Recently when discussing his role as a judge in the prestigious Game Designer Award, Masahiro Sakurai, perhaps best known as producer of Nintendo’s Smash Bros. games, admitted that he and the other judges do not have enough time to devote toward fairly judging the titles up for the award. The Game Designer Award is one of the Japan Game Awards bestowed upon one unique new title by the Japanese government every year.
Despite Sakurai’s unfortunate admission, he went on to acknowledge the importance of the award because he feels it helps to highlight originality in an industry where remakes and ports prevail. Sakurai went so far as to say that the gaming industry’s reuse of old titles is “at an unnatural level” and that original games should be praised specifically because of their originality. Here is a transcript of his comments:
“Is there any industry that relies so much on reusing and reusing their old titles as much as video games? Compared to other media like movies, dramas, animation, novels and comics, the glut of franchises and remakes is at an unnatural level.”
“Good games attract fans, and if you have fans, you have an advantage. You try to use that to make the title something bigger, but that doesn’t mean it’s okay to give up on innovation. Popular, well-made games deserve praise, but titles that have some kind of unique creative spark to them also need to be praised in this way.”
OH
Oh oh oh is Magic!
Y’know…
never believe it’s not so…
The gaming industry IS LIKE a movie industry in the way the developers imaginations race toward that golden age of perfection. The major difference between movies and games is the same as it was from the days of NES, innovation.
Why the comments section of this site is so spoiled?
what do you mean??
Tell me about it, theres some spanish african guy writing that no one understands.
Get used to it.
well yeah. gamers want to see continuation of their favorite franchises. although milking isn’t the right way to go sometimes. mario and cod. that’s where the money is I suppose.
In a world where gaming juggernauts and gurus duke it out, it’s a breath of clean air when a developers introduces a gem of creative wonder for the masses. In the past people didn’t have games! You were left to imagine. Now imagination lives on in every mustache of Mario, in every 2D game moving on into the great blue 3D world, etc. Imagination is gaming.
milking is still milking.
You can’t milk Mario. He’s a fountain.
What’s that title names aren’t original anymore Sakurai? Then what the hell is your excuse for the names of Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and Super Smash Bros. for 3DS. Go back in your corner with your scissors and quit your bitching.
^ I know it’s not directly related to this article. I just wanted another excuse to complain about Sakurai. lol
If you were in his shoes you would say the same thing.
If I were in his shoes I would keep in Snake and a lot of others from Super Smash Bros. Brawl and add new characters instead of cutting them. I would also work on writing an epic story that takes advantage of working with the entire Nintendo universe instead of pissing and moaning that people online got to watch cut scenes. I would also focus on adding new features and show them off instead of making lame trailers that just demonstrates the same old stuff we have always played. Oh and I would also make a better title than the boring and unimagined Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and Super Smash Bros. for 3DS.
Smash never had a good
Story
With the way your thinking, you would have made a half added version of smash 4 in my opinion
“Smash never had a good Story” That’s exactly why I said I would take my time and focus on creating an epic story that takes advantage of the entire Nintendo universe. Why would I be making a half “added” game if I took my time and focused on making the game good? Sakurai it seems is rushing to this game to where we get a watered down version of Brawl. The ONLY improvement that we know of so far is that it is faster with no tripping. We have not seen the online, the level creator (if it’s even included), or what other modes it may have. Hell trophies might not even make it in the game with all the shit he’s cutting. Your probably just some drone that is like “Oh hey it’s a new Smash game so therefore it has to be the best Smash ever!!!”
Read the names again. Super Smash Bros for 3ds/Wii U or Super Smash Bros. 4 Wii U/3ds
It’s inconsistent though. We don’t call the games Super Smash Bros. 1,2, and 3. We give them titles that have a fighting term to go along with them or just something that sounds epic in general. Before the Wii U was announced, I was hoping the next Smash title would be Super Smash Bros. Armageddon or Super Smash Bros. Apocalypse but no we get a title that just seems awkward.
so…… the truth about nintendo finally comes out!! thank you, and fanboys are in denial everywhere.
He’s talking about the game industry! Can you read?
Even google translator didnt understand the spanish you are speaking. Maybe you are from africa instead and live in a cage.
Says the man that copy pasted both Links, giving up on the innovation that Sky Link could bring to Smash…
He didn’t copy and paste them
Fuck you Sakurai! There is nothing wrong about that!
Reblogged this on Curiosidades na internet.
This is the biggest and most costly reason games companies are tanking, and starting to be boring. I’m a rpg fanboy, I remember back when publishers were dropping Legend of Dragoon, Jade Cacoon, Final Fantasy 7, Alundra, bam, boom, uppercut, kick to the gut. Now, thanks to fucking CALL OF DUTY they don’t even bother coming up with new IP unless they see instant millions.
I’m not saying I don’t like a new Assassins Creed title, new Call of Duty title, Mario title, Pokemon, ect.. I like those games, I’m sure you like at least some, but regardless, new IP’s are becoming more and more scarce, I wish they wouldn’t. New IP’s is what got me to appreciate every genre other than sports, diversity is what gamers crave.
I don’t know how things are in Japan, but America reuses and remakes movies all the time…
Stop being a dick Sakurai and bring Kid Icarus to the Wii U.
In other news, the sky is blue
This article and some of these comments kinda inspire me. I want to be a game designer and as much as I like pokemon and zelda I want to create something new. I’ve got quite a few ideas already and one HUGE idea.. Hopefully I can get to work on it by the time nintendo releases the console after the Wii U. The Wii U is great and I want one (too poor to even afford a 3ds or pokemon x) but I really want to see if they’re next console can inspire me to think of more unique gameplay than what I already have in mind.
I didn’t think Sakurai could get any more perfect. <3
Reuse stuff more than the movie industry,I don’t think so.