While video games are far more popular now than they have ever been, there is still very little attention given to the people who make them. Of course, among devoted fans and people working in game development, there are many well known figures in the history and current evolution of the art form, but very few of these people are known in the mainstream. Hideo Kojima, however, has challenged this trend, becoming one of the most famous game makers not only in Japan, but the entire world.
Kojima started working on games in the mid 80s, working for a Japanese company called Konami. His first major success came in the form of Metal Gear, an early progenitor of the stealth game genre and the first entry in Kojima’s longest and most iconic series. Metal Gear went on to influence countless other games, and the continued success of its sequels quickly cemented Kojima as one of the most influential game designers in the industry.
The Metal Gear series continued to evolve alongside video game technology, transitioning early on from a top down 2D game to fully 3D graphics, along with intricate plots and extensive use of voice acting. The series is also a great showcase for what sets Kojima apart from other game developers.
In Metal Gear, Kojima usually acts not only as the lead designer, but also as director, writer and producer. He uses this level of control to create games that are not only fun and innovative, but distinctly unusual. While the series explores serious themes like nuclear war and espionage, it also features absurdly over the top dialogue and unbelievable plot devices like giant robots, clones and cyborgs. Characters also tend to have bizarre names like Solid Snake, Psycho Mantis and Die-Hardman, despite being portrayed in serious conflicts. There are so many other strange quirks that characterize Kojima’s style, but they can be hard to put into words. Suffice it to say that his work is extremely distinct from that of his contemporaries.
Despite (or possibly because of) these games’ idiosyncrasies, they comprise one of the most beloved game franchises ever made, with almost every sequel receiving high praise from both critics and the general public. Metal Gear has inspired countless references in other media, and the series' protagonist Snake was even featured in Super Smash Brothers, a crossover fighting game featuring gaming icons from throughout history. Kojima’s writing for this series has even being regarded as prophetic by some, with 2001’s Metal Gear Solid 2 being noted for its discussion of fake news, echo chambers and the effects of the internet on politics years before these issues gained mainstream attention
While Metal Gear is his biggest claim to fame, it is far from Kojima’s only beloved project. Among his most well-regarded works are games like Snatcher, Zone of the Enders, and Policenauts. In more recent years, he collaborated with filmmaker Guillermo del Toro to design P.T., a short demo for a planned Silent Hill game that was cancelled in development. Despite only being a playable teaser to a game that would never see the light of day, P.T. went on to become arguably one of the most popular horror games in the last decade, serving as inspiration for dozens of other projects and gaining critical acclaim.
Today, Kojima is one of the most popular game developers in the world, holding the Guinness World Records for most followed game director on both Twitter and Instagram. He has contributed articles to mainstream publications like Rolling Stone, and been the subject of innumerable essays, reviews and editorials. Despite this, very little is known about Kojima’s personal life, which he seems to avoid talking about in interviews.
After splitting from his long time employer Konami, Kojima has become the head of his own independent game studio, Kojima Productions. Their first game, Death Stranding, was released in 2019, was one of Kojima’s most experimental games yet, drawing both praise and criticism for its unique setting and unconventional gameplay. While his next project has yet to be revealed, we can safely assume that it will be just as unconventional as the rest of his work. That unique identity, as well as his consistently great work, have elevated Hideo Kojima to the status of a veritable gaming icon.
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