The use of AI in game development has become a controversial topic across the industry. Some studios are experimenting with the technology to speed up parts of the development process, while others have raised concerns about what greater reliance on AI could mean for creativity and originality. Super Smash Bros. and Kirby creator Masahiro Sakurai has now shared his thoughts, and he believes AI could contribute to an even bigger flood of games that players simply don’t want.

During an interview with Denfaminico Gamer, Sakurai discussed how difficult it has become for developers to create something genuinely original. He pointed out that many modern games are described by comparing them to something that already exists, making it easier for audiences to immediately understand what they are getting.

What does Sakurai think about generative AI in game dev?

Sakurai believes creating something original requires taking a different approach. Instead of simply making something similar to what players already know they enjoy, developers have to come up with ideas people may not even realize they want yet. The difficult part is not only finding those ideas, but also convincing a development team or publisher that they can work. AI, however, could make that problem even more noticeable as the number of games being released continues to increase.

For example, if Super Smash Bros. had followed the rules of a typical fighting game – 1-on-1 with guarding, attacking, and special moves, and a health system where the match ends with a KO – then I don’t think the first Super Smash Bros. would have even been released.

Even if it had been released, it would likely have been treated as a novelty item, and the history of Super Smash Bros. would have ended there.

Masahiro Sakurai, speaking to Denfaminico Gamer [translated]

Sakurai highlighted Steam as an example of how quickly the market has expanded. When the Game Designers Award was established in 2010, around 275 games were being released on Steam each year. That figure has now climbed to more than 19,000 annually, and Sakurai expects the number to grow further as AI makes it easier to produce games.

“AI will increase the number” of games, he says, but he also remarks that “I think most of them will become unprofitable titles”. The Kirby creator adds, “When it comes to things created with AI… or things mass-produced with poor quality, I think most of them will simply be reproductions of systems seen in various other games.” Hence, they lack the all-important originality.

Likewise, Steam’s latest Next Fest event (the October 2026 edition) is happening right now. The showcase is designed to feature upcoming games by allowing Steam users to access playable demos, but it’s plagued with even more generative AI than last time, with 36% of games coming with an AI disclaimer. In Japan, over 85% of game devs reportedly use AI in some way.

He believes many AI-made games could end up copying ideas and systems that have already proven successful rather than introducing something genuinely new. Sakurai used simple puzzle games as an example, pointing out how one successful concept can quickly lead to numerous similar games. AI could make producing those kinds of imitations even easier.

The game designer also used Fumito Ueda, known for games such as ICO and Shadow of the Colossus, to explain the difference between copying an existing style and creating something new. In Sakurai’s view, AI could potentially study Ueda’s previous games and produce something that resembles them. What it couldn’t do, however, is predict and create whatever entirely new idea Ueda himself might come up with next.

About the Author

Abdul Haddi

Abdul is a tech writer and Editor for PC Guide, specializing in all things tech, gaming, and hardware.