Some of the most creative and beloved video games of all-time have come from Japanese video game creators and studios. Speaking in a new interview after winning the Art Encouragement Prize from the Japanese government’s Agency for Cultural Affairs, Smash Bros creator, Masahiro Sakurai, took part in an interview with Japanese site Entax in which he shared his views about the future of the video game industry in the Land of the Rising Sun. Sakurai was asked what the Japanese game industry should be doing to keep up with the increasing popularity of Chinese video games like Genshin Impact and Black Myth: Wukong. Sakurai replied that Japanese gaming creators need to pursue the kind of unique games that Japanese people know and love.
“It’s not really my own idea, but as an industry trend, I think Japanese people should keep pursuing the things that Japanese people like.”
He goes on to explain that the success of various Japanese games in the US kicked off a trend of “making Americanized works.” Or, Sakurai notes, “you could say that there was a culture of following de facto standards.” By de facto standards, he is referring to practices that get adopted as widespread norms by the industry as an outcome of market competition.
“I think that they seek the uniqueness and fun of Japanese games” – hence the opinion that there’s no need for Japanese developers to consciously adapt their work for audiences in the US or elsewhere.
“In other words, I think that the ideal would be to make games the way you like, as those who agree with you will enjoy them.” Sakurai adds that it is vital for people in the industry to “do things freely,” without letting others’ ideas be forced on them. He emphasizes, however, that his opinion is just one way of thinking about the topic.
Sakurai is based.
Super based
I never thought it was going to be possible but at last he threw a jab at Sony.
Aren’t you excited for the gravity rush live action movie that will completely destroy the beautiful aesthetic that the original game had?
Thank you! People say Dark Samus and Banjo were for western audiences while Chrom and Hero were for Japanese audiences. But that is simply not true. I wanted Eight around the Brawl days, and I used to think Chrom was going to be the sole Fire emblem newcomer in Smash 4. Dark Samus was one of my least wanted newcomers in the Smash 4 days and Dark Pit was an example of why they shouldn’t join. As for Banjo, there are still plenty of more deserving characters. I let go of Banjo-Kazooie after Microsoft ate it, and I wish the rest of the world would have done the same.
I still cant believe supposed Nintendo fans dont understand the significance of Banjo finally being in smash.
Bro, seriously?
DROP DEAD
I agree with him and hope he Stand On Business
i hope square enix is listening lol cuz man….the newer ff character designs are ugly asf compared to older FF characters.
i get ff16 had a british things to it but ehhh. No thanks. Let normua cook up more sora’s/anime characters.
Watch ppL say this is about censored. And making female characters unnactractive because they aren’t showing a few more pixels of skin. When he’s talking about gameplay
“And making female characters unnactractive because they aren’t showing a few more pixels of skin.”
No, the issue is that they’re aesthetically unappealing. Female characters don’t need to be attractive (although there’s nothing wrong with making them attractive either), but they (nor male characters) should never be unappealing to look at.
Ans censorship IS an issue that shouldn’t be dismissed.
What do you even mean by “unappealing to look at”? Are you saying for example that a conventionally unattractive woman (or indeed, man) should never be a character in a video game? That seems like an indefensible position.
As for censorship, I’m sure there are cases where games have been watered down by publishers worried about whether it will receive backlash from a Western audience (it’s not actually the same as censorship but I mean call it what you want). But in my experience when people refer to “censorship” in games they are usually referring to what the previous poster was talking about i.e. they might make characters’ skirts a little longer. I don’t always think those changes are needed but I also don’t think it’s a big deal.
No, I specifically said that it’s okay if there are characters that aren’t conventionally attractive. The issue is when characters are badly designed and/or uncanny that they become unappealing to the eye.
And censorship is wrong no matter what, even if it is for something like showing less skin. If it wasn’t a big deal, it shouldn’t have been censored in the first place.
It’s not one or the other. It’s everything in the game development. It’s amazing you want to criticize others for their biases while proudly displaying your own.
If only SEGA would listen……
Masahiro Sakurai is the hero The gaming community needs but could never deserve: I know it’s unlikely, but I really hope developers take his words to heart ✊
Japanese audience doesn’t buy as many consoles games. The West does. Publishers will always go towards the money.
You literally don’t what you’re talking about lol
One Hundred Fire Emblem Characters Later
DROP DEAD