The creator of the famous Metal Gear Solid series, Hideo Kojima has shed some light on his new tie-up with Sony and his newly formed independent studio Kojima Productions.
Kojima gave an interview to IGN and talked about the primary objectives of the new studio and also about the new PS4 console exclusive game which will later arrive on PC.
Putting emphasis on his aim that “it will be a complete game”, Kojima said, “I want to create something that’s what people expect, but at the same time will have something new that people haven’t seen before.”
The art director Yoji Shinkawa, who teamed up with Kojima in past on the Metal Gear Solid series, has also joined the new realm of Kojima Productions. He is confident that the new game will surpass the Metal Gear Solid series in terms of visual fidelity.
“We’ve been working on a franchise that is beloved and has recognizable characters,” he said. “One of my big goals is, visually, with whatever characters we create, to go beyond that, to be more recognizable, more beloved. That’s definitely one of the goals I have when it comes to the art side.”
“I’ve been in this industry for 30 years. I turned 52 this year. I’m getting to a new start, and I am very confident. I’ll keep creating games until the day I die. Rest assured I’m making more games, something more fun, something you haven’t seen, and it would be great if I could count on the fans to support me in this” – Hideo Kojima
Talking about the scope of this new IP and its benefits, Kojima said, “I’m thinking smaller-scale, not too many people, and focusing on game creation at first. We’ll have more agility. We’ll be able to do things that are more edgy, preserving the quality we’ve had so far, while at the same time finding new challenges and exploring new areas.”
Besides making games Kojima has plans in future to explore other mediums of entertainment too. “The focus is on digital content, so we could consider movies, animations, anything,” Kojima said. “But first I think people expect games from me.
That’s where I want to put my focus. Once we have an established IP in games, something solid that satisfies people then we can consider movies and videos.”
Here is list of few other highlights from IGN’s interview of Kojima –
- Kojima described the concept of studio’s new logo as a depiction of a medieval knight or an astronaut’s helmet. He added, “As for the skeleton, we’re homo sapiens – people of wisdom – but we’re also homo ludens – people who play – and the concept behind this logo is that: With new technology and a pioneer spirit, we’ll deliver play to a new world.”
- Kojima is very much excited about VR tech and the studio might think about creating a VR game in future, but nothing is confirmed yet.
- The disappointing console trend in Japan isn’t an issue for Kojima. “I make games in Japan for a global market. As long as there’s a market out there in the world for making games, I’m not too focused on what’s happening in the domestic market in Japan. “
- Kojima refrained from talking about Konami and focused on reasoning why the tie-up with Sony is favorable. “I feel like this is an environment where I will be able to make something and feel comfortable,” Kojima said. “And I believe that’s the environment I need right now.”
- Nothing has been decided regarding which game engine the studio’s debut PS4 game will use. Kojima and team did create Fox Engine but it is still retained by Konami.
Click here, to check out the full interview by IGN.