Artsy Omni
Smashified Creator
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- Aug 5, 2011
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Link to original post: [drupal=4517]The Mind of Sakurai (Part 1 - Introduction) [/drupal]
I think it's obvious that of all the speculation that takes place surrounding an impending Smash Bros release, the most vigorous is character speculation. It is often the subject of heated debates, vicious arguments, and other not-so-nice things. =P So I decided, rather than actually providing some speculation of my own, I'd perhaps elaborate on the nature of the speculation itself.
I'm not an expert on game design philosophy, but hopefully my insight is profitable to somebody.
Reasons for Character Inclusion (or other ideas)
This is perhaps the most controversial topic. A lot of people come up with Rosters, Stages, Bosses, Assist Trophies, Items, etc. And for every idea, a person has a reason, which assumedly makes logical sense in the mind of that person. Whether or not their reasons are the actual reality of the matter is another story, but everybody has reasons.
So what reasons are valid? I don't claim to have the ultimate answer to that question. But I think everyone will agree with me when I say that the only sure reasoning is the reasoning of Masahiro Sakurai himself. Therefore, I think if one is to provide reasons for their ideas, they should first attempt to comprehend Sakurai's ways of thinking, and then make an effort to apply that understanding to such ideas. Any other method of reasoning is arguably irrelevant.
Criticism of Reasons
Obviously, when somebody presents an idea, the first thing to happen is an analysis of that idea, followed by constructive or destructive criticism by multiple users. This is unavoidable. So just as it is imperative that one attempts to remain in-sync with Sakurai's own thinking for the creation of ideas, it is equally important to attempt to analyze and criticize ideas in like manner, trying to put yourself in the mind of Sakurai. Otherwise, criticism of an idea will be based on your own tastes and preferences, which again, are arguably irrelevant when you're trying to seriously forecast decisions made by the designer himself.
The Mind of Sakurai
So I keep talking about how important it is to try to think like Sakurai when creating and/or analyzing ideas. But what exactly does it take to understand another person's mind?
It might be obvious to some, but it really isn't to everybody. The first thing would be to try to gather as much information as possibly be observing the actual words of the designer himself. These speak the most clearly when it comes to understanding a designer's tastes, preferences, and reason for every decision that he makes.
The second, and easily more contentious, is to look at the long list of decisions that the designer has made in the past and attempt to recognize patterns. Every person makes decisions based on their own experiences, and that experience influences and transcends everything that they create. I, as an artist for example, am heavily influenced by video game art, and my decisions and way of thinking, even in designing a flyer for a golf tournament, are traceable back to my observations of Game Art.
This process is often a collaborative effort, as many people studying a person's pattern of behavior is most often more reliable than a single person's. With that being said, it is important to keep an open mind when attempting to understand a designer's process.
Summary
If there's anything you get out of this blog post, let it be the following:
As always, thanks for reading, and stay tuned for more!
I think it's obvious that of all the speculation that takes place surrounding an impending Smash Bros release, the most vigorous is character speculation. It is often the subject of heated debates, vicious arguments, and other not-so-nice things. =P So I decided, rather than actually providing some speculation of my own, I'd perhaps elaborate on the nature of the speculation itself.
I'm not an expert on game design philosophy, but hopefully my insight is profitable to somebody.
Reasons for Character Inclusion (or other ideas)
This is perhaps the most controversial topic. A lot of people come up with Rosters, Stages, Bosses, Assist Trophies, Items, etc. And for every idea, a person has a reason, which assumedly makes logical sense in the mind of that person. Whether or not their reasons are the actual reality of the matter is another story, but everybody has reasons.
So what reasons are valid? I don't claim to have the ultimate answer to that question. But I think everyone will agree with me when I say that the only sure reasoning is the reasoning of Masahiro Sakurai himself. Therefore, I think if one is to provide reasons for their ideas, they should first attempt to comprehend Sakurai's ways of thinking, and then make an effort to apply that understanding to such ideas. Any other method of reasoning is arguably irrelevant.
Criticism of Reasons
Obviously, when somebody presents an idea, the first thing to happen is an analysis of that idea, followed by constructive or destructive criticism by multiple users. This is unavoidable. So just as it is imperative that one attempts to remain in-sync with Sakurai's own thinking for the creation of ideas, it is equally important to attempt to analyze and criticize ideas in like manner, trying to put yourself in the mind of Sakurai. Otherwise, criticism of an idea will be based on your own tastes and preferences, which again, are arguably irrelevant when you're trying to seriously forecast decisions made by the designer himself.
The Mind of Sakurai
So I keep talking about how important it is to try to think like Sakurai when creating and/or analyzing ideas. But what exactly does it take to understand another person's mind?
It might be obvious to some, but it really isn't to everybody. The first thing would be to try to gather as much information as possibly be observing the actual words of the designer himself. These speak the most clearly when it comes to understanding a designer's tastes, preferences, and reason for every decision that he makes.
The second, and easily more contentious, is to look at the long list of decisions that the designer has made in the past and attempt to recognize patterns. Every person makes decisions based on their own experiences, and that experience influences and transcends everything that they create. I, as an artist for example, am heavily influenced by video game art, and my decisions and way of thinking, even in designing a flyer for a golf tournament, are traceable back to my observations of Game Art.
This process is often a collaborative effort, as many people studying a person's pattern of behavior is most often more reliable than a single person's. With that being said, it is important to keep an open mind when attempting to understand a designer's process.
Summary
If there's anything you get out of this blog post, let it be the following:
- Think like Sakurai: it's the only relevant means of speculation.
- Keep an open mind: Remember, everybody has reasons. Try to understand these reasons before criticizing using your own criteria; you might find yourself in agreement more often.
- Do your research!: An educated opinion is infinitely more useful than basing ideas on an individual's ideals. Be observant, and filter all ideas through knowledge, not purely through desires.
As always, thanks for reading, and stay tuned for more!