Topic: Smash Bros. Director Forms New Studio with Nintendo

[famicomplicated]

Sakurai and co. are making new games, and they won't be casual.
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=17794

 Revealed through a recent "Iwata Asks" interview, Masahiro Sakurai, best known for his work on the Smash Bros. series, has formed a new studio called Project Sora. The development studio will be a second-party subsidiary of Nintendo, which will own a 72% stake, and has actually been operating out of Tokyo since January this year.    

During the interview Sakurai dropped several hints about what games the new studio is working on. Although no titles, genres, or even systems were mentioned, one thing is clear from Sakurai: they are not interested in making any Brain Training games or other casual products. It appears that Project Sora will be focused on the traditional gaming market.    

Another detail that emerged from the interview: Smash Bros. fans hoping for a portable DS version should give up on that dream immediately. Sakurai himself said the studio's project will not be a SSB game but something entirely new and original.    

The official website states that the game will be a two-year project, suggesting that Project Sora's project won't land until 2011. The team is currently advertising job openings for 3D modelers, game designers, and programmers.    

Be sure to check Nintendo World Report for updates concerning Mr Sakurai and Project Sora.

[AV]

Excellent news. I hope they remember to fix online stuff for next games

[stevey]

wow. Welcome to 2008, NWR.....

[Ian Sane]

Nintendo can make all the money they want with the casual market and the non-gamers.  Yet it seems that developers that don't want to make casual games usually make an effort to specifically state so, with a little bit of venom thrown in.  And it makes sense since a lot of developers are going to want to make games they themselves would like and no developer could be a non-gamer.

I'm glad he's working on something new and not just more SSB.  I'm looking forward to see what this team is capable of.

[NWR_Lindy]

wow. Welcome to 2008, NWR.....

I don't even know what this means.  Stevey, if the only posts you're going to make are trolling this website, you're going to be put on time-out.  Constructive criticism is welcomed and encouraged, but saying "wow, you suck NWR" over and over again is not tolerated.  Thanks.

[vudu]

I don't even know what this means.

He's complaining that other websites and even you own forums picked up on this story two days ago.  (He's exaggerating for effect.)

[NWR_Lindy]

He's complaining that other websites and even you own forums picked up on this story two days ago.  (He's exaggerating for effect.)

And he's always the one to unnecessarily point it out.  Yes, we know certain things with the site need to be fixed, and we're working on it.  But we don't need it constantly thrown in our faces.  That the kind of garbage I won't tolerate.

[vudu]

I wasn't condoning his behavior--you said you didn't understand so I was merely explaining what he meant.

[stevey]

Sorry my fault. I mixed up Masahiro Sakurai's Sora Ltd. which was formed in secret in 2005 and outed in 2008 that made SB with Masahiro Sakurai's Project Sora....

Question: Who is this Sora he names everything after!? His wife/husband name? Or is it an abbreviation? Sakurai's Outlandish & Really Awesome game company maybe?

[NWR_Lindy]

Sora is Sakurai's company.  Project Sora, from the looks of things, is a joint venture between Sakurai himself and Nintendo, with Nintendo giving him the money to hire (new?) staff for a new project.  It probably gives Sakurai a bit more input than he would normally get if he was straight-up hired to develop a game for them, or maybe it allows him to get paid in a non-conventional manner.

[famicomplicated]

Yes. What the boss said.

This is news because it's....new!