Masahiro Sakurai

Masahiro Sakurai (August 3, 1970–) is a Japanese video game director and game designer.

Quotes

• Game development is very difficult. Nobody sets out to create a game that’s not fun. It’s all of the challenges and difficulties that happen throughout development that determine whether a game is a failure or a success. I think playing those thousands of games is the single best and easiest way to learn from my predecessors.
• Games have this eternal, immortal attraction. Of course I do go back to old games if I need a refresher, but I think it is important to intentionally play and observe new games, to know what’s out there. Games that are coming out now are just incredible; they’re amazing. Even for people who say that they grow out of games, once they have kids and there’s a game they can play together, they return. It’s not about quitting or graduating from playing games; it’s about finding what’s enjoyable for you at that time in your life, and playing that.
  • From Kong to Kirby: Smash Bros' Masahiro Sakurai on mashing up 35 years of gaming history (August 8, 2018)