Nintendo. Our hearts go out to his entire family, and especially to Zelda Williams who we've worked with multiple times. We appreciate the outpouring of support from the gaming community, and hear the request of fans to honor him in a future game. We will not be discussing what might be possible for future games during this difficult time, but we will hold our memories of Robin close."
It's a lovely sentiment. I noted in my last update that Nintendo making a statement was in my mind a wonderful outcome, and I still believe that. Nintendo has acknowledged the impact that Robin Williams had on the gaming world and on their community. They have also not ruled out the possibility of naming a character in tribute, so we'll see what happens. It may come to pass, it may not. That's okay.
There's a big button up on the Change.org menu bar that allows you to "Declare Victory", but that tone jars with me. It mischaracterises this petition. It wasn't about forcing Nintendo into acquiescing to fan demands. I certainly never would have guessed it would reach a scale at which the weight of responses - of you and your signature - could have anything approaching that influence.
This petition was born of a sense of loss, and a desire, as the news coverage turned away from celebration of Robin's life and into the deeply personal circumstances of his death, to focus again on something positive. To show another way he left an impression, another way his energy and passion impacted a group of people. It was comforting to imagine a manner in which he could still be part of our lives, could still delight us, and which would have hopefully delighted him. I - we - asked Nintendo to consider localising a character as Robin during the translation of the new Zelda game. They responded: they will. They've heard the request. They will consider it.
Thank you all again for the support. I've received many warm sentiments from many people these past few days. I still can't quite process that when I hit send on this message, it will go out to 90,000+ people. I will end with the suggestion I ended with last time. While we don't yet know if the world of Hyrule will see a tribute to Robin, you can make sure our world does by donating a few rupees to one of the many charities he supported, including St Jude Children's Research Hospital, UNICEF, and Amnesty International: https://www.looktothestars.org/celebrity/robin-williams
My thoughts are with the Williams family. I hope if and when they reemerge from this period of mourning, they are welcomed with love, support and respect. Take care, everyone.
- Nick
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Reached 80,000 signatures
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Compassion and clarification
Hello everyone.
First of all, I'd like to say thank you to everyone who signed and shared this petition. I never expected it to gain anywhere near the attention it has. I am touched that so many felt it was a nice suggestion. I thought I would just take a moment to clarify a few things. Sorry for the email hitting your inbox.
In the wake of the horrible things being sent to Zelda Williams that lead to her quitting Twitter, my number one concern right now is not causing any further distress to Mr Williams' family. I hope that everyone shows them the respect and privacy they deserve. I am also aware of the impact that such a large amount of people can have on Nintendo and its employees. Please don't harass their public figures - if they do see this and choose to act, it will be on their own terms.
I would like to restate the original intent of the petition: to name a character in tribute. I do not think it reasonable to expect Nintendo to redesign a character, rewrite the mythology, or depict Robin Williams' mannerisms or likeness in game. Nor would I want them to have to broach the issue with the Williams family at this time. All I suggested was that the localisation staff, when the game hits their desks, could consider naming an existing character "Robin". I don't think it fair to expect him to be the "King of Hyrule", nor do I think Mr Williams would have wanted that. In my mind, all I pictured was a humble villager on a hilltop somewhere, with a few goats and a nice view. Not an incarnation of the man, but a tribute to him.
If Nintendo does do this, it would be an unexpected but wonderful outcome. If Nintendo takes some other action or even just posts a statement - which they may well have been preparing these last few days anyway - that is also a wonderful outcome. If Nintendo doesn't do anything, then this petition simply stands as a reflection of a lesser-known way that Mr Williams touched the lives of many people. That's fine too.
Thank you again for your support and for sharing this with so many. I hope we can all follow in Robin's footsteps, and handle this with civility, compassion, and understanding for all the people involved. If you feel like taking further action in his name, perhaps consider donating to any of the numerous charities he supported, such as St Jude Children's Research Hospital, UNICEF or Amnesty International: https://www.looktothestars.org/celebrity/robin-williams
Thanks again.
- Nick
(Je suis désolé que je ne parle pas français. Lo siento que no hablo español... etc.)
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Reached 50,000 signatures
Supporters
Reasons for signing
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Max Hanusa PITTSBURGH, PA
- about 19 hours ago
- Liked 0
Robin Williams and The Legend Zelda have both been important in my life.
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Jake Owens CHARLOTTE HALL, MD
- 1 day ago
- Liked 0
Robin Williams was one of my favorite actors and role model for comedy. I'd love to see him honored.
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Ashley Carder CENTRAL POINT, OR
- 2 days ago
- Liked 0
Robin Williams was an Icon and doing this would be just a small tribute to him.
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Sean Fewell MAGNOLIA, TX
- 3 days ago
- Liked 0
Because zelda make my peepee happee
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Marie Hornshoej-Moeller VIRUM, DENMARK
- 3 days ago
- Liked 0
Because he was a big nintendofan and because his passsing was so sudden - he needs to be remebred by other Zelda-fans as not only a great actor but a fellow Nintendo-fan
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I normally don't get that upset when a celebrity dies, but Robin Williams was a huge part of my childhood, as I'm sure many of you can agree with. When I heard he had died, and by suicide no less, I felt like a part of me was lost along with him.
Many of us know how much Robin Williams loved the Legend of Zelda series. Hell, he even named his daughter after the princess. I feel that it would be fitting that his love for the series be immortalized in one of the games through an NPC in the upcoming Zelda title for the WiiU. I imagine it's something he would have liked...
A small but meaningful gesture for a much loved, globally revered and completely unique icon.
despite his own personal tragedies this man devoted himself to making so many people happy. He deserves to be remembered for this in a world that needs more than ever people like Robin Williams who can make us laugh, especially at ourselves.
It would be a fitting tribute for a man who loved the zelda series so much that he named his own daughter after Zelda. And I feel it would be fitting if Zelda Williams had a small bit of her father in the game. A series that they bonded over.
Robin Williams was a wonderful actor/comedian. I am sad that he was unable to find a solution to his problems. I am also very sad that his children, family and many wonderful friends have lost such a wonderful man. My heart pounds with sadness with the loss of Robin Williams. 'We all love/loved you so much.' I hope that Nintendo take on this fantastic idea of naming one of the characters in Legend of Zelda series.