Topic: A new developer joins Nintendo's Ranks

[Flames_of_chaos]

And that company is..... Project Sora lead by none other than Sakurai.

Right now it's a brand new subsidiary of Nintendo and they are expanding maybe this is what the Kyoto R&D building is about.

They are hiring:

1. Game producer
2. 3D Character Artist
3. 3D Character Motion Artist
4. 3D Map Artist
5. Sound Artist
6. Game Planner

[NWR_pap64]

How ironic that Sakurai funded Sora after he left Nintendo, only to go back to Nintendo with the company.

[Stogi]

Money talks....

[Flames_of_chaos]

Here's something more interesting, it's actually a brand new company separate from Sora LTD. in Tokyo, Sakurai will be the director of software. And this is positioned as a joint venture between Nintendo and Sora since while Nintendo holds majority share, Sora will have a stake in the shares as well.

[Luigi Dude]

After the success of Brawl and it's development it was pretty obvious that Sakurai would come back to Nintendo.

The reason Sakurai left in the first place is because he wanted more creative control in his games.  The straw that broke the camels back for him was how he was overruled during the development of Kirby Air Ride by the higher ups, resulting in the final product not being how he wanted.  Well with Brawl, Sakurai was now given full creative control and as a result his attitude toward Nintendo became much happier again.

I mean, just read some of the interviews with Sakurai back in 2006 and then compare them to the ones in 2008.  In 2006, he didn't sound very excited and talked about how he had to be convinced by others to come back to work on the game.  Not to mention he even said Brawl would be the last Smash Bros he worked on. 

Now fastforward to his interviews in 2008 with Brawl's release and Sakurai sounded like he was having the time of his life.  Not to mention he said he'd love to be involved in another Smash Bros now.

It kind of shows that over the course of Brawls two year development, Sakurai's view of working for Nintendo changed bigtime.

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

So by giving him freedom, he ruined Smash Bros.

Do not want.

[Peachylala]

So by giving him freedom, he ruined Smash Bros.

Do not want.

Correction. By not being under Miyamoto's control, he made some errors. I thought Brawl was fine, not Melee great, but fine. Online mode and Subspace sucked, Solid Snake appearence was completely un-needed.

All we need is Miyamoto, ot maybe Yoshiaki Koizumi, to whip Sakurai for the next Brawl installment?

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

If classic styled joypads aren't banned in the next installment, they shouldn't bother with the next installment.

And Subspace is more than an error =D

[NWR_pap64]

The biggest mistake Sakurai did was place emphasis on the single play mode. If he wanted to make an adventure game with the Nintendo cast it should have been independent from Brawl. Both games would have benefited greatly because the single player would have played much better and would have featured a more focused story while Brawl would have been a strictly multiplayer fare.

[Ian Sane]

My biggest objection to Brawl is that Melee was such a huge advancement over the original SSB that it set the bar too high for any sequels.  To not be a disappointment Brawl would have to recreate that same type of jump and the law of diminishing returns is such that that wasn't really possible.  I still think it's a great game though and if I'm going to play SSB with my friends that's the one I pick.  I don't really relate at all to many of the complaints people have with the game (aside from online lag) but I figure what I like about the series is quite different than what most people like.

Considering Sakurai left over Kirby Air Ride and that's like one of the worst games Nintendo ever made I gotta side with him.  I'm glad they won him back.  He appears talented enough to do his own thing.  I know Miyamoto is a genius but we'll get more variety if he isn't involved in every project.  Sometimes we may get lesser games as a result but we'll get some different styles as well.  I think the Metroid series for example has turned out great and Miyamoto isn't involved with that (main series anyway).

[NWR_pap64]

I never played "Air Ride", but I've heard a lot of mixed reactions. You either love it or hate it, there's no middle ground it seems.

[GoldenPhoenix]

I know Miyamoto is a genius but we'll get more variety if he isn't involved in every project.

Really. So Wii Fit, Wii Sports, Pikmin, Mario series, Zelda, and Metroid Prime aren't variety enough? Miyamoto is far from a one trick game developer and I think he is FAR more diverse then Sakurai as he has shown throughout his great career.

In regards to the studio I hope they come up with something good, but I do not have the highest expectations of Sakurai anymore.

[Flames_of_chaos]

Well I wouldn't discount Sakurai he is still a great developer and it's good that Nintendo is investing more into game development. I have a feeling that Project Sora will move into that new Kyoto building that Nintendo invested in.

[Stogi]

There doesn't need to be a new Smash for a long long time. Brawl did everything right in my eyes (except for online). It plays, looks, and feels better than Melee. Plus, I have yet to unlock all the characters and I've been playing it for a whole year now. Crazy....


I hope Sakurai the best. Whatever he gets himself into, whether it's a new IP or a sequel, I'm sure it will be great.

[Luigi Dude]

The problem with Brawl is the fact fanboys hyped it up so much with unrealistic expectations, that nothing Sakurai did was going to please them.

In order for Brawl to have been universally loved it would have had to have had over 9,000 characters, with all of these characters 100% unique.  If at least 1 of these characters had a move that was in anyway similar to another, the game would have been a total failure.

Oh and it'd have to be 1,000% balanced.  I say 1,000% because even 100% wouldn't please the fanboys.  If at least one character even has a remote advantage over another, then it means Sakurai is a baby eating Nazi.

Then there's the stages, anything less then 1 million that don't cover every single area ever in a Nintendo game, means Sakurai really caused 9-11.

Oh and finally the music.  Every single song ever made through human history needs to be in the game.  Of course it can't be the original version because that'd be lazy, but if it's a remix, even if the remix sounds 90% like the original, it's considered rape.

Since Brawl was in development since 1632, with the help of Jesus, Mohammad and Buddha, Sakurai has no excuse for all this stuff not being in the game then does he.

[King of Twitch]

What more do you people want? I think it's interesting people burn out on SSB after 3 games while mario zelda and metroid stay on the 'great' lists.

Clearly, platforming games in the hands of miyamoto > all other genres

[Flames_of_chaos]

Here's some more news:
Source

Masahiro Sakurai, creator of Nintendo character Kirby and designer of Super Smash Bros. Brawl, is creating a new title for Nintendo the company announced today.

On January 22 of this year, Sakurai's company Sora Ltd., a first party Nintendo developer, created a new company with Nintendo called Project Sora. Sakurai is serving as director for this new project.

Nintendo is the principal investor, owning up to 72 percent of the company.

About this project the new company is working on, Satoru Iwata assured that it's not another Smash Bros. game, saying, "It's not Smash Bros. I asked for." Sakurai added, "i can promise an experience that's different from anything [you've played] up until now."

Project Sora currently has 30 employees and is currently looking for "talented individuals."

[Ian Sane]

What more do you people want? I think it's interesting people burn out on SSB after 3 games while mario zelda and metroid stay on the 'great' lists.

Clearly, platforming games in the hands of miyamoto > all other genres

I think it's more single player focused games vs. multiplayer focused games.  A single player game can get a lot of mileage out of offering a new story in a new setting to explore with new characters to meet.  But with something like SSB it still feels like you and your buddies beating the piss out of each other.  The game relies less on story or exploration and more on just the gameplay.  I got burned out on Mario Kart and F-Zero in around the same amount of time.  It's just harder to keep those types of games fresh.

Really. So Wii Fit, Wii Sports, Pikmin, Mario series, Zelda, and Metroid Prime aren't variety enough? Miyamoto is far from a one trick game developer and I think he is FAR more diverse then Sakurai as he has shown throughout his great career.

I actually like other developers besides Miyamoto.  Different people has slightly difference styles and Nintendo should encourage that diversity.  Miyamoto makes great games but I can usually tell if he was involved in the game.  There's value in Nintendo games that feel just a little bit different.  You think Fire Emblem would be Fire Emblem or Metroid would be Metroid if Miyamoto was all over them?  I think those franchises have turned out quite well and up to Nintendo standards of quality without Miyamoto's involvement.  They also feel noticably different than what EAD produces.  I think that variety is a good thing so if Nintendo is encouraging Sakurai to do his own thing we're going to benefit.  Miyamoto will eventually have to retire anyway so Nintendo can't use him for EVERYTHING.

[GoldenPhoenix]

Metroid would be Metroid if Miyamoto was all over them

Actually Miyamoto was all over Metroid Prime. You can't tell me that game "feels" like Miyamoto.

I don't mind diversity but I don't trust Sakurai to wow us. He was good with Smash Brothers and the Kirby games were fun, not the best designed level wise, but fun. Beyond that, what does he have? Meteos?

[UltimatePartyBear]

Metroid would be Metroid if Miyamoto was all over them

Actually Miyamoto was all over Metroid Prime. You can't tell me that game "feels" like Miyamoto.

I don't mind diversity but I don't trust Sakurai to wow us. He was good with Smash Brothers and the Kirby games were fun, not the best designed level wise, but fun. Beyond that, what does he have? Meteos?

Potential.

[GoldenPhoenix]

Metroid would be Metroid if Miyamoto was all over them

Actually Miyamoto was all over Metroid Prime. You can't tell me that game "feels" like Miyamoto.

I don't mind diversity but I don't trust Sakurai to wow us. He was good with Smash Brothers and the Kirby games were fun, not the best designed level wise, but fun. Beyond that, what does he have? Meteos?

Potential.

We'll see. I hope it is good!

[Luigi Dude]

I don't mind diversity but I don't trust Sakurai to wow us. He was good with Smash Brothers and the Kirby games were fun, not the best designed level wise, but fun. Beyond that, what does he have? Meteos?

Just because you haven't been a fan of Sakurai's work, doesn't change the fact that millions of others are.  Because last time I checked, Kirby's Super Star is as highly praised as the classic Mario titles, and Melee/Brawl are the two best selling fighting games of all time and both highly praised as well.  Not to mention Metoes is considered one of the best puzzle games ever made.

That's a pretty damn good resume if you ask me.  The fact that he's been able to make games in three different genre's that were all highly praised and considered some of the best in each genre, shows what an amazing designer he is.  This is an accomplishment that not many other game designers can claim to have done.

[Stratos]

Metroid would be Metroid if Miyamoto was all over them

Actually Miyamoto was all over Metroid Prime. You can't tell me that game "feels" like Miyamoto.

To jump off of what Golden Phoenix said, Miyamoto was the reason that Prime is in the first-person view. Retro was originally making it in the 3rd and it was not clicking as a game. Then Miyamoto suggested the move to 1st. That's a big deal.

[Adrock]

There's a lot of hype for Project Sora despite the complete lack of any real info. Hmm... I'm going to need more than Sakurai telling me this will be different than anything I've ever played before ever in the history of ever.

The problem with Brawl is the fact fanboys hyped it up so much with unrealistic expectations, that nothing Sakurai did was going to please them.

The problem with Brawl is that its Melee with a new coat of paint and another Fox clone. Even if they replaced Wolf with clone of a different character that didn't already have a clone (Daisy?), I wouldn't mind as much because I wouldn't see another version of Fox running around and f*cking things up.

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

THE WORLD CRIES OUT FOR MY PRINCESS

She's extremely popular on worldwide Kart.