Hideo Kojima Reflects on 25 Years of Metal Gear

IGN talks with one of gaming's greatest designers about the classic series which he describes as "my biggest failure and my biggest success."

[Chitown71291]

I love Metal Gear Solid, but the ending was perfect. I want to see what else that team can put out...

[Crazyglues]

Sadly I would love to agree with you, but I think japan developers have fallen off, they just don't seem to be up to speed with North America developers, they would even admit that.. -(they have lost the ability to think out the box and make amazing games)

So no I don't think they can make anything else -Better just get back to work on MGS5

But don't get me wrong I too would love to see something new - I just don't think they can think outside the box and make a really good game.

.____........___...____
.____||......||.......____||
||.........___||.......____||

[MrMister]

I think that the reason why Japanese developers have fallen off is because of the high cost of games today. For example, in the west we use alot of middle ware and tools like unreal engine, havok, etc so that we can recycle ample engines and focus more on the gameplay instead of the engine. In japan, they dont use these kinds of quicky engines (except Capcom--who's been putting out more games faster then their other japanese counterparts).

Example: Kojima has spent the last 4 years working on a SINGLE game engine called Fox Engine. 4 years!!! The ridiculous thing about it is that it will likely be scrapped after he makes 1-3 games, then his team will spend 4 more years on another engine. The Japanese should get used to using Unreal. Because so many games can be built faster, cheaper, and if they are creative enough, it will look and feel like it never even came from Unreal.

In the Ps One days, japanese developers re-used their own in-house engines a lot. But during Ps2 and Ps3 era's, they isolated themselves not only from the western gaming tools, but also they never made an open one for the Japanese market either. Companies in japan just made there own top secret engines and never outsource them much. By using Unreal's scripting tool's, animation tools, and physics tools, japanese game company's can produce MORE games without sacrificing graphical integrity. It's about time they started looking towards middleware engines instead of waiting years to produce their own engines and scripts. Sadly, many have gone off to making phone/flash games because it's easy to program for flash and quicker. But the same could be said of Unreal (Arkham city, Bioshock Infinite, Mortal Kombat 9, gears of War, etc), havok physics(almost most successful games like RE5 (yes japanese), Uncharted 3, Alan Wake, even Super Smash Bros Brawl, etc) scaleform (mass effect, skyrim, dragon age, battlefield 3), criware, etc. But the only Japanese companies thriving today are the one's that open up to middleware.

This could explain why it takes so long for a new MGS game, or a new nintendo game (like when we only get 1 mario or zelda per system cycle). It's not because their taking their time to polish it (which they are also doing0, but the cost and development times are high due to making original engines that look no better nor perform any better then middleware. Plus middle ware helps with bug testing since so many in the industry have used it too.

We need more awesome Japanese games!!!!!!! And sooner rather than later.

[Crazyglues]

@ MistaDonzie

Well said my friend.. nice read... Bubbles for you

yes I think it's many factors why they fell behind - so to speak - and I agree with you, it would probably help if they used current engines..

-But I just think that's not how they roll.. As they tend to believe in the process of building something from scratch to not just copy what's been done before...

I respect that, but it's also has them falling behind in a big way... as today's games are so far ahead because of getting the engines- as you stated and jumping straight to working on gameplay and concept.. So yeah that's a good point..

Even Hideo Kojima would tell you he feels they are falling behind, he said that in an interview so I don't know what all the disagrees are about.. - http://www.dealspwn.com/koj...

.____........___...____
.____||......||.......____||
||.........___||.......____||

[VanillaBear]

"Hideo Kojima Reflects on 25 Years of Metal Gear"

As he lays back in an arm chair lighting a cigar with a bank note

"Time well spent"

<Swirls Wiskey glass>

[Summons75]

25 years of metal gear....those sweet sweet memories. Heres to 25 more =D

[I_LOVE_MYSELF]

Love Metal Gear, but I can't help but be disappointed with its direction in recent years. I simply loved the MGS franchise, but MGS4 was a HUGE letdown for me in delivering great stealth based gameplay. Maybe Peace Walker is a return to form, but I have not played much of it and it is the final game I need to finish on the HD collection. Also, I know it is a spin off, but I don't like the looks of MGS Rising.

I don't know... The series is starting to lose some of that magic that the older games were able to provide. All in all it is a great franchise to look back on and the ending of MGS4 was brilliant. Just wish their were more gameplay segments that played like an actual Metal Gear game.

[Baka-akaB]

to each their own , but i dont see what's the stealth problem is with mgs4 . MGS2 was sacrificing it a bit for action , mgs3 was a return to form in stealth action and expanded on it beyond hiding in corridors , and mgs4 was providing a good solution for the impatient newcomers and stealth fans alike : choice .

You can shoot your way out in mgs4 , but got no consequence on you if you prefer the usual stealth approach and the challenge . Imo most phases played like an actual mgs game if you cared enough for that

[I_LOVE_MYSELF]

I will go into further detail as to why I don't think it plays like a traditional MGS. I think the controls being updated so you can shoot over shoulder etc was a perfect decision and was implemented correctly. They made a current gen MGS game for sure.

It is after the 2nd chapter that things started going downhill. There was never that feeling of having to sneak past guards. That was my favourite part of a MGS game. Snapping necks, tranq darting patrolling soldiers and laying traps.

After the 2nd chapter all that stuff seems to fade away very quickly. The next chapter is simply following someone and the rest of the game is full on shooting, boss fights or sneaking past robots... sneaking past robots simply wasn't fun for me.

I just think it lost it lost its edge after the first 2 chapters and it disappointed me in the gameplay department for the rest of the game.

However, the story maintained its standard high mark for a MGS title and it was all wrapped up nicely at the end.

[MrWonderful]

Im replaying MGS4 as we speak