Masahiro Sakurai, the creator of the Super Smash Bros. series and Kirby, has ended his popular YouTube channel with a final video teasing a new mystery game.
Sakurai spent 2 years OF HIS PAINSTAKINGLY EARNED FREE TIME and ¥90,000,000 Yen on his YouTube channel to make 260 videos and then regretted making them non-monetized LMAO
man lives to work, absolute legend pic.twitter.com/JLGOjYmHxJ
— hungrybox (@LiquidHbox) October 22, 2024
In the 46-minute video, Sakurai revealed that he received a request to write a game proposal in July 2021, which he completed quickly.
Production on the project began in April 2022, but assembling a team took some time.
I'm not sure which is crazier:
-Sakurai filming his *entire* YouTube channel years ago while secretly developing a video game as his videos aired
-Sakurai spending $630,000 on the project as a way of giving back to the industry
This man is incredible!https://t.co/TKiSzTykED
— Logan Plant (@LoganJPlant) October 22, 2024
Sakurai used the video to explain more about his channel, which he launched in August 2022 under the title “Masahiro Sakurai on Creating Games.” He shared that he started the channel while waiting for his new team to be assembled and revealed that up until his most recent videos, he had shot all the footage for his channel two and a half years ago. Despite amassing 80 million views, Sakurai revealed he hasn’t made any money from his YouTube channel.
Sakurai revealing that he wrote and recorded 256 youtube videos episodes himself (with no prior exp) in like 3 months, and then just released them over 2.5 years is honestly one of the biggest flexes I've seen.
To people who dont have exp making yt vids, these are Wilt Numbers.— TSM Leffen (@TSM_Leffen) October 22, 2024
He explained that much of the content was written and initially filmed within a six-month window between projects in 2022. In the two years since, he has worked closely with a video editing firm and a team of translators to ensure consistent uploads. The combined expenses of the editing firm and translators, among other costs, totaled approximately 90 million yen, or a little under $600,000 with current conversion rates.
Sakurai acknowledges that this figure could be higher, considering the time spent writing scripts, recording footage, and editing drafts.
Sakurai confirms he began production on his next game in April 2022.
He wrote the game proposal at "lightning speed" in July 2021 and says the project "should be announced sooner or later." Production is given OK to move forward but would take time to assemble the right team.… pic.twitter.com/lTQpzfLBp4
— Wario64 (@Wario64) October 22, 2024
Sakurai teases new game project
Despite the extensive output, Sakurai hasn’t earned any money back since the project isn’t monetized.
He jokingly admits that not monetizing the channel was a “silly” decision, but he stands by it, considering the entire project an investment in the future of game design. “The jury is still out for now,” he said, “but for the money I put into it, I’d say the channel turned out well enough.”
Sakurai concludes by expressing gratitude to his audience, despite having not monetized his views, stating it was all done for the betterment of the gaming community. He hopes players use his video archive to gain a greater appreciation for game design, and that developers find inspiration if they’re ever stuck.
The game proposal Sakurai teased is set to be announced “sooner or later” according to him. Fans eagerly anticipate what he has in store for the future, given his influential history in the gaming industry. Super Smash Bros.
Ultimate, Sakurai’s most recent game, launched in 2018 and features an expansive roster of 89 characters from various franchises. While Nintendo is likely preparing for more Smash Bros. games given Ultimate’s incredible success, it remains to be seen if Sakurai will be directly involved.
