The intense development process took a lot out of Mr. Sakurai.
http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/39151/super-smash-bros-creator-likely-done-with-franchise
Super Smash Bros. creator Masahiro Sakurai doesn't think he'll work on another game in Nintendo's popular fighting series.
"I can't positively declare there won't be [another Smash Bros. game]," he said in an interview with Game Informer. "With both Melee and Brawl, I made those games with the thought that there wouldn't be any more sequels. Thus, I really can't deny the chance for another. However, as for myself, I don't think there will be."
The development of Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS was an intense experience, and one that apparently Sakurai isn't all that eager to go through again.
"Our intention [with Super Smash Bros. for Wii U] was to provide extra merits to the game which go far beyond the sale price," Sakurai added. "In terms of scope, and in terms of sheer number of characters, we went beyond our limits long ago. And yet, if we cut the number of fighters or modes in a future game, I'm sure there would be complaints."
Interesting that he says "I can't positively declare there won't be [another Smash Bros. game]" like he ultimately decides that. SSB is a very popular Nintendo series and Nintendo isn't going to end it as long as it's profitable. There will be a new SSB on the Wii U successor (and maybe the 3DS successor as well) and if Sakurai doesn't want to be on board, the game will be made without him. I'd prefer that not be the case but I know how the videogame business works.I believe Iwata previously stated that Nintendo would not make any more Super Smash Bros. games without Sakurai's involvement. There is precedent for this. Shigesato Itoi has stated he will not make any more Mother games, that the series is over for him, and Iwata appears happy to leave the series alone (also, with the way Mother 3 ended, you'd have to ask yourself why a sequel should be made). Granted, Mother is no where near as popular as Super Smash Bros. However, it's difficult to imagine both series without their respective creators.
(I haven't played the new game enough to have a fair opinion on it)It's not like this stopped you before.
From an artistic perspective it would nice to see a company recognize when a concept has gone as far as it can and move on to new untapped ideas.As previously stated, the Mother series.
Mother doesn't have SSB's sales potential
Granted, Mother is no where near as popular as Super Smash Bros.Sigh. Yes, I know. However, I was specifically responding to your skepticism that Sakurai would ultimately decide whether there's another installment. Objectively speaking, we know this has happened before and Iwata respected Itoi's decision to end the Mother series.
Remember that Brawl was announced without Sakurai's knowledge. They then asked him to work on the game but had he declined do you think they would have just cancelled it? I'm assuming they were making an SSB game, period, and if Sakurai wasn't on board they would have just made it without him.According to the Super Smash Bros. Brawl's Iwata Asks (http://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/#/wii/ssbb/0/1):
Iwata: Well, I had considered what I would do if you turned me down and decided that I would need to take the existing Smash Bros. title, Super Smash Bros. Melee for the Nintendo GameCube, and try to make it Wi-Fi capable while preserving as much balanced game play as possible in the event you didn’t want to get involved. Maybe it’s more appropriate to say that I realized we wouldn’t be able to add any new elements to the game without your help and I think I said as much when we discussed it at the hotel. It wasn’t right, but you might even say I used it as a threat of sorts.And there's your answer. We wouldn't have Brawl; we would have had Melee Online. Considering Melee's religious following, that would have been enough for some people.
I get the feeling he wasn't happy about having to develop two games at once. That was probably forced onto him after he agreed to do the Wii U game, and it's the vibe I get from his comments and comparisons to the 3DS version. And honestly, I feel both games suffered from it.
I also agree that Nintendo will continue the series with or without Sakurai, it's just too huge. The template's already been well-established anyway, so there's a formula to follow.
Sorry, Mop it up, I have trouble buying a lack of gusto and enthusiasm diving into this project.I didn't say anything about a lack of gusto or enthusiasm, so that sounds like a misunderstanding. Even if he had an idea for a handheld Smash Bros game, I have my doubts that he wanted to create both at the same time, and especially on such a strict schedule.