Masahiro Sakurai is the legend behind the highly popular Super Smash Bros. games and many others. The Japanese creator is often seen on his YouTube Channel explaining the game development process at Nintendo and his vision for future of gaming.
His YouTube is very popular and informative, but it costs a lot to run, according to the man himself.
Masahiro Sakurai just pulled back the curtain on one of YouTube’s most fascinating experiments – a massive game development educational series that cost an eye-popping 90 million yen ($600,000) to produce, yet didn’t earn a single dollar in revenue.
The creator of Super Smash Bros. and Kirby deliberately chose to leave money on the table, and his reasoning reveals a fascinating perspective on creativity, education, and perception in the digital age.
In an interview with Japanese publication Denfaminicogamer (translated by Clawsomegamer), Sakurai shared the thinking behind his “Masahiro Sakurai on Creating Games” channel, which has become a masterclass in game development spread across 256 videos.
Despite constant pressure from his inner circle to monetize the channel, Sakurai stood firm on his vision of creating a purely educational resource despite spending over 90M yen on the channel so far.
Money is the fuel that gets people moving but there’s a catch – the moment financial gain enters the picture; people’s perceptions shift dramatically.
His concerns weren’t unfounded. In a time where YouTube success stories often generate headlines about “easy money,” Sakurai worried that monetization would cast a shadow over the educational value of his content.
When we look at the numbers, his decision is even more remarkable. While typical YouTube gaming channels can generate anywhere from $2-$5 per 1000 views, Sakurai’s channel, with its millions of views, could have potentially generated substantial revenue.
This isn’t just content – it’s a donation and a contribution to the games industry. It was a rare endeavor that required immense effort and significant financial investment, but I believe we’ve created something truly valuable for the next generation of game creators.
