Masahiro Sakurai
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"As one guy at Ubisoft, I had no impact": Assassin's Creed dev turned indie says he was "miserable" as "one cog" in the massive AAA machine
Former Ubisoft developer Darenn Keller, who worked on Assassin's Creed Valhalla and Mirage, discusses his transition to indie game development with his successful city builder Dawnfolk. Keller expresses dissatisfaction with the creative restrictions and hierarchical processes at Ubisoft, finding more fulfillment and happiness in the freedom and direct impact of solo development.
Final Fantasy 14's Japanese age rating gets a bump, and it's all because of screenshots
Final Fantasy 14's age rating in Japan has been increased from CERO C to CERO D by Square Enix. This change is speculated to be related to player-created in-game images, including those using mods, which may be considered sexually provocative by the CERO rating board.
Masahiro Sakurai is definitely thinking of Super Smash Bros as he asserts "it would be utterly impossible to grant every request" from fans in Kirby Air Riders
Super Smash Bros. creator Masahiro Sakurai stated that it is impossible to fulfill every fan request, referencing the development insights for Kirby Air Riders. He acknowledged the constant stream of requests he receives but emphasized the impracticality of granting them all.
Gummies in Kirby Air Riders were in the early planning stage, initially was an online-only feature
Kirby Air Riders director Masahiro Sakurai revealed that the Gummies feature was initially planned as an online-only component during the early stages of development. Further details about the game's planning were shared on Nintendo's official website.
Sakurai explains how Road Trip came to be in Kirby Air Riders, shares different ideas that were considered
Director Masahiro Sakurai explained the development of the "Road Trip" mode in Kirby Air Ride, noting it was not in the initial design but added to provide single-player challenges. He considered alternative ideas like rival battles and task-based events before settling on the branching path structure for the final game.
Sakurai explains why Kirby Air Riders’ roster has many enemy characters
Director Masahiro Sakurai explained that Kirby Air Ride features many enemy characters as playable riders because their designs made it easier to understand their unique abilities. This approach allowed for a more intuitive gameplay experience for players.
Kirby Air Riders almost brought back the old City Trial map, Sakurai explains why it didn’t happen
Director Masahiro Sakurai revealed that the Kirby Air Ride development team considered reviving the City Trial map from the original GameCube title. However, the team ultimately decided against it due to the tremendous cost and effort required to implement the classic map.
Kirby Air Riders updated to Version 1.3.2 (patch notes)
Kirby Air Ride has received a new update, Version 1.3.2, for the Nintendo Switch. This patch focuses on fixing various bugs encountered in gameplay modes like Free Run and Series matches, as well as addressing an issue with the Hop Star ability and Boost Dash speed in Air Ride. The update does not introduce new content or balance adjustments.
Sakurai reveals that he wrote the lyrics for Kirby Air Riders’ main theme song, explains why he kept it under wraps
Masahiro Sakurai revealed that he wrote the lyrics for the main theme song of Kirby Air Ride, explaining that he kept it private to avoid associating the game's world with a single person. He discussed the dual emotional layers within the lyrics, expressing both the joy of companionship and a character's wish for freedom.
Kirby Air Riders added to Nintendo Music, Sakurai interview released
Nintendo has added the full soundtrack for Kirby Air Ride to its Nintendo Music app, featuring 114 tracks. The update also includes an interview with director Masahiro Sakurai and composers Noriyuki Iwadare and Shogo Sakai, discussing the game's music production. The Nintendo Music app is available on iOS and Android for Nintendo Switch Online members.
