Some of the most creative and beloved video games of all-time have come from Japanese video game creators and studios. Speaking in a new interview after winning the Art Encouragement Prize from the Japanese government's Agency for Cultural Affairs, Smash Bros creator, Masahiro Sakurai, took part in an interview with Japanese site Entax in which he shared his views about the future of the video game industry in the Land of the Rising Sun. Sakurai was asked what the Japanese game industry should be doing to keep up with the increasing popularity of Chinese video games like Genshin Impact and Black Myth: Wukong. Sakurai replied that Japanese gaming creators need to pursue the kind of unique games that Japanese people know and love.
"It's not really my own idea, but as an industry trend, I think Japanese people should keep pursuing the things that Japanese people like."
He goes on to explain that the success of various Japanese games in the US kicked off a trend of "making Americanized works." Or, Sakurai notes, "you could say that there was a culture of following de facto standards." By de facto standards, he is referring to practices that get adopted as widespread norms by the industry as an outcome of market competition.
"I think that they seek the uniqueness and fun of Japanese games" – hence the opinion that there's no need for Japanese developers to consciously adapt their work for audiences in the US or elsewhere.
"In other words, I think that the ideal would be to make games the way you like, as those who agree with you will enjoy them." Sakurai adds that it is vital for people in the industry to "do things freely," without letting others' ideas be forced on them. He emphasizes, however, that his opinion is just one way of thinking about the topic.
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