Generative AI is permeating the gaming industry in various forms, sparking intense controversy wherever it goes. Masahiro Sakurai, the legendary developer behind the Kirby and Super Smash Bros. series, recently expressed concerns about this technology and discussed what he sees as the industry's vulnerabilities.
These remarks come from an interview he gave to the Japanese gaming media outlet Denfaminico Gamer, with the content subsequently machine-translated using tools like Google and DeepL. After decades of deep involvement in game development, he believes the current issues are highly complex. He first pointed out that the market appeal of original works has significantly declined; not only is it difficult for them to stand out, but it's also harder to convince players to purchase them.
Therefore, developers are more inclined to stick with established game genres and ideas. In his view, this is where the risks of AI lie. AI technology can only generate content based on existing material and cannot create anything truly new; however, if your game relies on commonplace mechanics, it becomes highly susceptible to being replicated by generative AI into similar titles.
He cited Librarian, released this April, as an example—the game's core gameplay involves simply organizing an old library. Games with such simple mechanics are the easiest for AI to replicate, as their basic elements are easily understood and modified.
This issue is becoming increasingly severe. Previously, developers could make quick money by swapping assets or reskinning popular games to follow trends, but AI and casual coding technologies have further intensified this practice. More and more studios are finding that their biggest competitors are companies chasing trends and riding on others' success.
Masahiro Sakurai's observation applies to both independent studios and major publishers. He believes the only consolation is that most of these copycat titles will quietly fade into obscurity. This is also a perennial dilemma for developers on Steam—dozens of new titles launch every day, making it nearly impossible to break through and achieve popularity.
There is no simple solution at present. We must remain vigilant and direct our funding and attention toward games created by humans. Who knows? The next Kirby might be hidden among these works, waiting to be discovered.