Sorry to bring it up again, and it can be deleted or moved if deemed inappropriate, but I wanted to say my piece on Sakurai's injury, seeing as it was talked about not too long ago.
I've known about it for a while, and it's probably the single biggest reason why I am OK with Smash 4 spending as long as it needs in development. The guy's health is seriously at risk. I've heard stories in the past of video game developers nearly dying from overworking themselves, catching terrible illnesses that nearly take their lives. In some cases, this can be due to poor work conditions. I'm sure Sakurai's work conditions are nice, and I know they do accommodate for his injury, but I still worry about the guy. I don't know if his injury is fatal (Palutena forbid it!) or even treatable or curable, but it sounds like it is very, very limiting, and most of all, painful.
There is no doubt in my mind that Namco Bandai's involvement is in anticipation for Sakurai's worsening condition. I don't know my Japanese law, but I think the guy will need a serious break soon, with paid leave. Or at least, leave him to some lighter work such as the daily pics, and have an assistant who is always on call.
It may sound silly to most, but hearing him say that he is "losing at Smash Bros" (which I'm sure he means he is losing regularly, which likely didn't happen before) is actually heartbreaking to me. He's essentially saying "I can't play this creation of mine that millions of people around the world will be enjoying". That's a soul crushing thing for a developer to have to live with. I'm only a mere games design student, and even I would be pretty upset if I was unable to play my own games that I work hard on.
And mental health is just as important as physical health. While I'm sure he's quite pleased to see so many people support him and I know he makes these games out of pure passion and as a letter of love to the people who play them, this injury is going to effect the guy's mental health eventually (if it isn't already). And when that happens, things will get messy.
Sakurai is one of my games design idols, and as such, I care more about his well-being than I do about getting Smash as soon as possible (heck, this is an overall principle value of mine - the people behind the game matter more than the game itself). Now, Smash won't be cancelled, I know that much. Worst case scenario is that Sakurai resigns from the project due to being incapable of staying in the work environment (he is living away from home until this game is done). But my hope is that, through giving him some time to rest, he won't need to completely resign. Because again, that would hurt his mental health. This man is like a living manifestation of "determination" within the gaming community, and as such, he'd probably feel like he let people down if he resigned, and feel like a failure (especially since Japan is a much harsher place when it comes to proving credibility). Though I think we can all agree he is no failure.
Sakurai says his lifestyle during Melee's development was "destructive", and I just don't want him to do that again, especially with the added inhibition of this injury. So yeah, I'd rather Smash miss it's 2014 window if it meant the guy could recover a bit.