As part of his neverending venture to talk about games (especially the ones he’s made), Masahiro Sakurai discussed Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS in depth in a new video. While most of it is concerned with game design as usual, there is a brief section where he discusses Smash Bros. merchandise – or rather, the lack thereof.
Sakurai states that releasing Smash Bros. merchandise is in general prohibited, only allowed for limited giveaways or promotional items. While he doesn’t specify, this is likely due to the games being a licensing tangle, especially with all the third parties added at this point. However, Sakurai also notes that amiibo are “essentially the only exception” to this, making them “something of a big deal.”
Be sure to check out the full video for more anecdotes from Smash 4’s development, and the rest of Sakurai’s channel for more insidghts on game development.
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Written by Amelia Fruzzetti
A writer and Nintendo fan based in Seattle, Washington. When not working for NinWire, she can be found eating pasta, writing stories, and wondering about when Mother 3 is finally going to get an official localization.
