Konami's Hideo Kojima

If we're talking about the future - not MGS4, but my future titles, if we're referring to that - if the hardware technology rises then obviously, you know, it won't be based on the hardware anymore. Probably I will first create the software and then, um, it's a strange word to say, but port to other hardware if that technological ability rises in all areas.

[Sighs] Well, it's a real difficult question to answer right now... it's difficult to recreate the same MGS4 on the current 360 because of the size of the media and things like that. Also, technology-wise, the 360 is very different to the PS3, and because MGS4 was optimised for the PS3 it is probably not possible. But, you know, what kind of disturbs me sometimes, because a lot of people ask me about this PS3/360 question, is that it's not about the hardware - I want people to look at the game itself. Sometimes I even feel like it should be on a PC so that people don't ask me about hardware and platforms.

Hopefully the day will come when people won't do this, I've been doing a lot of interviews and stage shows, and half the questions are like 'Will MGS4 be coming out on 360 or other formats?', and in the near future I hope they'll ask me about Metal Gear, about us, about our future projects, and will stop caring about the hardware.

Well, yes, when the time comes. Right now, if we were to have so many titles on downloadable, I don't think many people would buy those games, I don't think as many people as we might predict would buy these games in that format. But if the time comes and I think that the users are there, then I will of course consider it.

Honestly, I don't know! But if you want my answer that I personally think, I don't know if it's correct or wrong, but maybe it's because of my era - because of my age. When I was younger, what built me was always movies or novels or music from America or Europe. I didn't grow up on Japanese movies and television only, I absorbed so many TV programmes of American and Europe; that's what I watched. And the culture really came naturally to me when I was growing up, so when I have a game which is an output of myself, I feel that I put in more of that American or European essence that I absorbed when I was growing up. Maybe that is the reason why it sells more in Europe or America.

To give an example in my title, in MGS4 the main character is this old fogey, right? And he battles with a lot of old guys, and in Japan that would never ever sell. So this kind of sense that I have perhaps tingles the European or Western market more.