Kojima will never be completely satisfied

By Wesley Yin-Poole Published 4 July, 2011

Would give up making games if he was.

Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima will never be completely satisfied by the games he makes.

But the Japanese developer legend has insisted he wouldn't have it any other way. If he were completely satisfied, he would give up making games.

"First of all, I've never created something that completely satisfies me," he told Eurogamer sister site Gamesindustry.biz.

"I don't think that, even as technology continues to improve, I will ever be able to create something that completely satisfies me.

"Creating something is about turning impossible things into possible things, things you want to be able to do. If it gets to the point where I'm able to create anything I want, I'll probably stop making video games."

Video game visuals have progressed so far, Kojima said, that game creators now face the same problem comedy icon Charlie Chaplin faced when leaving silent film behind.

"With recent technology there's more capability for expression in games," Kojima said.

"We are able to put in more cultural differences from each country, racial differences. So we're facing a similar situation to that which faced Charlie Chaplin. He didn't need words to express himself in his movies but suddenly he had to include words in order to stay relevant.

"With this increased capability of expression through games, I think it's a matter of learning how to use it.

"Before, when Japanese game directors used Japanese settings, like Tokyo, there was no cultural barrier to the rest of the world because the technology meant that you couldn't tell whether it was Japan or anywhere else. Now it is possible, so it becomes more difficult. Instead of using Japanese settings, games have to become more Hollywood."

Kojima, who is Vice President of Konami Digital Entertainment, is overseeing development of Metal Gear Solid: HD Collection, Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D and Metal Gear Solid: Rising.

Picture of Wesley.

About Wesley Yin-Poole

Wesley is Eurogamer's news editor. He likes news, interviews, and more news. He also likes Street Fighter more than anyone can get him to shut up about it.

Read more articles from Wesley by visiting the Wesley Yin-Poole archive page.

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Comments (33) Latest comment 11 months ago

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  • Mister-Wario #1 11 months ago

    "Instead of using Japanese settings, games have to become more Hollywood."

    It's a shame if that's the case. I would quite like to go around a heavily Japanese city in a game. I'd find it quite interesting since I like Japanese culture.

  • PixelPirate #2 11 months ago

    I would quite like to go around a heavily Japanese city in a game. I'd find it quite interesting since I like Japanese culture.

    Play Yakzua ;-)

  • dudefella #3 11 months ago

    Exactly what I was going to say

    Yakuza, that is
    Edited by dudefella at 04/07/11 @ 10:08

  • Kazama74 #4 11 months ago

    Yakuza is excellent if you like Japanese culture. You won't regret it. Also, try out Persona 3 & 4.

    I didn't even know MGS: HD was coming out. Yay! I must have completed SoL and Snake Eater at least 20 times. So many ways to play, and so many little easter-eggs all over the place.

  • Eraysor #5 11 months ago

    Or play The World Ends With You :D OK so it's a twisted version of Shibuya, but it's ridiculously cool anyway.

  • Kazama74 #6 11 months ago

    /goes off to freeze himself until MGS:HD release date, Cartman-style

  • coolbritannia #7 11 months ago

    "Kojima will never be satisfied".

    Time to come out of the closet? Or out from under the box...

  • mcreddie #8 11 months ago

    Here's a tip Kojima:

    LESS CUTSCENES

    It might make you marginally more satisfied, as it definitely will for me.

  • Master09 #9 11 months ago

    The gaming industry still needs Kojima.

    He does understand both the Japanese and Western markets hence his games appeal to both!

    And his games are still awesome!

  • metalangel #10 11 months ago

    I like it when a game goes out of its way to immerse us in a culture and setting. The World Ends With You is a great example. Cutscenes, however, aren't enough. In my opinion, you were immersed in stuff like RDR and the original Mafia, but weren't in LA Noire. LA Noire didn't show much of life and living (peeking at snippets of it only) as it was so busy chopping it up with cutscenes. Riding into town in RDR, hitching your horse (crucially, you are never allowed to park the car in LA Noire, so why even bother with a driving section?) and going into a saloon with the option of drinking, fighting or playing cards... fantastic.

    Don't worry about a cultural barrier. If the game and design or good we'll be happy to learn and fit in.

  • layleeloo #11 11 months ago

    If he were? That's some amazing English right there.

  • geeza2020 #12 11 months ago

    I still want to know when you are going to tell us about the the MGS1 HD remake Mr Kojima!! I can't believe they're going to release a MGS HD collection with NO MGS1!!!
    Edited by geeza2020 at 04/07/11 @ 10:46

  • Quak #13 11 months ago

    The guy must be a nightmare to work for.

  • RodHull #14 11 months ago

    Maybe if he made his games more playable then he'd be more satisfied. I got so bored during one of the cutscenes in MGS4 I mowed the lawn (including strimming) and it was still going on when I ventured back indoors.

  • Yuroko #15 11 months ago

    Does the Charlie Chaplin analogy about staying relevant mean Kojima is actually going to include some gameplay in his game, you know, to stay relevant. I hear a lot of games are doing that now.

  • Slipstream #16 11 months ago

    Very interesting guy this Mr Kojima. I've always liked him.

  • bumyoghurt #17 11 months ago

    Remember when he made that good game and people who weren't mega Sony fanboys liked him?

  • icematt12 #18 11 months ago

    Thing is, I want to see a MG related game set in Japan in the near future. I'm interested in what cities would be like and the type of stuff Yoji Shinkawa comes up with, what machines perhaps troops with a modern twist of the historical armour.

  • mumblyjoe #19 11 months ago

    @spacedelete You're not getting anywhere near the full series on 360 only 2, 3 and peacewalker iirc

  • cobaltfram #20 11 months ago

    Kojima, who is Vice President of Konami Digital Entertainment, is overseeing development of Metal Gear Solid: HD Collection, Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D and Metal Gear Solid: Rising.

    So much for leaving behind the Metal Gear series for something new, eh Kojima-san?
    Edited by cobaltfram at 04/07/11 @ 14:05

  • orangpelupa #21 11 months ago

    why many comments got negative points? O_o

  • moh82sy #22 11 months ago

    Give me Zone of the Enders 3 and I will be satisfied.

  • ruddiger7 #23 11 months ago

    has a good attitude towards the work

  • HeNiCiDe1988 #24 11 months ago

    love YOU

  • shadowdogg #25 11 months ago

    Miyamoto kicks your ass Kojima
    Edited by shadowdogg at 04/07/11 @ 16:00

  • geeza2020 #26 11 months ago

    my dads bigger than your dad! ner ner na ner ner!!

    Jesus titty-fucking christ......

  • Lunatic4ever #27 11 months ago

    Well, I wasnt satisifed with Metal Gear 4 at all.
    I loved the all the other titles though...

    so dont give up sir!

  • RoaringPanda #28 11 months ago

    I would rather see videogames set there own trends, rather than follow Japan or Hollywood, tends to be more interesting when they do.

  • natureboy #29 11 months ago

    Only satisfied with the best - top man

  • ShiroBen #30 11 months ago

    Kojima really gets it, doesn't he? I like his games because they always feel so personal, for better or worse. I'd much rather play one auteur's vision than that of a committee. And I can certainly relate to his comments about never being satisfied. You just have to do the best you can, and then once it's finished move on to the next. Whenever I finish something my thoughts are always along the lines of, "That was okay, that was pretty good. The next one will be better."

  • Collymilad #31 11 months ago

    @mumblyjoe

    Who cares? MGS1 is easy enough to come by and 4 is a pile of trash.

  • dahsif #32 11 months ago

    Waiting for Kotaku to "report" this story with the headline:
    "my games suck- Kojima".

    Oh who am I kidding: EG is going down that road too...

  • CamberGreber #33 11 months ago

    This needs to be said.
    MGS 4 sucked compared to the rest of the series

    MGS 3 was the best with MGS 1 a close second.
    It seems that all the even numbered games are worse than the odd.

    MGS4 was one big Japanese Soap Opera that had almost nothing to do with the military situation snake was in.
    Huge chunks of it where even SCORELESS which made it worse.

    "Instead of using Japanese settings, games have to become more Hollywood."
    NONONONO NO I hope he is refferring to the quality of the gameplay.

    Please go back to the Intensity of 1 and 3 with out all the Octacon was molested by his mother so lets cry crap.