Meet Sakura Perry | Game Developer & Programmer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sakura Perry and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sakura, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
I admittedly have not had the greatest work-life balance in the past couple of years, and part of the reason why is because the line between work and life is blurred for me. I’m in a lucky position where my hobby is my career; I love what I do as a game developer, and whatever time I have that isn’t spent on actual “work” would often still be spent on some other personal project. However, especially as I’ve gotten more experience in the games industry, I’ve grown to realize the importance of maintaining a good work-life balance — not only for myself, but for my peers in the industry. Many passionate game developers struggle with similar work-life balance issues to mine, and I’ve witnessed burnout develop as a result of this mentality that working on something you love shouldn’t be counted as “work”. I’ve been trying to take more time for myself to push back against this unhealthy standard, and hope to see the industry move towards a more sustainable balance in the future.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
As a game developer, I’ve always striven to wholeheartedly represent what I love so much about games in my own work. Whether that be incorporating the stylish menus of games like Persona 5 or the 2D/3D fusion of games like Paper Mario and Octopath Traveler, the things I love continuously influence my creative process. Throughout my journey as an creator, I’ve refused to ignore what I truly am passionate about in the pursuit of legitimacy; I’ve never felt the desire to consume what others deem “finer media” or make more “serious” games. Instead, I constantly strive to embody a unique “style” in my creative works, which pays homage to all of the brilliant games that have influenced and inspired me. From the genres and tropes I indulge in (shoutout to detectives and phantom thieves!) to the UI, character designs, story, and mechanics, I believe that a focus on the development of a unique “style” for my games is part of what makes my work stand out.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
One of my favorite (and most accessible) areas to hang out in is the historic Little Tokyo in Downtown LA. There are a lot of great affordable Japanese restaurants to eat at, as well as a bakery, an ice cream parlor, and a couple of boba tea shops — I recommend Daikokuya or Men Oh for ramen. Little Tokyo also has Book-Off (which sells lots of used anime merchandise), Kinokuniya (which sells Japanese books and stationary), and a Gashapon pop-up store (which has imported capsule toy machines). Aside from Little Tokyo, I’d also recommend the sheer variety of entertainment in and around LA: my personal favorites are the Getty and National History Museum, the Huntington Gardens, the Santa Monica Pier, and Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Hollywood.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
As I make my way through university, I’d like to give a shoutout to all of the amazing people I’ve met and learned from — my peers, my friends, my roommates, my professors, and so many others have taught me so much about myself and about game development, and I’m grateful I’ve gotten to know them. I’d also like to give a shoutout to my family back in Japan, who have always been my greatest support and source of strength, as well as my friends from high school. Finally, I’d like to give a shoutout to all of the games I’ve played that have inspired me and led me down the path of game development, specifically: Kirby Super Star Ultra, Professor Layton and the Unwound Future, Pokemon Black, Touch Detective, and The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker.

Website: https://sakuraperry.com/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sakuraperry/