Super Smash Bros. Ultimate director Masahiro Sakurai has started a new YouTube channel called “Masahiro Sakurai on Creating Games.” Check out the latest batch of uploaded content via the embedded video below:
Meteos [Game Concepts]
Officially, my credit in Meteos is listed as “game design.” My goal was to create a puzzle game with risk and reward in mind.
At the time, I put together an animated proposal to help explain the concept, and I’ll share it with you today in this video!
Say No to Slow! [Design Specifics]
Players are busy people!
They value their free time!
They don’t want to wait for the fun to start!
…This might just be the mindset a game designer needs.
Competing with the Past [Grab Bag]
With all the subscription services available nowadays, consumers have a tremendous amount of media available at their fingertips.
But it also means that creators have to compete not only with new releases, but with countless works from the past as well.
Do We Really Need Enemies? [Game Essence]
Most games feature enemies that frequently appear to bar your progress. Some people might even say you can’t make a game without them.
But are they really necessary?
Directors Need to Be Unique [Work Ethic]
What do all game directors have in common?
Not much, it turns out. But the one thing I can think of happens to tie into exactly why they have so little in common.
Game Music and Ambient Sounds [Audio]
Ever feel like the music in large-scale titles these days doesn’t leave much of an impression? That’s because the soundtrack has to fit the game experience!
NES fans, think you can name each game whose music plays in this video before its title appears on-screen?
Put Parameters in Brackets [Programming & Tech]
When balancing a complicated game, numerous people may be adjusting parameters, so it needs to be clear which parameter does what, no matter who’s looking at the data.
Today I’ll talk about how I tackle this detail.
You’ll Forget the Hardship, But the Game Will Endure! [Work Ethic]
A creative work will continue to exist for all-time. Even in these YouTube videos, I’m still discussing games I worked on decades ago.
This is why it’s important to do all you can now, so you don’t regret it later.
Sora’s Work-From-Home Strategies [Grab Bag]
It was thought that the COVID-19 pandemic might not hit the game industry as hard as others, but it forced us to completely change the way we work.
In this Grab Bag episode, I’d like to spend some time talking about how that panned out for Sora.
Falling Sells the Feeling of Flight [Game Essence]
If you want your players to truly experience the thrill of flight, you need to also include the not-so-thrilling stuff like crashing and falling!
Opposing elements, when implemented correctly, will heighten and amplify the best parts of your game.
Good Errands and Bad Errands [Planning & Game Design]
Many games rely on repeating the same gameplay, which naturally leads to simplistic and repetitive sequences. Fetch quests are one such example.
In this video, I’ll explore a few ways you can make these straightforward errands more fun.
Get the Sense of Scale Right [Graphics]
The CG models we make for games don’t come with a built-in sense of scale. Whether they’re giant-sized or the size of a tiny plastic model, if it’s the same shape, it’s the same object. Because of this, you need to do what you can to make them feel like they belong in your game world.
Attack Poses [Animation]
Of all the different poses, attack poses are quite possibly the most vital. If they don’t come across well, your whole game will suffer!
Today, I’d like to share some of the things I kept in mind with these poses while working on Smash Bros.
Don’t Anchor Your Center Point [Design Specifics]
While the center point generally follows the player character, it shouldn’t anchor to them. Why is that?
Don’t Wait to Speak Your Mind [Team Management]
If you’re part of the dev team, you have the potential to change things. Don’t wait to take action or talk to someone!
While this is a Team Management episode, it crosses into the Work Ethic category, and can apply more generally to most jobs.
Team Digital or Team Physical? [Grab Bag]
When you buy games, do you prefer to buy them physically or digitally?
As for me, the answer is…in this latest Grab Bag episode!
Deconstruct, Analyze, and Rebuild [Planning & Game Design]
The title refers to a method I use often when thinking up ideas for a new game. I break down the key points, mull them over, then try to see if I can’t think of anything better or more innovative.
This is where daily game research really comes in handy.
Flash, Blast, and Smoke [Effects]
Today, I’ll be talking about explosion effects.
It’s not enough to just show a blast of orange fire and be done with it. There’s actually a series of steps we use to impart the appropriate impact.
Listen in Various Environments [Audio]
When I’m doing sound checks for my games, I always make sure to listen on cheap TV speakers, too.
But, why? Isn’t it better to check how things sound in a high-quality studio?
Sora Ltd. [Grab Bag]
You see the name often on this channel…but who exactly is Sora Ltd.?
You could just say it’s just me, really. In today’s Grab Bag episode, I’ll share some info about my company.
If I hadn’t chosen to go independent, this channel might not exist.
About This Channel
Join me as I kick off my new channel, “Masahiro Sakurai on Creating Games,” with an overview of the kinds of things I’ll be talking about.
Why am I making a channel, exactly?
You’ll find out in this video.
Source: Masahiro Sakurai
Source:Pokémon
