What conclusion would you draw if the product you are developing turns out to be significantly more popular and sells better outside than within your home country? Naturally, you would begin prioritising that international market, even adapting your product to their tastes. This phenomenon has definitely happened with Japanese video games. However, for a renowned creator like Masahiro Sakurai, this approach is fundamentally flawed.
In a recent interview with the website Entax, Masahiro Sakurai, the mastermind behind Kirby and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, shared his insights on how the Japanese gaming industry should continue to advance. He emphasised the importance of focusing on what Japanese gamers enjoy rather than chasing the preferences of the American market.
According to Sakurai, the efforts of Japanese developers to make their games feel “more American” is a misguided approach. He believes that international gamers who love Japanese games do so because they seek the unique charm and excitement that only Japanese games can offer. They are not looking for an experience that mimics American gaming trends.
Sakurai is firm in his take, and doubled down that it is precisely this distinctiveness that attracts global players. He reinforced the idea that game developers should stay true to their creative visions, crafting games based on their own artistic aspirations instead of chasing profit. If a game is genuinely enjoyable, there will always be players who appreciate and support it, and that will lead to success.
He concluded with a wise remark, sharing that the ideal scenario for any creator is to develop the games they truly want to make, and then having an audience naturally gravitate towards the product and enjoy it for what it is..
Recently, Sakurai was honoured with the Art Encouragement Prize for New Artists, an award from the Japanese government recognizing his YouTube channel’s significant contributions to the local gaming industry. Of course, his contributions can be felt worldwide, and that’s likely because he stayed true to his vision all this time.
