The Super Smash Bros. creator has warned that modern game development is reaching a breaking point, and has emphasised titles are taking too long and require too many people to make.

In an interview with Yahoo Japan, Sakurai said: “I think it is becoming unsustainable to continue producing large games on the scale that companies currently do, as it requires too much work.

“The only effective breakthrough I can think of at the moment is generative AI.

“I think we are getting to the point where [AAA studios] have to change their way of working by using gen AI to improve work efficiency.

“I think we are in an era where only the companies that successfully respond to these changes will be able to survive.”

The Nintendo developer added that indie games face even more daunting challenges, particularly when it comes to the volume of competition in the industry.

He said: “Indie games are appealing for their freedom and creativity, but they also need a lot of luck, effort, polish and stand-out elements to succeed in the market.”

Even so, Sakurai noted “each creator should carve out their own path” during their game development journey.

He said: “I don’t think anyone will follow the same path that I did, but I’m sure that there will be people who break through in other directions.”