Masahiro Sakurai: The Challenges of Large-Scale Game Development with Hundreds of Developers

The creator of Super Smash Bros. and Kirby, Masahiro Sakurai, has admitted that developing large-scale games with massive teams often brings not just experience but also disappointment. According to him, in such environments, developers find it increasingly difficult to take pride in their individual contributions.

Sakurai shared his thoughts during an interview with the Japanese publication 47NEWS. He emphasized that the joy of work is directly tied to the visible outcome of efforts—and this sense is often missing in large teams.

As an example, he mentioned pixel art: when an artist creates an image alone, they complete it entirely. In a team setting, the process turns into endless discussions about what the final result should be.

In Sakurai’s view, in large projects, an individual’s contribution can easily become lost. He highlights that not all work is equally visible in the final version of a game, and without a sense of completion and personal achievement, motivation can swiftly decline. This issue grows more pronounced as team sizes increase.

«In big projects, this becomes increasingly challenging. The number of employees quickly reaches the hundreds,” says Sakurai. He further notes that the feeling of satisfaction from solo creativity is quite different from working in a group, and the role of a specialist significantly changes over time.

Sakurai’s career exemplifies his statements well. In the credits for Kirby’s Dream Land, his debut game from the early ’90s, there were only 14 names listed. In contrast, his latest project, Kirby Air Riders, credited a staggering 908 people. In such a colossal production engine, it’s easy to feel like an anonymous cog.

Sakurai is not alone in this assessment. Previously, former creative director of Assassin’s Creed, Alexandre Amancio, also stated that AAA studios mistakenly attempt to solve problems by expanding their workforce, while he believes that the future lies with more compact teams.