In a recent interview with Denfaminicogamer, the legendary video game developer Masahiro Sakurai apparently confirmed he is now semi-retired.
He elaborated on this, mentioning how he worked on the Super Smash Bros. series for around nine years between the 3DS/Wii U and Switch release, along with the DLC updates. Sakurai feels he’s got to draw the line somewhere, or else he’ll simply run out of time to live his own life.
Here’s the summary of Sakurai’s latest update, courtesy of a translation by PushDustin:
“Sakurai confirms that he is semi-retired. He is 52 after all. When Smash for 3DS / Wii U and Ultimate he spent 9 years in active development. Sakurai felt that if he is just continuously making games full time, his life will be over before he realizes it.”
Of course, this isn’t the first time we’ve heard Sakurai talk about his future now that Smash Ultimate is complete. Previously he’s mentioned how a new entry in the Smash series would be a massive undertaking.
Development on Super Smash Bros. Ultimate wrapped up not long after the reveal of the DLC fighter Sora in October last year. Although major updates have finished, Nintendo is still releasing amiibo for the game – with Kazuya and Sephiroth scheduled to arrive next month. These will be followed by Pyra and Mythra.
Masahiro Sakurai launched his very own YouTube earlier this week, and he’s already discussed a number of interesting subjects about game development. In his latest video, he talks about how frame rates work in video games.
He’s also included his own thoughts about frame rates in games – mentioning how 60 fps is “ideal” and 30 fps is “adequate”:
“60 fps is an ideal frame rate when possible, but 30 fps is a common standard…And 30fps is still more than adequate for playing games.”
Although The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is shown on-screen during his comment about 30 fps gaming, this 3D title is not always consistent and suffers dips in both handheld and portable mode during more heated moments.
Image: Nintendo
Nintendo’s first-party titles on Switch typically aim for 30 to 60 fps, but other consoles can hit 120 fps, and platforms like PC games go to 144 fps and beyond – provided they’ve got a supported monitor.
What’s your own thought about frame rates in video games? Would you like to one day see Nintendo release a system that can match the Xbox and PlayStation hardware in terms of fps? Leave your thoughts down below.
Masahiro Sakurai, the creator of games like Kirby and Super Smash Bros., has revealed his next big project: a YouTube channel. The gaming folk hero teased that he was working on something new earlier this week, and now you can super smash that like button and subscribe to his new channel, Masahiro Sakurai on Creating Games.
As of this writing, there are three videos: one that’s all about the channel, one covering what games Sakurai has worked on (like one of the DS greats, Meteos), and one diving deep about how to use in-game pauses for certain effects (like “hit stop” moments you might see in Smash when landing a punch).
Sakurai, of course, is no stranger to appearing on video; he’s been Nintendo’s primary Super Smash Bros. presenter for years, and consistently finds ways to make even the smallest details about new fighters extremely interesting. Now that he’s done with the mammoth project that was Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, it’s perhaps no surprise that he’s transitioning to a new video series on YouTube.
Sakurai says we shouldn’t expect him to start streaming (sadly) — instead, the videos will be focused on “topics like game development and what makes games fun,” he says in his “About This Channel” video. He’s aiming to keep the videos short, between two and five minutes long.
He’s already teasing that he’ll be able to show some Smash Bros. development builds and design documents that he’s written, so it seems as if we’ll get some rare behind-the-scenes peeks at big Nintendo games. Although Sakurai is running his videos by Nintendo, says the company “isn’t involved in this channel” and that the series is a personal project of his. He isn’t planning to include ads in his videos.
Unfortunately, even Sakurai has to prepare for potential problems that other YouTubers are on alert for. He says that if rights-holders aren’t happy with the footage he includes in his videos, “I’ll do what I can to set things right.” He also expressed some worry that because he’s uploading separate versions of each video in Japanese and English, that could run afoul of YouTube’s duplicate content policies and cause videos to be taken down.
But as you’d expect with any YouTuber trying to get a new series off the ground, Sakurai concludes his about video by asking viewers to hit the subscribe button. While he concedes that’s “a very YouTube thing of me to ask,” he says he won’t be asking again in future videos.
Personally? I couldn’t hit the subscribe button fast enough. I even turned on the notification bell. The videos he’s released so far are fantastic; I had never consciously thought about hit stop before, but now, I’ll be looking for it in every game I play.
After Ultimate, I was content to never ask Sakurai for anything ever again. Now, I’m eagerly waiting for his next video to drop.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate director Masahiro Sakurai yesterday teased a new announcement, and today he’s revealed it’s his very own YouTube channel titled Masahiro Sakurai on Creating Games.
As the title suggests, this channel will be focused on game development and what exactly makes games fun to play. It will apparently cover a “variety of topics” related to this, and you can watch his first video right now (above). Sakurai has also uploaded some other content fans and aspiring developers can enjoy.
Sakurai goes onto mention how he plans to upload videos in both Japanese and English, and will aim to provide real game footage whenever possible. Just to be cautious though, he may focus on classic game footage rather than more recent stuff.
He’s also been given the approval by Nintendo to show off Smash Bros. development builds and design documents he’s written – so Smash fans can look forward to that. And just to be clear, Sakurai explained how “Nintendo isn’t involved in this channel” and it is his own personal project.
He’s also not looking to profit from it, so there won’t be any advertising, apparently. And he will be keeping things in most videos “short and sweet” as he has to pay his video editors and translators. He also won’t regularly be asking viewers to Like, Subscribe or hit the notification bell.
Here are some of the other videos Sakurai has uploaded to his YouTube channel so far. The first is a showreel of his creative works – even teasing his next work following Smash Ultimate as “TBD”, and the second video is about design specifics:
What do you think of this new YouTube Channel by Sakurai? Will you be subscribing? Leave a comment down below.
When he’s not making huge games like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, video game director Masahiro Sakurai is actually playing them. Yes, as you’ve likely already seen before, he’s got an extensive collection of consoles and games (new and old).
In a new post on social media, it seems Sakurai has updated his gaming space. As you can see, all the consoles are neatly ordered – with the Switch on the second shelf, and the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X on top. One thing a lot of his fans also noticed is that the Switch dock is placed on its side.
We’re not too sure about the close proximity of the PlayStation and Xbox, either – but to be fair he’s running an open roof at the very top. Here’s a rough translation of what he had to say about his new setup, courtesy of Google translate:
“I had a made-to-order game machine shelf made. For waste heat, the top plate and the back are removed.When playing, the door is left open. The wiring is passed straight through the hole in the center behind the shelf board. The bottom 2 rows are for controllers and such. The power supply on the back can be turned off individually.”
Update: Sakurai has shared a few other images, noting how he got two of these shelves. And in addition to this, another tweet discusses the Switch on its side. He says it’s not recommended by the manufacturer. Here’s exactly what he had to say:
“There are two of these game shelves…For living room and private room (work room). This door is opaque.”
“There was a reaction to the Switch dock horizontal placement …It’s not recommended by the manufacturer, so do it at your own risk. This is just my personal experience, but I had no problems using it until I cleared Xenoblade Chronicles 3.”
In recent months, Sakurai has also shown off his personal game library – featuring all sorts of retro titles:
What do you think of Sakurai’s new setup? How about the sideways Switch dock? Leave a comment below.
As you probably know by now, Nintendo is discontinuing the 3DS and Wii U eShop as of 28th March 2023. And later this month on 29th August, you’ll no longer be able to add eShop card funds (aka points) to accounts.
This is happening worldwide, and as a result – Nintendo fans around the globe are grabbing certain digital titles before the deadline. Even the Super Smash Bros. director Masahiro Sakurai is making the most of these digital shops while he still can.
Here’s a rough translation of his most recent social media post (via Google translate) – essentially reminding fellow 3DS and Wii U users of the closure:
“In a little over two weeks, you won’t be able to add points to 3DS and Wii U…I’m patrolling the e-shop thinking it’s my last chance. Because of the touch panel, there are probably many things that won’t be ported to other models.”
Unfortunately, he didn’t specify if he made any purchases, but as he noted – a lot of the games using these systems’ touch screens, might not necessarily get ported to other platforms in the future. We can’t imagine he is thrilled about older Super Smash Bros. DLC being retired, either.
The 3DS and Wii U eShops aren’t the only things coming to an end – with Sakurai announcing earlier this month that he was almost out of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate screenshots.
You can learn more about the upcoming eShop closures in some of our previous posts. It’s worth noting the sales of Fire Emblem Fates will end on 28th February 2023 and its DLC is available until 27th March 2023.
Learn more about Nintendo’s 3DS & Wii U eShop closure:
Are you making the most of your time with these eShops, like Sakurai is? Any specific games you’ll be picking up before it’s too late? How do you feel about the whole closure at this point? Leave your thoughts down below.
If you’re looking for new ways to organise your retro video game collection, you might want to read on. Masahiro Sakurai, the creator of Kirby and director of the Smash Bros. series, recently shared an image on social media of his impressive library of retro games.
As you can see he’s got draws stacked with cartridges like GoldenEye 007 and Batman, and there’s even an entire Super Famicom unit. Sakurai’s latest tweet has so far generated more than 50K Likes on social media, with some followers even calling for Sakurai to start his own retro collector series on YouTube.
This isn’t the first time fans have got a look at Sakurai’s personal gaming collection. Previously his main setup – which is two massive televisions side-by-side and multiple consoles underneath both units – including systems from the PlayStation and Nintendo families.
Back in 2019, Sakurai mentioned in his regular Famitsu column how he (at the time) had 60 different controllers, multiple Switch consoles and multiple PlayStation devices. He’s also added a PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X to his collection in recent years.
What do you think of Sakurai’s retro games collection? How about his storage solutions? Comment below.
Super Smash Bros. creator Masahiro Sakurai is known for sometimes playing two characters in Smash Bros. simultaneously, against himself. He’s done this multiple times before, including in a Nintendo Direct to show off Banjo and Kazooie. But while this is an admittedly goofy way to play Smash, Sakurai hinted recently that he might also play other games like this, too. Like It Takes Two, for example.
When It Takes Two won Game of the Year at The Game Awards, Sakurai posted on his Twitter, suggesting it might be possible to play It Takes Two by oneself, with two controllers. The co-op game has some pretty tricky coordinated puzzling and boss fights, but given how complex Smash can be (especially when you’re, you know, the creator of the series trying to look pristine on a Nintendo Direct), it seems entirely possible Sakurai managed it.
The Game Award 2021を獲得した『It Takes Two』。 ふたり専用ゲームであることが最大の障壁だけど、ひとりでできなくもない…かも? pic.twitter.com/xb2WtE8Fvn
— 桜井 政博 / Masahiro Sakurai (@Sora_Sakurai) December 11, 2021
Have you played It Takes Two?
He even included two different configurations, in a reference to his own prior comments about how he used to play with two controllers simultaneously on GameCube by stacking them vertically. Sadly, he can’t do that anymore on the Switch Pro Controller without accidentally pressing L and R.
Sadly, Sakurai does not show his hand as to whether or not he actually played or intends to play It Takes Two by himself. Hopefully he can find a buddy to play it through with if not, since It Takes Two is a “spectacular co-op adventure that lays down a path of great gameplay ideas and uses it to play a giddy game of hopscotch” (or at least, we thought it was in our review).
Rebekah Valentine is a news reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is finally complete. After launching in 2018 with a roster that included every single character from the series’ long history, it has since been steadily updated with new fighters, culminating in the addition of Sora from Kingdom Hearts in October. The game’s last major update came on December 1st.
Three years and countless charming video presentations later, series creator Masahiro Sakurai — an infamous workaholic — seems to finally be taking it easy. “I have more free time now than I’ve probably ever had since I started working in game development,” he tells The Verge over email. That career has been tightly intertwined with Smash, a series he has not only led but also been a key developer on for more than two decades.“I have no regrets because Super Smash Bros. is like none other,” he says of his time working on the series.
With development on Ultimate wrapping up, there’s been much discussion on the future of the franchise — and particularly whether Sakurai would still be involved. I had the chance to ask the director a few questions over email, and we talked about working on new fighters, taking time off, and where Smash Bros. goes from here.
This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
When the game was first announced at E3 2018, you told me how daunting the prospect of creating such a large roster was. How did the post-launch development, and adding all of these new fighters, compare to that initial development process?
You may have already noticed, but DLC fighters tend to be more uniquely made compared to standard fighters on the roster. Some sort of new in-game system is implemented, their Final Smash is accompanied by a visual sequence, they have a relatively elaborate stage setup and guests, and their battle tactics and in-game systems clearly set them apart from other existing fighters.
Fans are paying extra for these additional characters, so we tell ourselves that we need to strive and do our best to deliver content that is more than worthy. Given that, adding one piece of DLC fighter and their accompanying stages, music, and other content proved to be a greater challenge than adding one piece of content in the base game.
Now that it’s finished, how does the final product compare to what you originally envisioned for the game? Are there elements you are particularly proud of?
We envision the finished product and aim for that as we work on the game, so where we landed is certainly not too far from that initial vision. Even so, I feel that there are still some shortcomings, which I took as lessons learned. I have a feeling the notion of “being proud of” differs between Japanese and English, but I do not wish to boast about what we have accomplished with this project.
After working on it for so long, was it hard to finally step away from the game? What was it like when you realized work was complete?
I knew that as long as we continued to work diligently, it would come to an end one day. This was a large-scale project that spanned many years, but even for a project like this, we still apply the same amount of effort to each step as with any other project.
Have you managed to take any time off since Sora launched? What does a break for you look like (aside from riding horses)?
Usually, I like to go on drives. I have more free time now than I’ve probably ever had since I started working in game development, so I occasionally go on short trips, overnight or just a day trip. My itinerary gets fairly packed since I like to make stops here and there. Also, it is fortunate that the COVID-19 situation in Japan has improved.
Do you ever have regrets about not being able to work on projects outside of Smash over the last few years?
I do sometimes look back and think about the fact that there may have been other opportunities had I not been working on Super Smash Bros. However, I have no regrets because Super Smash Bros. is like none other, and this was an opportunity that I could not have gained with any other project.
What would convince you to come back to make another Smash? Do you think, if you did return, your role would be different or reduced?
I think we’ve reached the limit, at least in terms of volume of content and fighters. Basically, if I were to have the opportunity to work on another Super Smash Bros. game, that means we would have to shrink the roster, but we need to think about whether fans would be pleased about that.
Also, I’ve been doing too much of the work myself, so I’d need to resolve that, too. The current Super Smash Bros. has too much of my personality poured into it. In order for a long-time series to continue thriving today, we need to think about eliminating the series’ dependence on just one person’s vision.
Of course, this is the way it is now because we weren’t successful in splitting the vision between multiple people before. This would be a challenge for the future and something that needs to be discussed with Nintendo, if there were to be a next installment in the Super Smash Bros. series.
Sakurai yesterday caught our attention when he shared an image of himself riding a horse, and now he’s got social media’s attention again, this time for purchasing an Xbox!
Yes, that’s right – the director of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate has finally got his hands on Microsoft’s latest and most powerful console, the Xbox Series X. Sakurai, in general, is a lover of games – so it’s no surprise to see he’s added the latest Xbox hardware to his gaming setup, which already features a Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 5.
Here is Google’s rough translation, along with a reply from the official Xbox Twitter account:
“One year after its release, I finally bought it …! It may be affected by Corona, but it will continue to be difficult to obtain game consoles.”
Xbox has just reached its 20th anniversary, and it finally seems to be getting some attention in Japan’s gaming market – thanks to Game Pass and xCloud, which can be played across multiple devices. Xbox Series X|S is also doing quite well in the region.
Just this week, it was confirmed the combined sales of Xbox Series X|S had already surpassed the total lifetime sales of Xbox One. As reported on our sister site Pure Xbox, Microsoft’s new systems shifted around 116,119 units in one year compared to Xbox One’s 114,726 units after about seven and half years.
Xbox also confirmed Japan has become the system’s fastest-growing market, and it follows on from Xbox stating how it wants to expand its reach within this region – by securing more Japanese partnerships and Japanese-made games for its services.
Halo Infinite launches on the platform on December 8th, so perhaps Sakurai is getting ready for that. Any other recommendations for him though? Have you got an Xbox? Leave a comment down below.
