Hideo Kojima's Reasoning For Playing Roughly 'One Video Game A Year'

The father of the Metal Gear series, as well as cult classics like Snatcher, Policenauts, and Zone of the Enders, has cemented himself as one of video games' most insightful and creative designers and producers. Since forming Kojima Productions, he has produced the Death Stranding franchise, and is currently in development on an Xbox exclusive title. While his works are polarizing, his style is one that stands out from other game designers and teams, often blurring the lines between film and television. When talking with a panel during the New Global Sport Conference held in Riyadh (via Rolling Stone), he spoke about how he does not play a lot of video games, seeking influence from other mediums.

“I don’t play games so much. I watch movies, read books, meet people and go to museums, and I’m not copying anything from a game. And there are lot of game creators just watching other games,” Kojima states. “We should think outside the box and be stimulated by things all around us, and that’s what creators are. Games take a lot of time, and I probably just play maybe one game a year. I play my games by checking, but I have to think outside the box, and what’s happening outside the game world is more important to me to incorporate into my game.”

Given how detailed his game designs are, this is certainly reasonable. And it's likely for the better, given the current landscape of video games. When it comes to the mainstream, if most studios haven't adopted a live service model game, then it's generally a very hyped sequel that runs the risk of under-delivering. Sure, I may not be the biggest fan of Hideo Kojima's works as a collective (Zone of the Enders is still my favorite game he's made), but enriching oneself in the arts is the root of creativity that allows ideas to blossom.

This industry has grown very corporate in the last 20 years as the business' net worth ballooned. But there's a reason independent games have been running circles around mainstream AAA titles; unique stories, mechanics, and risks. Hideo Kojima understands that. When the conversation of "are video games art?" took off in the early 2010's, it's hard to see that in an earnest light, when critically acclaimed ventures like Hi-Fi Rush receive praise for their creativity, but Tango Gameworks is seen as a risk because Xbox Games Studios only looked at the bottom line and sold them off.

I still enjoy this hobby in many ways, but there would be significantly more nuance if major development teams and holdings companies shared the passion for creativity like Hideo Kojima, who looks from the outside to bring new ideas inward, rather than aiming to capitalize on trends and cutting the fat. You can't grow from cannibalizing.