This is a quote from the Source Gaming fan translation of sakurai’s famitsu column, in regards to him leaving the series and the future with him gone:
(the full translation is here):
https://sourcegaming.info/2021/11/04/sakurai-discusses-the-future-of-smash/
The other day, Takao Saito, the creator of “Golgo 13,” passed away, and it was announced that work would continue on the production. But the decision might have been different if it was a manga like Berserk. The more a work depends on its authorship, the more difficult it is to ensure its continuation. And at the very least, I don’t see any way for Smash Bros to be produced without my involvement. For example, the Challenger Approaching trailers would not have the same level of quality if it was produced entirely by an outside firm. Also, it’s not as if some staff member has been accumulating the know-how of Smash Bros. It would also be difficult to capture the essence of various game titles and combine them into a spec document.
Alright so I know this statement might be different from what he originally said because of how translations work but I wanna give my thoughts on this
Look no offense to sakurai but he is definitely overestimating how much smash bros depends on him and it comes off as a little narcissistic. It would be difficult for smash to work with another director but it’s not any more difficult than it would have to be to make smash ultimate. It might be rough at first but a smash game without his involvement is absolutely something that could happen.
Also this may be a result of the translation or something but it does seem like he’s comparing smash ultimate to something with broader themes like berserk that absolutely can only truly work with one author. Smash ultimate isn’t berserk and that comparison definitely comes off as a little narcissistic. There aren’t any broader themes in smash besides “fun ultimate nintendo/videogame crossover” and of course it’s art, but it’s just not the kind of art that needs to have the same creator the entire time.
This shows a huge issue with japanese work culture (which is obviously a huge issue, and I don’t know enough to comment on all of it) and the mentality of creators
strawpoll.com
