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Masahiro Sakurai revealed that the Game Designers Award won\u2019t return to the Japan Game Awards, as he has failed to find an adequate replacement to take up his mantle.<\/p>\n
The Game of the Year Division of the Japan Game Awards took place yesterday, September 14, recognizing the best and brightest in Japanese game development. While numerous titles and creative minds were celebrated, one accolade is standing out from the rest \u2014 and that\u2019s because it\u2019s not coming back for future JGA shows.<\/p>\n
Masahiro Sakurai, creator of Kirby and Super Smash Bros., founded the Game Designers Award in 2010. As told by the CESA\u2019s official website<\/u>, this award recognizes games based on their creativity and originality. Games that are considered for the award must incorporate \u201cnew ideas that are a clear departure from existing works\u201d and \u201cexpand the form of game software by presenting new ways for the user to enjoy and play with the game.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Super Smash Bros Ultimate – Sakurai Trailer Screenshots<\/h3>\n<\/span><\/output><\/p>\n
The Game Designers Award is ultimately granted to \u201cthe title that reached out to a wide range of people, including those who don’t usually play games actively, and that made the memorable achievement of the year, will be selected as the award-winning title.\u201d<\/p>\n
This year, that title was Word Game<\/u>, a project from independent studio Team9. Word Game is a text-based puzzle game originally made with Traditional Chinese characters, but was localized for Japanese players \u2014 something that impressed the judging committee (made up of eleven members of industry veterans like Hideki Kamiya, Yoko Taro, Toby Fox, and more) so much that it won the Game Designers Award.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis work won by an overwhelming majority of votes even in the second round of judging, where the selection was narrowed down to specific titles,\u201d the CESA\u2019s website<\/u> says. \u201cEven 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\nSadly, Word Game will be the last title to receive this accolade at the Japan Game Awards, as Sakurai has not yet found a suitable replacement to help him sift through future contenders. He explained the situation during a presentation at this year’s awards ceremony, where he gave some insightful perspective on the industry.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been 16 years since we started [this award],\u201d he said, as per a live translator. \u201cThis is the last year that we\u2019re doing it, and the reason is because there\u2019s nobody who\u2019s going to replace me. That is the only reason. In order to keep this award something that is really convincing and fulfills the role, it needs to be given by somebody who’s a director, who’s come up with innovative games that have changed gameplay a lot. 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. There\u2019s a lot of other judges, but none of them were able to pick up the mantle. <\/p>\n
\u201cGame development is always an experiment, but you keep going at it. It\u2019s always a very difficult process. \u2026Although 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\u2019s not many people who will always drink the newest version of an interesting drink. You usually go with things you\u2019re used to. It\u2019s 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.”<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n<\/span><\/p>\nA second translator noted that Sakurai said he hopes players will \u201ckeep being interested in creative games even after the award is gone.\u201d<\/p>\n
Winners of the Game Designer Award over the last three years were Sad Owl Studios\u2019 Viewfinder, Odd Meter\u2019s Indika, and RPG Time: The Legend of Wright. Fans have been left saddened by this turn of events, but are hopeful that this means Sakurai will be taking time to focus on new projects \u2014 especially with all the rumors of a new Smash Bros. game that have been flying around lately.<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\nVirginia Glaze<\/p>\n
News Editor<\/p>\n
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Virginia (she\/her) is IGN\u2019s News Editor. With ten years of experience reporting on games and entertainment, she\u2019s got a storied background in the fighting game community, influencer news, and viral online trends. Find her on Twitter at <\/em>@TheeMissGlaze<\/em>.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/span><\/span><\/section>\n
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