Hideo Kojimathe legendary creator behind metal gear and death strandingrecently shared a pivotal moment from his early career that defined his approach to storytelling in video games.
Speaking on TBS Radio’s After 6 Junction 2 podcast, Kojima revealed the uphill battle he faced as a young developer at Konami in pushing forward narrative-driven games, a concept that was apparently ignored by many in the industry at the time.
“They told me, ‘Games don’t need stories, Kojima,'” recalls Kojima. For an industry in its infancy, the idea of incorporating deep narratives was revolutionary. He added: “They are 2D with big pixels and you can only move from side to side. But I saw [their] potential.
Determined to prove everyone wrong, Kojima devoted himself entirely to the art of storytelling. While working on early projects, he spent countless hours in the library, poring over books to research plot settings and themes.
“I read about 300 books for a game,” he revealed, demonstrating his commitment to creating something that would redefine the medium.
Despite facing opposition from colleagues who deemed his efforts unnecessary, Kojima continued to move forward with his vision, adding: “There was no artistry. There was no real story. So we wanted to be the ones to give it a story.”
Kojima wasn’t the first to incorporate story into games, but he became one of the first developers to use the medium to explore real-world themes and complex stories.
Not only did he prove his critics wrong, but he also laid the foundation for the development of video games as a legitimate storytelling medium.
