Hideo Kojima, the creator of one of the most influential and popular series of all time, Metal Gear Solid, is celebrating the game’s 25th anniversary and spoke to Weekly Famitsu about the game’s beginnings and it’s unforeseen success outside of Japan.
“I made Metal Gear Solid almost as a hobby,” remarked Kojima. “I had always been making games on minor platforms and had never stood at the forefront of the stage.”
He did not actually realize his own level of fame and success in the US and Europe until well past the game’s release overseas. It was only during a tour to promote MGS that he became more conscious of his fame when more and more people began to recognize him.
When speaking of the game’s direction and what he felt to be most important in the series, Kojima remarked that it wasn’t necessarily the stealth aspect of Metal Gear Solid. “For me, the action mixed with the story had always been more important than the ‘stealth’ side of the game,” he stated. Ultimately, it was this feeling that influenced the use of character models for cutscenes rather than CGI, so as to create a more compelling and engaging experience to further support story and gameplay.
Whilst on his tour promoting the 25th anniversary of the series, Kojima remarks that one of the most popular questions posed to him is whether the game’s complex story was developed from the very beginning, to which he replies with a laugh, “of course not!” He then goes on to say, “We had to struggle to make the plot lines meet. We did manage to clear a lot of things up with Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, but fans still point out small inconsistencies.”
Since it is the 25th anniversary of one of the most beloved series ever made, a website has been created to promote it and a celebratory party will be held on August 30. Also, as reported earlier Metal Gear Solid 4 will be getting a trophy patch next month.
(Via Kotaku)
