Should developers be making the games they want or the games the industry needs? Masahiro Sakurai shares his insight
Super Smash Bros. and Kirby series creator Masahiro Sakurai recently gave an in-depth interview for Japan’s Nikkei x TREND. When asked about the precarious balance creators need to maintain between satisfying their artistic vision, making their audience happy, and achieving commercial success, Sakurai shared some of his personal views as an established developer.
“Most people in the game industry are driven by the desire to create games, and I think the attitude of “making what you want to make” is good to have. After all, creating what you love is the easiest way to grasp how to make something entertaining,” Sakurai commented.
“But I want you to consider this point too. Children’s toys are almost always made by adults, aren’t they? Of course, they’re made by people who are specialized in the field, but the point is that the demographic [of the creator] does not necessarily have to be the same as that of the user base.”
Sakurai argues that, with so many different products and services out there, it’s sometimes necessary to identify areas that are lacking (in the game industry or any given field) and consciously target them. This, according to Sakurai, is an important role for a creator to play.
As an example of this point, he brings up his very first game – Kirby’s Dream Land from 1992. Despite being a “hardcore gamer” himself, Sakurai realized that a beginner-friendly game was necessary to expand the range of video games at the time, which is why he decided to make it. “I think it’s important to create based not only on what you like, but on what roles need to be fulfilled at the specific time.”
On the other hand, Sakurai also stresses that there is no single correct solution to the issue, and that ultimately, finding a balance is ideal. “Some people make the kind of games they like, armed with their personal sensibilities. Others identify what is needed in the world and cleverly create based on that. I think it’s best to look at your industry and your company as a whole and strike a balance.”
Reiterating these views later in the interview, Sakurai concludes, “I think the most effective method is to think about what you’re good at and where you can contribute with your skills, and then aim for areas where other people have not accomplished much yet.”
While acknowledging that different approaches work for different people, Sakurai remarks that personally, rather than just creating the kind of content he likes, he prefers to make decisions that are, to a certain extent, informed by current circumstances and by what’s needed in the industry. Sakurai refers to this as keeping a “bird’s a view of the game industry as a whole.”
