Wikipedia

Masahiro Sakurai

The native form of thispersonal nameisSakurai Masahiro.This article usesWestern name orderwhen mentioning individuals.

Masahiro Sakurai(Anh giếng chính bác,Sakurai Masahiro,born August 3, 1970)is a Japanese video game director andgame designerbest known as the creator of theKirbyandSuper Smash Bros.series. Apart from his work on those series, he also led the design ofMeteosin 2005 and directedKid Icarus: Uprisingin 2012.

Masahiro Sakurai
Anh giếng chính bác
Sakurai in 2021
Born(1970-08-03)August 3, 1970(age 54)
Musashimurayama,Tokyo,Japan
Occupations
Employers
Works
SpouseMichiko Sakurai

Formerly an employee ofHAL Laboratory,Sakurai left the company in 2003 and in 2005 with his wife Michiko Sakurai (also ex-HAL Laboratory) founded their companySora Ltd.[a],under which they work on a freelance basis. He was also an author of a weekly column forFamitsumagazine from 2003 to 2021, and has done voice acting work in some of his games, most notably providing the voice ofKing DededeinKirby 64: The Crystal Shardsand theSuper Smash Bros.series. From 2022 to 2024, Sakurai ran an educationalYouTubechannel,Masahiro Sakurai on Creating Games,which discussed various topics in game design and his career.

Career

Masahiro Sakurai was born on August 3, 1970, inMusashimurayama, Tokyo,Japan. One of Sakurai's earliest experiences in the video game industry began when he worked forHAL Laboratory,where he created the characterKirbyat age 19 and directed his first title,Kirby's Dream Land.[1]

Sakurai left HAL on August 5, 2003. He explained in an interview withNintendo Dreamthat that he felt it would be difficult to create new projects while staying at HAL due to the direction of the gaming industry, where the risk of failure was high. While he was not being pressured by HAL to createKirbysequels, he noted increasing tension within the industry as a whole: "It was tough for me to see that every time I made a new game, people automatically assumed that a sequel was coming. Even if it's a sequel, lots of people have to give their all to make a game, but some people think the sequel process happens naturally."[2][3]

Soon after, Sakurai began working on a project withQ Entertainment,along withTetsuya Mizuguchi.This collaboration resulted inMeteosin 2005, a puzzle game for theNintendo DS.On September 30, 2005, Sakurai announced that he had formed his own company, Sora Ltd.[4]Two games were announced to be in development but no information on the titles had been divulged. As for the future of theSuper Smash Bros.series, Nintendo and HAL Laboratory presidentSatoru Iwata,during Nintendo'sE3 2005press conference, promised an online iteration of the game would come to theNintendo Wii.[5]

In issue #885 ofFamitsumagazine, Sakurai revealed that he would be serving as a director and game designer onSuper Smash Bros. Brawlfor theWii.Super Smash Bros. Brawlwas released in 2008, after personnel borrowed from 19 different developer studios assisted in development.[6]Sakurai had been updating daily theSuper Smash Bros Brawlwebsite called the Smash Bros. Dojo. Starting a year previous the release, he revealedBrawlsecrets and gameplay content through the site. The Smash Bros. Dojo had regular updates from May 22, 2007, to April 14, 2008.[7]

The logo of Sora Ltd.

On the final day of updates, it was revealed that Sakurai provided the voice forKing DededeinKirby 64: The Crystal Shardsas well as Dedede inSuper Smash Bros. Brawl.He and his company, Sora Ltd. alongside Nintendo, started a first-party studio,Project Sora,which was 72% owned by Nintendo and 28% owned by Sora Ltd. It was revealed atE3 2010that Sakurai and Project Sora were working onKid Icarus: Uprisingfor the Nintendo 3DS. Project Sora was closed and ended development on June 30, 2012.[8]AtE3 2011,Nintendo announced that Sakurai was working onSuper Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DSandWii U.Sakurai began development of the title upon the release ofKid Icarus: Uprisingin March 2012.[9]

In February 2013, Sakurai was diagnosed withcalcific tendinitisnear his right shoulder, which caused him substantial pain whenever he moved his arm. He mentioned that this could effectively slow down his work, as he does some of hisgame testinghimself.[10]Sakurai's wife, Michiko, has worked on the graphical user interface for many of his games, includingKirby Air Ride,Meteos,and theSuper Smash Bros.series.[11]

In a January 2015 column inWeekly Famitsu,Sakurai alluded to the possibility of retirement, expressing doubt that he would be able to continue making games if his career continued to be as stressful as it was.[12]In December 2015, Sakurai once again stated that he was not sure if there would be another game in theSmash Bros.series,[13]prior toSuper Smash Bros. Ultimatebeing released in 2018 with Sakurai once again as director.[14]

On March 14, 2022, Sakurai was awarded Best Creator byWeekly Famitsu.Sakurai also announced that he is working on a new project not related to game production.[15]

Masahiro Sakurai on Creating Games

Masahiro Sakurai on Creating Games
YouTube information
Channels
Years active2022–2024
Genres
Subscribers596,000 (English)[16]
630,000 (Japanese)[17]
Total views20.2 million (English)[16]
63.1 million (Japanese)[17]
100,000 subscribers2022[18]
Last updated:October 22, 2024

Sakurai launchedMasahiro Sakurai on Creating Games,aYouTubechannel in both English and Japanese in August 2022. The channel's videos are focused on game development and design as well as his career.[19][20]He stated that the channel was founded because he wanted to reach more people with his lessons after being asked tolectureat schools. Sakurai additionally noted that other venues for lessons from game developers, such as theGame Developers Conference,focused on more advanced, technical details, rather than more basic principles.[21]

Work on the channel began immediately after the release ofSorainSuper Smash Bros. Ultimatein 2021. Sakurai wrote and pre-recorded all videos before starting work on a new development project in April 2022, and contracted Hike Inc. foreditingand8-4for English localization.[22]The opening and ending jingles for the channel were composed byYuzo Koshiro.[23]Sakurai estimates that the total production cost was¥90,000,000.[22]

Less than a day after its launch, the English edition of his channel gained over 200,000 subscribers.[24]In 2023, theComputer Entertainment Supplier's Associationannounced that Sakurai had won the Game Design and Visual Arts awards for his channel. The association cited his efforts to share his knowledge in an easily understood manner.[25]

Video game works

Year Title Role(s)
1992 Kirby's Dream Land Director, game designer
1993 Kirby's Adventure
1996 Kirby Super Star Director
1999 Super Smash Bros.
2000 Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards Voice actor (King Dedede)
2001 Super Smash Bros. Melee Chief director
2002 Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land
2003 Kirby Air Ride Director
2004 Kirby & the Amazing Mirror Special advisor
2005 Meteos Game designer
2006 Sodatete! Kouchuu Ouja Mushiking
2008 Super Smash Bros. Brawl Director, voice actor (King Dedede)
2012 Kid Icarus: Uprising Director, scenario
2014 Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DSandWii U Director, voice actor (King Dedede)
2018 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Notes

  1. ^Hữu hạn hội xã ソラ,Yūgen-gaisha Sora

References

  1. ^MacDonald, Keza (August 8, 2018)."From Kong to Kirby: Smash Bros' Masahiro Sakurai on mashing up 35 years of gaming history".The Guardian.Archivedfrom the original on October 9, 2018.RetrievedOctober 9,2018.
  2. ^Sakurai, Masahiro (August 26, 2003)."Interview translated by video-fenky, reproduced on Kirby's Rainbow Resort".Nintendo Dream.Archivedfrom the original on May 11, 2024.RetrievedJuly 31,2024.
  3. ^"Sakurai clarifies why he left HAL Laboratory, doesn't feel" stuck in a rut doing similar things "".Nintendo Everything.December 22, 2018.Archivedfrom the original on August 24, 2022.RetrievedJuly 31,2024.
  4. ^Gomez, John (September 30, 2005)."GameDAILY, Glu, Climax, Mforma, THQ Wireless & More Make Moves".GameDaily BIZ.Archived fromthe originalon March 10, 2007.RetrievedMay 11,2006.
  5. ^Casamassina, Matt (May 17, 2005)."E3 2005: Smash Bros. For Revolution".IGN.Archivedfrom the original on November 9, 2012.RetrievedJuly 2,2005.
  6. ^"Iwata Asks: Super Smash Bros. Brawl".Wii.Nintendo of America.Archived fromthe originalon July 7, 2009.RetrievedSeptember 19,2007.
  7. ^Sakurai, Masahiro (April 14, 2008)."Notice: No Further Updates".Super Smash Bros. Dojo.Archivedfrom the original on December 29, 2013.RetrievedApril 14,2008.
  8. ^O'Brien, Lucy (July 11, 2012)."Kid Icarus Uprising Developer Closes".IGN.Archivedfrom the original on May 17, 2015.RetrievedMay 27,2015.
  9. ^Gantayat, Anoop (June 8, 2011)."Smash Bros. U & 3DS development appears to be very early".andriasang. Archived fromthe originalon June 11, 2011.RetrievedJune 8,2011.
  10. ^Gifford, Kevin (February 27, 2013)."Why Masahiro Sakurai's bum right arm is hindering work on the new Smash Bros".Polygon.Archivedfrom the original on April 1, 2013.RetrievedApril 19,2013.
  11. ^Aengenheyster, Justin (August 3, 2020)."Herzlichen Glückwunsch Masahiro Sakurai zum 50. Geburtstag!".n-Switch-on.de(in German).Archivedfrom the original on August 31, 2020.RetrievedAugust 31,2020.
  12. ^Nakamura, Toshi (January 29, 2015)."Smash Bros. Could be its Creator's Last Game".Kotaku.Archivedfrom the original on January 30, 2015.RetrievedJanuary 30,2015.
  13. ^Makuch, Eddie."Super Smash Bros. Wii U/3DS DLC Ending Soon Director Says".GameSpot.Archivedfrom the original on December 16, 2015.RetrievedDecember 14,2015.
  14. ^Phillips, Tom (March 8, 2018)."Super Smash Bros. announced for Nintendo Switch".Eurogamer.Archivedfrom the original on May 1, 2018.RetrievedMay 1,2018.
  15. ^"Sakurai Says He's Already Working on a New Project + Wins Best Creator".YouTube.March 14, 2022.RetrievedMarch 14,2022.
  16. ^ab"About Masahiro Sakurai on Creating Games".RetrievedMarch 12,2023– viaYouTube.
  17. ^ab"About anh giếng chính bác の ゲーム làm るには".RetrievedMarch 12,2023– viaYouTube.
  18. ^Doolan, Liam (September 11, 2022)."Random: Masahiro Sakurai Shows Off His Silver YouTube Play Button".Nintendo Life.RetrievedSeptember 20,2022.
  19. ^Peters, Jay (August 24, 2022)."Masahiro Sakurai is the latest creator to join YouTube".The Verge.Archivedfrom the original on August 25, 2022.RetrievedAugust 25,2022.
  20. ^Nightingale, Ed (August 24, 2022)."Masahiro Sakurai launches new YouTube channel on game development".Eurogamer.Archivedfrom the original on August 25, 2022.RetrievedAugust 25,2022.
  21. ^Lee, Jonathan (August 24, 2022)."Super Smash Bros. creator launches educational YouTube channel".The Washington Post.RetrievedSeptember 20,2022.
  22. ^ab"Masahiro Sakurai on Creating Games: Finale Special".Youtube.October 22, 2024.RetrievedOctober 22,2024.
  23. ^"The opening and ending jingles for these videos were composed by none other than Yuzo Koshiro. I imagine you've heard them many times by now!".YouTube.Masahiro Sakurai on Creating Games. June 8, 2023. Archived fromthe originalon June 9, 2023.RetrievedJune 9,2023.
  24. ^Liam, Doolan (August 25, 2022)."Sakurai's YouTube Channel Surpasses 200k Subscribers In Under 24 Hours".Nintendo Life.Archivedfrom the original on August 25, 2022.RetrievedAugust 25,2022.
  25. ^Stenbuck, Kite (August 25, 2023)."Nintendo Affiliated Entities Dominated CEDEC Awards 2023".Siliconera.Gamurs.RetrievedOctober 28,2024.
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