Sakurai’s Remarks About Japanese Game Developers Raise Concern

Masahiro Sakurai, the mind behind Super Smash Bros., recently discussed Japanese game developers and their game-making priorities. In an interview with Entax, Sakurai said that Japanese developers have to create games for the Japanese market. He believes Japanese studios should stick to what Japanese people like; he said it's more of an industry fad than his own idea.

When he was asked about how Japan's national gaming business might expand, he noted that some Japanese games started to find a market in the United States, therefore altering game development toward Americanizing games. But he thinks fans abroad who adore Japanese games aren't seeking for them to change; they are drawn to Japanese games because of their distinctiveness. He, therefore, wants developers to accept that particular fun quotient rather than trying to appeal too strongly to Western tastes.

His takeaway is to create games the way you want, and the people who resonate with your personality will also enjoy them. He emphasized that without outside ideas, the industry should be free to create. Oh, and for a little tidbit of information: Sakurai recently received the Art Encouragement Prize from Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs, which is rather neat.

This is exactly what Nintendo has been doing, honestly, and I believe it is the reason their games appeal to me so much. Consider Xenoblade Chronicles; it may not be the most successful worldwide, but in Japan, it kills sales, and it still sells decently in the United States and Europe. The same applies to Mario, Zelda, and their other series. They simply create games that are enjoyable and throb with their own style, but they wind up appealing worldwide.

From Nintendo's point of view, I completely concur with Sakurai. But what about other companies that are not as successful as Nintendo? There has been much debate back and forth, but most people seem to support Sakurai: if you are a Japanese developer, concentrate first on creating games that work inside. People all over will appreciate a fun game.

Of course, sales in Japan differ from those in the U.S. or Europe. Here, Grand Theft Auto, NBA 2K, Madden, and Call of Duty lead the charts. In Japan, however, nearly all of the games are Nintendo Switch titles, RPGs, platformers, and other genres; you will not find many Western titles ranking highly. And yes, even if there is a split, I believe the top Japanese games that do well abroad are not trying to appeal particularly to Western gamers.

Consider Monster Hunter, Final Fantasy, and Dragon Quest. Though they also attract international followers who adore the Japanese style, these games maintain Japanese ideals. The point is to be real while still trying to attract many, not to inject some concepts into a game.

Some people claim that owing to their brand and resources, only Nintendo can manage this, and businesses like Microsoft or Sony would have a hard time producing the same with Xbox or PlayStation games. However, I believe that, at the end of the day, players only desire excellent games. A game may feel strange and do more damage than help if you try to fit something into place or go beyond your comfort zone.