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[mutsu]

One does not need to NOT be doing something to proclaim something is wrong. i.e. Sakurai does not need to stop making sequel after sequel to claim that just making sequels is a bad thing.

I can see that this is a very bad thing for the industry as a whole as technology improves. Budget of games increases, thus developers/publishers are taking less risks on inventing new franchises. Thus the trend for releasing sequel after sequel to reuse assets as much as possible, and brand name if the first game or the series has a good reputation. However if developers poor tons of resource and money into a game and it doesn't sell, then it's doom and gloom.

I just think it's going to get worse. Think about what the industry will look like in the generation after PS4/XBOne. Or think 10 years from now. How many developers and publishers will collapse due to failures during this generation, and in the end how many will be left in the industry?

 

[Ryce]

That Sakurai worked on in the last 15 years?

2.

Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land (2002) — Director
Kirby Air Ride (2003) — Director

Shinichi Shimomura directed Nightmare in Dream Land. Sakurai's credited as "chief director" because he made the original game, but he wasn't actually involved in the remake.

 

[KirbYuuYuu]

It's truly amazing how fast a Nintendo-related thread gets shitted up here. The guy is on to something here, hell don't most people on GAF complain about the exact same thing?

But someone from Nintendo said it, that means he's full of shit! Or something.

Again, strange that this is okay behavior.

 

[emb]

Wasn't that the reason Sakurai left Hal/Nintendo to start with? Obviously that didn't last too long, but he at least cared enough to try. We got Meteos as a result, which is alright with me. I'd hate to see Smash without him, but at the same time it could be cool to see him explore other original ideas.

 

[Amir0x]

I mean I don't mind sequels, I just think companies are often in the habit of releasing a sequel too shortly after the previous game in the series. If you're like Assassin's Creed and you release a new Assassin's Creed every year, you start getting frustrated and/or bored with the release.

There is another form of series fatigue, and that's when someone uses a particular character or worlds so frequently that you begin to miss that feeling of 'newness' related to experiencing new characters, worlds and enemies. That's where Mario is beginning to get with me.

To me, if I have on my plate a wonderful game with all new characters, worlds and story, as well as completely distinctive art direction, I will choose that game over another wonderful game but without all that new stuff. To me, one is the "full package" videogame experience, and the other removes a core aspect of why people play games in the first place.

But it is a little bizarre sakurai talks about sequels and reboots, but it is what it is.

 

[Mik317]

The Kirby series is actually one of the most experimental series Nintendo has. So even if you wanted to do the whole "hurr hurr black pot" stuff...Sakurai puts more than enough innovation in his games that is pretty silly. Even the 3 Smash games so far have added and played very differently.

but more so on topic, I don't see the issue and hate some have with sequels as long as they are good.

I don't play COD games so I cant speak for them but if the fans still enjoy it..then what is the issue? I never got the idea that just because a game is a new IP that makes it ten times better. A Good game is a good game. GTAV is still awesome not matter if it isn't Steal Cars Yo 1 or something. It's why the whole "ALL THEY MAKE IS MARIO GAMES" complaint feel a bit weird to me. One, it's not super true (one per console) and secondly they all have been pretty great. I don't even like the NSMB series but as soulless as the art style and music may be...they are damn good games.

 

[Riposte]

What is "natural" for videogames isn't necessarily the same as other mediums. In fact, what does "natural" even mean when you are talking about the man-made electronic media?

Anyway, Sakurai sounds silly. Hating on sequels is really short-sighted. Making a good sequel, by definition, is innovating, rather than inventing. Really poorly understood word. That's not even getting into how little a name and a number means in a title.

EDIT: I agree with what ViewtifulJC has said in this thread.

I was going to add my own thoughts, but I think what my position can be boiled down to a very simple question for people to ponder: If there were no more brand new videogames (or to be generous: no more games that change expectations, i.e. only highly iterative sequels, balance patches, map packs, etc.), would you stop playing them?

 

[Rhazer Fusion]

Yeah, I wholeheartedly agree with him that this industry relies way too much on sequels, rehashes, remakes and familiar formulas, but I think the movie industry is almost as guilty IMO. So many sequels, remakes, etc are pretty common in movies as well. One problem with the game industry is, new IP's are MUCH more riskier to create compared to movies, so that is one reason I think so many game companies choose to stick with tried and true formulas and familiar franchises.

 

[test_account]

? What sequel outside of smash (which happens one in 5 years) and kl(like 10 years?) did he make recently?
sorry double post but now mobile, hard to edit....

If he works 5 year on each Smash Bros, maybe that would count as working a lot on sequels.


I dont see the big deal with what he says. He is right that there are many sequels (i dont feel that there are that many remakes though), but there are also a lot of new stuff as well, although he doesnt say anything against this. And eventhough he is not a Nintendo employee, he has worked nearly exclusively for them for a lot of years now, so its maybe not that big of a difference. I dont think that Mark Cerny is a Sony employee in comparison, but he have worked a lot for Sony, so its maybe not that much of a difference in that case either, employee or not. But he (Sakurai) doesnt single out any comapny in his statement either, so he could very well be refering to Nintendo as well.

 

[peanutbutterlatte]

He revitalised Kid Icarus and turned it from a simplistic platformer into an action-packed shooter with some of the best production values and story from a Nintendo game. It's hardly a rehash or sequel, may as well be a new IP.

And no matter what you thought of Brawl, to call each Smash a rehash is so disingenous. He literally pours his life into each iteration, for example he's busting a gut on SSB4 now despite the fact he's got a near crippling arm injury.

 

[Arc Christelle]

Comics more than Video Games. Ask Marvel and DC. They throw in a new IP every once in a while but there's always a new entry/reboot/universe with the established titles. Not that it's a bad thing. [Unless you're a frustrated writer/artist] who wants to work on something new.

Hasbro and Mattel proves them recognizable toys are important too.

 

[Steve Youngblood]

Okay, so I went through this thread pretty indiscriminately deleting all the posts basically just seeking to go "this comment from a Nintendo developer? LOL," and all the responses to those posts. As you can see, not a lot is left.

This is just one of many threads I could point to wherein a conversation gets completely derailed right out of the gates due to posters having a desire to get a pithy jab in that will get endless adulation. Mind you, I understand that it is worth considering that Sakurai himself may have a reputation of sequels that may not necessarily make him the ideal candidate for making these critiques, but it's also worth considering that his experience may make him precisely the person qualified to make these observations.

Really, though, what we'd like to see more of is people earnestly looking to discuss the topic at hand, and that have at a bare minimum actually read the contents of the OP. When it's clear that you've got a zinger at the ready after having only read the title, it can easily derail any possibility at earnest conversation, which is regrettable. A lot of this is relevant to the forum at large, and I'm not trying to single out this one particular thread as uniquely salvageable.

Anyway, we'll give this one more go.

 

[foxuzamaki]

Okay, so I went through this thread pretty indiscriminately deleting all the posts basically just seeking to go "this comment from a Nintendo developer," and all the responses to those posts. As you can see, not a lot is left.

This is just one of many threads I could point to wherein a conversation gets completely derailed right out of the gates due to posters having a desire to get a pithy jab in that will get endless adulation. Mind you, I understand that it is worth considering that Sakurai himself may have a reputation of sequels that may not necessarily make him the ideal candidate for making these critiques, but it's also worth considering that his experience may make him precisely the person qualified to make these observations.

Really, though, what we'd like to see more of is people earnestly looking to discuss the topic at hand, and that have at a bare minimum actually read the contents of the OP. When it's clear that you've got a zinger at the ready after having only read the title, it can easily derail any possibility at earnest conversation, which is regrettable. A lot of this is relevant to the forum at large, and I'm not trying to single out this one particular thread as uniquely salvageable.

Anyway, we'll give this one more go.

thanks for this.

Anyways I think the video game industry pumps out more sequels supposedly moreso than other mediums has to do with budgets, it has increased exponentially however its still not nearly enough money and time as other medias so we tend to just get more of them, alot of games that arent RPGs or adventure games arent very long so people can play through them on a day off or so, and so would want a sequel to the game alot sooner, so in that sense, having a unnatural level of sequels wouldnt be that bad but I think we're reaching the higher end of it right now that is getting hard to ignore.

 

[rpmurphy]

Not so much about sequelitis, but there's just been a certain degree of homogenization going on that's really reducing down the variety of games available on the platforms... especially consoles. And now too, handhelds games being more and more expensive to develop, mobile games having more and more trouble competing for share, taking risks with certain genres and gameplay is going to be more challenging. Even Nintendo is falling into this trap, probably feeling the pressure to churn out less risky "system sellers" instead of investing in development efforts like of those unconventional games that they were able to work on during the DS era highpoints. I'm hopeful for the indie scene, not so much for itself, but that it will help feed some innovative spirit back into these game publishers. The next generation may be exciting or horrifying to watch...

 

[foxuzamaki]

Not so much about sequelitis, but there's just been a certain degree of homogenization going on that's really reducing down the variety of games available on the platforms... especially consoles. And now too, handhelds games being more and more expensive to develop, mobile games having more and more trouble competing for share, taking risks with certain genres and gameplay is going to be more challenging. Even Nintendo is falling into this trap, probably feeling the pressure to churn out less risky "system sellers" instead of investing in development efforts like of those unconventional games that they were able to work on during the DS era highpoints. I'm hopeful for the indie scene, not so much for itself, but that it will help feed some innovative spirit back into these game publishers. The next generation may be exciting or horrifying to watch...

I agree with all of this.