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Sakurai Ends Game Designers Award After 16 Years, Citing No Successor
Masahiro Sakurai has retired the Game Designers Award from the Japan Game Awards after failing to find a replacement to lead the judging process, with indie title Word Game receiving the final honor.
Masahiro Sakurai, the creator of Kirby and Super Smash Bros., has announced that the Game Designers Award will no longer be presented at the Japan Game Awards, ending a 16-year tradition. The award, which he founded in 2010, was given for the last time during the Game of the Year Division ceremony on September 14, with the independent title Word Game from studio Team9 receiving the final honor.
Sakurai explained during a presentation at this year's awards ceremony that the decision stems from his inability to find a suitable successor to oversee the award's judging process. «It's been 16 years since we started this,» he said. «This is the last year that we're doing it, and the reason is because there's nobody who's going to replace me. That is the only reason.» He emphasized that the award requires a leader who is a game director with a track record of innovative titles that have significantly changed gameplay. «I scouted and tried to find someone to replace me. I did some presentations to try to find somebody, too. I searched for a couple years, but nobody stepped up to replace me.»
The Game Designers Award was established to recognize games based on creativity and originality, specifically those that introduce new ideas departing from existing works and expand the form of game software by offering new ways for users to enjoy and play. According to the Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association (CESA), the award is granted to a title that reaches a wide audience, including those who don't usually play games actively, and achieves a memorable accomplishment of the year. The judging committee, composed of eleven industry veterans such as Hideki Kamiya, Yoko Taro, and Toby Fox, selected Word Game by an overwhelming majority in the second round of judging.
Word Game, a text-based puzzle game originally created with Traditional Chinese characters and later localized for Japanese players, impressed the committee with its unique approach. «This work won by an overwhelming majority of votes even in the second round of judging, where the selection was narrowed down to specific titles,» CESA noted. «Even more astonishingly, while the game seems like it could only work in Japanese, it is actually a localized version of a Traditional Chinese title. I am sure it took advanced skills and clever solutions to complete the transmission. I believe this unique and inimitable game is a fitting choice for the final Game Designers Award.»
In his remarks, Sakurai reflected on the broader challenges facing innovation in the gaming industry. «Game development is always an experiment, but you keep going at it. It's always a very difficult process,» he said. «Although the Grand Award is always so popular, I think this shows a different side of games. Unfortunately, innovativeness doesn't always link to profitability. There's not many people who will always drink the newest version of an interesting drink. You usually go with things you're used to. It's always hard for this kind of innovativeness and creativity to be recognized, but if the industry loses creativity and innovation, I think the industry as a whole will slowly die. We always need new discoveries and innovations to keep the industry fresh and alive.»
The award's recent winners include Sad Owl Studios' Viewfinder, Odd Meter's Indika, and RPG Time: The Legend of Wright. Fans have expressed sadness over the award's conclusion but are hopeful that Sakurai's freed-up time may signal new projects, especially amid persistent rumors of a new Super Smash Bros. game. Sakurai also expressed hope that players will «keep being interested in creative games even after the award is gone.»
