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Sakurai Believes Industry Will "Slowly Die" Without Innovation As He Discontinues Game Designers Award
Nintendo Life • • technology
Key Points:
- Masahiro Sakurai announced the discontinuation of The Game Designer award at the Japan Game Awards due to his inability to find a successor to continue the tradition.
- The award, founded by Sakurai in 2010, aimed to recognize games for creativity and originality, with the last recipient being Word Game by Team9.
- Sakurai emphasized the importance of innovation in the gaming industry, warning that a lack of creativity could lead to the industry's gradual decline despite the challenges of profitability.
- He searched for years for a qualified successor—someone with a background in innovative game direction—but no suitable candidate emerged to take over the award.
- Sakurai’s decision highlights the difficulty of maintaining originality in an industry dominated by sequels and remakes, underlining the need for continued innovation to keep gaming fresh and alive.
