Sakurai predicts AI game boom but doubts most will turn a profit
The creator of Kirby and Super Smash Bros. says generative AI will increase lookalike games without solving the challenge of original design.
Game designer Masahiro Sakurai expects generative AI to drive a surge in similar-looking games, but believes most will fail to become profitable. Speaking to Japanese website Denfaminicogamer, the creator of Kirby and Super Smash Bros. said easier production would not necessarily translate into commercial success.
Sakurai pointed to Steam's expanding catalog as evidence of rising output. He cited around 275 new releases on the platform in 2010, compared with more than 19,000 annually now, and predicted generative AI would increase that number further.
He said developers often design games by drawing comparisons with existing titles, helping publishers explain their products to potential buyers. In his view, AI will make that approach easier while encouraging more games that reproduce familiar mechanics rather than offering something original.
Sakurai also suggested that genuinely original game creation remains beyond AI's capabilities and is difficult even for human designers. He used the original Super Smash Bros. as an example, saying it needed a distinct approach to differentiate itself from conventional fighting games.
