Masahiro Sakurai revealed that the Game Designers Award will not return to the Japan Game Awards, as he was unable to find a suitable replacement to take over. 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 award stands out from the rest, and that’s because it won’t return for future AGM shows. Masahiro Sakurai, creator of Kirby and Super Smash Bros., founded the Game Designers Award in 2010. As reported by the official CESA website, this award recognizes games based on their creativity and originality. Games considered for the award must incorporate “new ideas that clearly depart from existing works” and “expand the form of gaming software by introducing new ways for the user to enjoy and play the game.” Word Game, a project from the independent studio Team9. Word Game is a text-based puzzle game originally created with traditional Chinese characters, but was translated for Japanese players, something that so impressed the judging committee (comprised of eleven members of industry veterans such as Hideki Kamiya, Yoko Taro, Toby Fox and more) that it won the Game Designers Award. “This work won by an overwhelming majority of votes even in the second round of evaluation, where the selection was narrowed down to specific titles,” says the CESA website. “What’s even more surprising, although it appears that the game can only work in Japanese, it is actually a localized version of a traditional Chinese title. I am sure that advanced skills and clever solutions were needed to complete the broadcast. I believe that this unique and inimitable game is a suitable choice for the ultimate game designers award.” He explained the situation during a presentation at this year’s awards ceremony, where he provided an insightful perspective on the industry. “It’s been 16 years since we started [this award]” he said, according to a live translator. “This is the last year we do it, and the reason is because there is no one to replace me. That’s the only reason. For this award to be truly compelling and serve its purpose, it has to be awarded by someone who is a director, who has come up with innovative games that have greatly changed the gameplay. I searched and tried to find someone to replace me. I also made some introductions to try to find someone. I looked for a couple of years, but no one offered to replace me. There are many other judges, but none of them could take office. “Game development is always an experiment, but you have to keep going. It’s always a very difficult process… Although the Grand Prix is always so popular, I think this shows a different side of games. Unfortunately, innovation is not always linked to profitability. There are not many people who always drink the newest version of an interesting drink. You generally opt for things that you are used to. It is always difficult for this type of innovation and creativity to be recognized, but if the industry loses creativity and innovation, I think the industry as a whole will die “We always need new discoveries and innovations to keep the industry fresh and alive.” A second translator noted that Sakurai said he hopes players “will remain interested in creative games even after the prize runs out.” The winners of the Game Designer Award in the last three years were Viewfinder from Sad Owl Studios, Indika from Odd Meter, and RPG Time: The Legend of Wright. Fans have been saddened by this turn of events, but are hopeful that this means Sakurai will take the time to focus on new projects, especially with all the rumors about a new Smash Bros. game that have been circulating lately. Virginia Glaze News Editor Virginia (she/her) is IGN’s news editor. With ten years of experience reporting on gaming and entertainment, he has experience in the fighting game community, influencer news, and viral online trends. Find her on Twitter at @TheeMissGlaze.
