The creator of Kirby and Super Smash Bros. says he is about to hang up his gloves.
We have not realized that the years in the video game industry have passed. On the one hand, we have seen how far the industry has come. But on the other hand, there is a harsh reality that we must face: The end of many of our idols is near.
One of them has already spoken about his retirement. Masahiro Sakurai, the creator of Kirby and Super Smash Bros., has spoken in an interview for denfaminicogamer and made a big announcement: Sakurai is semi-retired from the industry.
A retirement that will undoubtedly affect the industry
As video game lovers, it is impossible to underestimate the impact that Kirby and Super Smash Bros. have had. Both games, in their genres, have set and will continue to set trends in the coming years. And the person behind it all is Masahiro Sakurai.
The Japanese director, renowned for both works, has given an exclusive interview with denfaminicogamer. In this interview, he talked about his different projects. He also talked about all the achievements in the past, the current projects, and what he plans to do in the future.
One of these plans for the not-too-distant future was discussed in the interview: Sakurai’s retirement. What at first seemed like a joke, Sakurai has affirmed his decision to retire. He has even stated that he is already delegating responsibilities in order to get some rest. It’s a well-deserved rest after so many years in the industry.
“I don’t know how long my life is going to be”
Sakurai offered a surprising amount of introspection in the interview, noting that he does not know how long he has remaining and that games take many years to develop now.
Here is a direct quote from the interview:
After all, while developing “Smash Bros.”, I realized that I had very little time left.
I started working on “Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U” and “Smash Bros. Ultimate” as soon as I finished developing “Kid Icarus Uprising” in 2012, and finished making the DLC for “Smash Bros. Ultimate” in 2021, so that’s roughly 9 years.
I don’t know how long my life is going to be, but I sometimes thought that if I were to be serious about making games, my life would be over in the blink of an eye. That’s how long it takes to make games nowadays.
I think that the “Smash Bros.” job is very important because it allows me to deliver games to a wide range of people of all ages, and I am in charge of a wide variety of characters and content in the game industry, and I am very grateful to be able to do that job.
But if I keep doing the same thing, I will retire in no time, and even if I were to take it easy and think, “I’ll start making programs when I turn 55,” I may not be able to do that for one reason or another by then.
It’s worth noting that the last game that Sakurai worked on was Super Smash Bros. Ultimate for the Nintendo Switch. He has not directed a Kirby game since Kirby Air Ride on the GameCube.
Conclusion
Semi-retirement and retirement is a decision that has raised intrigue among fans of both video game series. It has happened with other titles in the industry, passing creative development to the hands of others is not universally positive. Therefore, we must make the most of all the games that come from the hand of Masahiro Sakurai before he calls it quits.
