You knew I wasn't gonna miss this one.
Just wanted to point you guys to my full coverage of Kojima's fun-fascinating talk at GDC -- he went on at his signature length, full of his usual metaphors and humor, but the result was a really comprehensive history of the design philosophy behind the Metal Gear series, how Kojima realized his visions by creatively working around obstacles in the way (kind of like what it's like to play Metal Gear) and how it's evolved throughout the franchise's 20-year (!!) history.
I don't mind bragging that I've covered the talk the most thoroughly of anyone else online, so if you're interested in his lecture, read my coverage, will you please?
Highlights: The stealth action gameplay was born out of the tech limitations of the MSX2. Says the NES Metal Gear and Snake's Revenge are "crap." He jokes about his cut scenes and illustrates his points with clever Snake animations. He defines what he thinks is the best takeaway from Western design and how he hopes it will appear in "the next Metal Gear series."
When I see the evolution of Metal Gear discussed from the perspective of design philosophy, it makes me appreciate, in concept at least, MGS4 all the more, because it's really a transparent illustration of his journey as a game designer (I dithered about with this idea, and badly, at Kotaku around the time MGS4 launched, so check it out if you're not sure what I'm trying to say here).
I know I'm a bit rabid as Metal Gear fans go. But I hope that getting to read him talking in this way about this stuff at least helps people understand why I think he's so incredibly impressive as a director, designer and auteur, even if his work ain't your cup of tea.
11 comments:
Great coverage of Kojima's talk. I've never been a big fan of the Metal Gear games but reading what he said about them makes me want to go back and give them another look.
Nobody laughed at his cutscene jokes at all? Was it an awkward silence?
Don't worry, you're not the only serious Metal Gear fan here. Still I do truly appreciate his directing abilities. Makes the cut scenes more interesting and to classify Metal Gear as just a series of games is far too demeaning in my opinion. Thanks for the coverage!
"Uh oh! The truck have started to move!"
I've always been a fan of Hideo Kojima's work. Your coverage of the talk made me feel like I was there. Thanks Leigh.
I never knew that the stealth genre grew out of the hardware limitations of the MSX. It's funny to think that if it wasn't for those limitations, Metal Gear might have been just another Ikari Warriors clone. I've always liked Metal Gear because it required you to be sly and resourceful to succeed instead of relying on brute force and gunpower to blow everything to smithereens. The game design itself makes you more aware of your character's mortality and human limitations because he can't take on 100 enemies at once like your typical videogame hero. Perhaps this made it easier for MGS4 to deal with issues of aging in MGS4?
Also, for the record, Psycho Mantis = Best boss battle ever!
It's funny; I read this article right after finishing another play through of Hideo Kojima's greatly underappreciated "Zone of the Enders". I wish he would have said something about that series. Though I love Metal Gear, I personally am a bigger fan of the Zone of the Enders series. No other game has made me feel so "at one" with a machine- the controls are remarkably intuitive, despite being complex, and they make you feel like you are controlling one of the most graceful robots ever made. I also love that the storyline is built around this very idea that it is a person’s ability to skillfully pilot a robot that makes you a hero, so even an otherwise powerless child could become a hero. As a kid, I always found games to be empowering because they equalized the playing field. It didn't matter how tall you were, how strong you were, how smart you were- you could be an 8 year old little twerp and still be better at Super Mario Bros than your older brother, your parents, and all the neighbors. It was a stroke of genius to create a story where the lead character is a hapless child that becomes an extraordinary hero because of his skills as an "orbital frame runner," which essentially map directly onto your skills as a gamer.
After reading the Gamasutra feature(which I think you wrote as well), I decided to watch the whole thing on Gamevideos this morning. I was surprised...but not for the reasons I thought I'd be…haha.
1 - I earnestly believed the hardware limitation-vagina Metal Gear as a franchise came from was unofficial assumed knowledge, and I guess that was stupid on my part...because I was surprised at everyone’s surprise…
2 - I still obstinately assert that like like all other artistic forms of expression, video-game development shares the grand overriding theme of "problem solving"...it's all any artist really does...no matter the talent.
3 - I'll never know how I would have reacted myself because I read about the keynote first, but nobody initially laughed at his little cutscene jokes...and that really does reflect the dude's awkward humor...I did laugh when I actually watched the video, but it just reminded me of a presentation I gave on Gustav Dore in college...I told little jokes that nobody seemed to get but me. I guess some of us just have idiosyncratic senses of humor...=/
I'm intrigued to see what Kojima reveals next, but I'm also just as intrigued to see where Shinkawa (who I just made a tribute towards) goes as well. He was just as large of a presence in the MGS series for me. Even the smaller-received titles (like JT's above mention of the ZOE) touch people because Shinkawa's design influence bleeds profusely into the game itself.
~sLs~
I'm a bit leery of anything Kojima says since MGS4 - in my opinion, it was the worst of the MGS series.
I hope that Hideo hasn't to rest on his laurels and allow all the good stuff he's created to stagnate.
Thanks for the coverage! Kojima's thoughts were very interesting, and say a lot about how developers can refine their formulas as technology changes.
Now, inventing new ideas and breaking into the market after directing a blockbuster series, let's see Kojima climb THAT wall in the coming years...
Hello,
I was looking for a detailed account of his keynote online, as taking notes in my iPhone isn't very appropriate (plus, it looks like I'm texting and not paying attention :/). As a designer, it was quite inspirational, though I've met people that were actually offended by it. Either way, the MGS series is the reason I joined this industry, so I'm immeasurably happy I got to attend his keynote.
Thanks a lot for the coverage.
On another note, I also attended the media ranting session, and while I can relate to what you said about developers needing to be open and sincere to the press regarding industry issues, you pretty much answered your own question when you stated that you understood the business side of it. If developers want to keep working with publishers to either win projects or be funded to work on their dream games, they have no choice but to play ball and keep quiet about anything that may be a controversial issue. It's just the way it is, unfortunately. Building relationships with publishers is an extremely important practice of independent developers. Plus, like Chris Hecker stated in his rant, there are many journalists out there that misquote or misinform when reporting their "news," so the trust just isn't there yet.
I've tried to like the MG series, truly. I have friends that get aggressive when you make fun of snake (or neglect to capitalize his name.) I've just never been comfortable with the controls, the stealth, the aiming... Dammit I'll never be cool.
Great work as always, Leigh, but just wanted to jump and say a big "thank you" for the Kotaku article... I've been thinking a lot lately about the ways that game designers and gaming culture has been trying to come to grips with itself over the past 20 years, and I think Kojima's work on Metal Gear is a phenomenal case study... To echo Cameron, it seems like Kojima's up to more than just building a game, and the MGS series should be classified as something more than "just a game"... auteur indeed. Your article about MGS 4 only solidifies that thought (and makes me antsy to get a PS3). Thanks again for your fantastic work!
I do have tons of respect for Mr. Kojima, but MGS Touch for iPhone/iPod touch, released the same month as GDC, is a major disappointment.
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