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Forums - Nintendo Discussion - Sakamoto to present at GDC

Wyrdness on 04 February 2010
jarrod said:
Wyrdness said:
jarrod said:
Wyrdness said:
jarrod said:
Wyrdness said:
jarrod said:
Wyrdness said:
jarrod said:
Wyrdness said:
Sakamoto didn't create Metroid Gunpei Yoko did, Sakmoto has mainly been the series director in the same way Aonuma is for Zelda.

Uh... except Sakamoto has been there since day one and even directed the original.  Metroid's pretty much his more than anyone else's, like Miyamoto and Donkey Kong or Mario.

Sakamoto was also the driving force behind Kid Icarus, Balloon Fight, Wario Ware and Rhythm Heaven.

Anyone can be there from day one but the fact is Gunpei Yokoi created Metroid the ain't no two ways about it no matter what spin you use, no Yokoi no Metroid, Sakamoto has been in the loop for long because he was one of Yokoi's top men. Yokoi had Makoto Kano design the Metroid series concept while someone else did the art design under his direction, using the combined concept Yokoi then task R&D1 now intelligent systems to created the first game and had Sakamoto one of the more senior designers direct the game to the concieved concept, Metroid is as much his as Zelda is Aonuma's, they worked on the series they direct work on for ages but it doesn't mean they created them.

That's like saying Yokoi "created" Donkey Kong and Mario Bros.  He was the producer on all these games.

Miyamoto was the designer/director for Donkey Kong and Mario Bros, Sakamoto was the designer/director for Metroid (with Kiyotake).  Kanoh only did the script/scenario for Metroid, none of the actual game design.

Who said anything about producing? I'm talking solely about creation which Yokoi did with Metroid, Miyamoto created DK and Mario himself, Sakamoto may be the driving force but the fact remains he didn't create Metroid Yokoi did. Kanoh created the basic concept under Yokoi to give R&D1 an idea of what the series would be about, it was through this that Sakamoto concieved the gameplay mechanics to use which is why Kanoh took over as producer for Super Metroid after Yokoi left.

Sakamoto did the game itself. He (and Kiyotake) "created" Metroid in the ways that really matter, including Samus herself actually.  And the most loved installment (Super Metroid) was really his crowing achievement, with Yokoi barely even involved.

Yokoi didn't "create" the world, gameplay, story, characters or music in Metroid.  Kiyotake, Sakamoto, Kanoh and Tanaka did.  So what exactly did Yokoi "create"?

 

Actually Yokoi was more involve then you're trying to make out or want to admit, he concieved the idea of a free roaming game which focused on exploration after seeing Zelda from his protege Miyamoto as he liked the concept and one he would use often later on, he then tasked each of the people you've mentioned to help him design and created the game. He would have them come up and take ideas to him which he would decide ultimately which stayed and which didn't and decided the overall direction for the final concept before it went into development, everything about it's creation was done under his direction. To describe this best to you Yokoi was like a conductor while they are his orchestra, by themselves Metroid would never had surfaced as one set of intruments can't do an entire orchestra but he utilized their talents to create the franchise much like a conductor uses several groups of instruments to create a piece.

To understand this you need to know how development goes for some designers, some of them have an idea and take it to their team to help further it, when the idea is presented to the team they will share ideas and the designer will focus on ones that stick close to his/her vision, this is creative directing and Yokoi used the traits and talents of his team to help bring his idea of a game based on exploration to life so yes we can credit him as the creator like it or not.

I fully understand the role of producer, and how this role tends to get exaggerated when it comes to Nintendo in particular.  Miyamoto being a good example actually.

I honestly have no issue with Yokoi being considered the creator of Metroid.  What I take issue with is the notion that Sakamoto isn't, when he was the chief game designer, or Kiyotake when he literally created Samus Aran.  Like it or not, Metroid has more than one credited "creator".  And Sakamoto's put more into the series as a whole than anyone else.

Yes he's put more into the series but that doesn't mean Yokoi doesn't exist as far as creation goes because that's how many ignorantly portray it.

Sort of like what you did with Sakamoto, which started this whole sidetrack?

No I credited Sakamoto as the director of the series acknowledging his contribution to the series most people don't credit Yokoi at all like you did earlier that's the difference.



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jarrod on 04 February 2010
Wyrdness said:

No I credit Sakamoto as the director of the series acknowledging his contribution to the series most people don't credit Yokoi at all like you did earlier.

I did credit Yokoi, he was the producer.  And a co-creator, as is Sakamoto.

You compared Sakamoto to Aounuma and specifically said he wasn't a creator, which is laughably off the mark.



Wyrdness on 04 February 2010
jarrod said:
Wyrdness said:

No I credit Sakamoto as the director of the series acknowledging his contribution to the series most people don't credit Yokoi at all like you did earlier.

I did credit Yokoi, he was the producer.  And a co-creator, as is Sakamoto.

You compared Sakamoto to Aounuma and specifically said he wasn't a creator, which is laughably off the mark.

You clearly indicated in an earlier post that you felt Yokoi had no input, don't make me laugh Sakamoto and Aonuma are comparable as they are directors and driving forces of franchises that they didn't solely create, only thing laughable is your apparent issue with the comparison swallow the truth and move on it's not taking anything away from them as directors can be more important then the creators.



jarrod on 04 February 2010
Wyrdness said:
jarrod said:
Wyrdness said:

No I credit Sakamoto as the director of the series acknowledging his contribution to the series most people don't credit Yokoi at all like you did earlier.

I did credit Yokoi, he was the producer.  And a co-creator, as is Sakamoto.

You compared Sakamoto to Aounuma and specifically said he wasn't a creator, which is laughably off the mark.

You clearly indicated in an earlier post that you felt Yokoi had no input, don't make me laugh Sakamoto and Aonuma are comparable as they are directors and driving forces of franchises that they didn't solely create, only thing laughable is your apparent issue with the comparison swallow the truth and move on it's not taking anything away from them as directors can be more important then the creators.

No I didn't, I quizzed you on the extent of Yokoi's "creation" in the face of everyone else's direct contributions, and I got a subversively condiscending orchestra allusion.  I maintained multiple "creators", and this isn't about "importance" (Sakamoto would win that battle rather effortlessly) it's about truth.

Sakamoto can be considered "creator" when it comes to Metroid, Aonuma can't when it comes to Zelda.  Pretty cut and dry.



Wyrdness on 04 February 2010
jarrod said:
Wyrdness said:
jarrod said:
Wyrdness said:

No I credit Sakamoto as the director of the series acknowledging his contribution to the series most people don't credit Yokoi at all like you did earlier.

I did credit Yokoi, he was the producer.  And a co-creator, as is Sakamoto.

You compared Sakamoto to Aounuma and specifically said he wasn't a creator, which is laughably off the mark.

You clearly indicated in an earlier post that you felt Yokoi had no input, don't make me laugh Sakamoto and Aonuma are comparable as they are directors and driving forces of franchises that they didn't solely create, only thing laughable is your apparent issue with the comparison swallow the truth and move on it's not taking anything away from them as directors can be more important then the creators.

No I didn't, I quizzed you on the extent of Yokoi's "creation" in the face of everyone else's direct contributions, and I got a subversively condiscending orchestra allusion.  I maintained multiple "creators", and this isn't about "importance" (Sakamoto would win that battle rather effortlessly) it's about truth.

Sakamoto can be considered "creator" when it comes to Metroid, Aonuma can't when it comes to Zelda.  Pretty cut and dry.

To put it to you simply I told you he had an idea and got everyone to chip in if you don't get that then move on and you still don't get the Aonuma comparison, both these men are the driving forces of the series they direct, Aonuma has been directing Zelda since ALTTP and has been responsible for basic direction of the series ever since Miyamoto enlisted him, Sakamoto was enlisted by Yokoi in a similar manner hence why the comparison. I had to point out in another topic a while back when a site refered to Aonuma as OOT's creator that he's not the series creator, if you still feel insulted by it then that's too bad move on, life goes on so agree to disagree.



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jarrod on 04 February 2010
Wyrdness said:
jarrod said:
Wyrdness said:
jarrod said:
Wyrdness said:

No I credit Sakamoto as the director of the series acknowledging his contribution to the series most people don't credit Yokoi at all like you did earlier.

I did credit Yokoi, he was the producer.  And a co-creator, as is Sakamoto.

You compared Sakamoto to Aounuma and specifically said he wasn't a creator, which is laughably off the mark.

You clearly indicated in an earlier post that you felt Yokoi had no input, don't make me laugh Sakamoto and Aonuma are comparable as they are directors and driving forces of franchises that they didn't solely create, only thing laughable is your apparent issue with the comparison swallow the truth and move on it's not taking anything away from them as directors can be more important then the creators.

No I didn't, I quizzed you on the extent of Yokoi's "creation" in the face of everyone else's direct contributions, and I got a subversively condiscending orchestra allusion.  I maintained multiple "creators", and this isn't about "importance" (Sakamoto would win that battle rather effortlessly) it's about truth.

Sakamoto can be considered "creator" when it comes to Metroid, Aonuma can't when it comes to Zelda.  Pretty cut and dry.

To put it to you simply I told you he had an idea and got everyone to chip in if you don't get that then move on and you still don't get the Aonuma comparison, both these men are the driving forces of the series they direct, Aonuma has been directing Zelda since ALTTP and has been responsible for basic direction of the series ever since Miyamoto enlisted him, Sakamoto was enlisted by Yokoi in a similar manner hence why the comparison. I had to point out in another topic a while back when a site refered to Aonuma as OOT's creator that he's not the series creator, if you still feel insulted by it then that's too bad move on, life goes on so agree to disagree.

Aonuma didn't even work on Zelda until OOT (where he was an assistant director), and he didn't take the lead until MM.  You're sort of digging your own grave here, that nothing like Sakamoto's Metroid contribution...