The history of video games is full of important characters. From Shigeru Miyamoto and Gunpei Yokoi, creators of Super Mario Bros., to recent game developers like David Jaffe, Todd Papy, Cory Barlog and Mark Simon, who brought God of War to market. Among them, one of the most prolific is Metal Gear’s Hideo Kojima.
Throughout his career, in addition to his main creation (Metal Gear), he is also recognized for Policenauts, Snatcher, Boktai: The Sun Is In Your Hands, Zone of the Enders, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow and the most recent Death Stranding, released by its developer Kojima Productions.
Thanks to very well developed stories and gameplay that allowed the use of real tactical equipment used by military personnel, such as spyglassesin addition to different weapon options, it has left its mark on several generations, bringing more seriousness to the world of video games, opening the door for many other franchises.
Know the story of Hideo Kojima – The inspirations
– Cinema –
Born on August 24, 1963 in the Setagaya district of Tokyo, Kojima moved to Shirasaki in the coastal Wakayama region when he was 3 years old. During his childhood and adolescence, cinema was very present in his education.
The inspiration for his games can be seen in the works of the 007 franchise and in 1963’s The Great Escape, which also served as the basis for the game that would go on to become world famous: Metal Gear (MSX 2, 1987).
Thanks to this, he developed a very fertile imagination. According to him, he even created stories just by looking at objects, laughing or even crying, which many people didn’t even understand.
Even when he reached adulthood, Kojima was still fond of works like The Terminator and Rambo. This motivated him to attempt a career as a camera operator for a few years of his life, but due to lack of opportunities, he opted for another profession.
– Write –
After this phase of his life, he tried his hand at writing. The biggest dream was to have their work recognized, but because their stories were too long, they didn’t fit the 100-page standard required at the time.
Feeling completely rejected and alone within a reality that didn’t accept his creativity, Kojima found himself lost, and even momentarily gave up on his dream, enrolling in an economics faculty.
– Entry into video games –
It all started in his fourth year of university, where, enchanted by the Famicom, he discovered Xevious and Super Mario Bros, which made him discover the world of video games and marked Kojima’s path forever.
Even though he was constantly warned by friends and family that working with it would get him nowhere, he stuck with the idea. According to Kojima, unlike writing and cinema, video games have brought a new dynamic, allowing the player to participate in the story and he saw great potential in this component.
After some time, he got a job at Konami and his first role was as an assistant in Penguin Adventure 3 which was a sequel to Antarctic Adventure which was successful on MSX.
– Consolidation of success –
Despite being young, Kojima worked tirelessly within Konami to bring new ideas and solidify his name in the market. Until one day the superiors, seeing the young man’s fatigue, gave him a project for a war game.
Through it, he managed to print all his ideas, thus creating Metal Gear, which is considered to be the first game Invisiblewhich required stealth rather than direct confrontation, to progress through the stages.
And as the poet would say: the rest is history.
