The legendary video game auteur, Hideo Kojima, has taken the gaming world to incredible heights, creating some of the most memorable and groundbreaking titles in video game history. Yet, despite his monumental success with games like the Metal Gear franchise and Death Stranding, he’s now looking beyond the confines of Earth and towards the vast expanse of outer space.
At the recent premiere of his documentary, Connecting Worlds, Kojima expressed his aspiration to venture into the cosmos, not merely as a tourist, but as a creator.
According to Kojima, “I want to go to outer space and create a game you can play in space… So please, someone, send me up to space.”
At the NYC premiere for the Hideo Kojima documentary Connecting Worlds, Kojima is asked by Geoff Keighley what he wants to do in the future:
“I want to go to outer space. I want to go to outer space and create a game you can play In space…So please someone send me up to space.” pic.twitter.com/lbFd5VsNM6
— Stephen Totilo (@stephentotilo) June 17, 2023
These unexpected remarks have generated both excitement and speculation among the gaming community, even though some believe Kojima’s comments may not have been entirely serious.
It’s hard to understand what goes on in Kojima’s mind, but that’s exactly what makes him who he is. After all, his creative genius has seen him take a radical approach to his games. Case in point, who else would think about making a boss like Psycho Mantis appear like he’s capable of breaking the fourth wall simply by reading the contents of a player’s memory card? Or, how about putting a boss that you could literally beat just by waiting him out like The End in Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater? More importantly, what’s a more ingenious example of this than when he put in a built-in light sensor on the physical cartridge of Boktai: The Sun is in Your Hand that forced players to go outside to charge their in-game weapons?
Kojima has always been a maverick, experimenting with unconventional gameplay mechanics, and challenging the status quo of game design. He’s even wishing for a game that would self-destruct whenever the player dies in-game.
While these ideas are extreme, it’s precisely this willingness to disrupt and innovate that has defined Kojima’s career and elevated him to auteur status in the gaming industry.
The upcoming documentary, “Connecting Worlds,” offers a peek into Kojima’s creative process, highlighting his journey from joining Konami in 1986 to establishing his independent studio, Kojima Productions. With his work spanning over three decades, he has crafted a multitude of acclaimed games, including the Metal Gear Solid series, Zone of the Enders, as well as adventure games Snatcher and Policenauts, and so much more.
Yet, despite his illustrious past, Kojima’s focus is firmly fixed on the future. His upcoming project, Death Stranding 2, is one of the most highly anticipated titles for the PlayStation 5. He’s also working on a game for the Xbox and, presumably, an unannounced title that leaked a while back.
Whether Kojima will achieve his cosmic ambitions or not, it’s undeniable that he has already left an indelible mark on the gaming industry, a testament to his creativity, ingenuity, and relentless pursuit of the extraordinary.
So, if the prospect of gaming in outer space seems far-fetched, remember this is Hideo Kojima we’re talking about. With him, the sky is not the limit; it’s just the beginning.
In the meantime, fans of Kojima’s work can look forward to Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, which is a full-on remake of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater but without Kojima’s involvement. Konami will release a Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection full of classic titles in the series later this year as well.
