>>718770038
It's absolutely being work on right now
>Mario Kart 8 Booster Pass finishes Nov 2023
>Bandai Namco's Studio 2/S, who helped on the Booster Pass, puts out a job listing for action game with a side view
>Directors from Mario Kart 8 Booster Pass as well as several programmers were not credited for Mario Kart World
>In December, start doing Spirit Events after not having them over a year
>Nintendo updated the trademark in 2024 along with several other IPs

The fact that Nintendo and HAL asked Sakurai to make Air Riders and not Smash tells you everything you need to know about his future with Smash

>>718702469
>pick up the mantle
nigger this costs way too much money to operate server-wise without charging for it, they'll just get raped again. You come to the switch, you come CORRECT.

I wonder what Sakurai is like as a boss. Do you think he ever went into a furious rage and humiliated an employee who fucked up?

>>718483946
Smash is too big to be done the way it is currently. You can't have it be made by a mercenary development team like it has been. Sakurai himself has said this was unusual and it only happened because Iwata wanted Sakurai to make it more than anything else. Nintendo has been fine with giving younger developers the reigns of projects so they probably want a team that can make it whenever rather than rely on Sakurai forever. Moreso Sakurai himself is already 55. He's only has 1, maybe two more Smash Bros games left before he's too old.

>>714932052
The finality was in part because it was Iwata's last request to Sakurai. As for the creative director, it will likely be someone else. Sakurai only stuck around because Iwata, his mentor, asked him. He probably isn't cheap, and it he got a cut of sales (in lieu of a salary) like his video says, then Nintendo left a lot of money on the table not making the game internally.

There is reason to believe its being worked on already. After the Mario Kart 8 Booster Pass finished, Ultimate got an update with new Spirits and new events. It's gotten an update pretty recently too. It would make sense for the Mario Kart Group make Smash since
>They've worked with other Nintendo IPs (Mario plus MK8's DLC)
>Worked on online/multiplayer titles
>Already worked with Bamco on various titles

>>712457036
I think I said sales. Still, at 30 million in sales they were paying him way more than they'd be paying someone that is already working at the company. The whole arrangement was made at a time when Nintendo games were selling far less and under different management. I doubt they'd want him back and would just make Smash themselves.