Smash Bros. director warns AI could threaten originality in gaming industry

Masahiro Sakurai, the creator of Super Smash Bros. and Kirby, has warned that the growing use of artificial intelligence (AI) could lead to more derivative games and make original titles increasingly difficult to discover.

In a recent interview with Denfaminicogamer, Sakurai discussed the challenges of developing original ideas and communicating their appeal to publishers and development teams.

He explained that originality requires more than improving existing concepts, as designers must create experiences that audiences do not already know they want.

“Nowadays, so many games are described as XX-like, or games that resemble another one. In other words, the thing everyone else already wants. But originality means you have to create something that isn’t already what people are after, and be deliberate with that. It’s a high hurdle.”

Sakurai previously helped oversee the Game Designers Award at the Tokyo Game Show for 16 years, recognising games with innovative designs. He announced the award’s end after being unable to find a suitable successor.

He also highlighted the growth of Steam releases since the award was established in 2010. According to Sakurai, approximately 275 games launched on the platform annually at the time, compared with more than 19,000 today. Steam Next Fest also features thousands of game demos.

Sakurai believes AI could accelerate this growth, potentially filling the market with games that imitate existing concepts rather than introduce new ideas.

“Although 19,000 titles is a lot, I think that number will only grow from now on, because AI will be used to turn them out. Most of them will end up unplayable, and there will be so many that it’ll be impossible to keep track or even understand them.”

He cited the proliferation of puzzle games inspired by simple mechanics as an example of imitation already occurring in the industry.

Sakurai acknowledged that AI could reproduce the atmosphere of games by developers such as Fumito Ueda, but argued that it would not be able to create whatever Ueda himself produces in the future.