Kojima talks about Metal Gear Solid remake, Skull Face inspiration and his career during Gamescom Q&A session
After showing new Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain gameplay at Gamescom’s Preview Event, Hideo Kojima answered some questions in an interview with Geoff Keighley.
The first question was: If you could remake any of your games with the FOX Engine, what would it be?
Kojima said he isn’t very keen on the idea of remaking his own games, since he’d rather create something new. But if he where to remake on of his games, it would be Metal Gear Solid 1.
The original Metal Gear Solid character model, compared to one created with the Fox Engine
He would act as a producer, with several of his team members working on the game. It wouldn’t be a standard remake, however, but rather something that brings it to the modern age. In this sense, Kojima compared it to the Planet of the Apes remakes, taking the best from the past and create something brand new with it, in a very modern style.
The next question was about his inspiration for Skull Face. Kojima provided a very in-depth and interesting answer.
First of all, as everyone knows Skull Face will be the bad guy in Metal Gear Solid V. However, he’s not just a plain old bad guy: his face has been stripped off, revealing his skull. This ‘skull face’ represents the human side that he lost, and the same thing happens to Big Boss, who becomes a ‘skull’ in his quest for revenge – he also loses some of his human side.
In Peace Walker, the MSF logo is also a skull. Snake and his allies fought under this symbol of a skull, and during his battle against Skull Face he forms Outer Heaven, which also uses the skull as a symbol. There is a sad story behind all of this, a subplot.
At last year’s E3, one of the key artworks the studio used was of an x-ray of Big Boss, showing just his bones and his skull. One of the themes in the game is race. If you look under the skin, at just the skull and bones, they are mostly the same for every human being, regardless of race. Skull Face also represents this, this faceless character who is the bad guy. This is also one of the subplots in the game.
The third question was: What has been the most exciting Metal Gear game to work on?
Kojima answered this was probably the first Metal Gear (1987), because he was new to the company, and no one in the studio understood his ideas at that point, but he was still given the chance to develop the game.
Kojima also said that, outside of Metal Gear, another game he liked working on was Boktai, since games were mainly perceived as something you play inside, and he wanted to take advantage of the portability of the handheld, making the solar sensor an important element. Some people were against the idea, and Kojima had to fight hard to convince them.
When asked about what lead role he’d like to play in a movie, if he could choose, Kojima answered Mad Max 2. This was a character who hardly speaks. Kojima compared it to Snake in MGSV, who also has very few lines.
After this, Kojima talked about his daily routine, saying he sleeps for about 4 hours every night, and tries to watch at least one movie before going to bed (against his doctor’s advice). He also enjoys watching making of videos, especially of those movies that did not turn out as well, but seeing the people behind it work really hard to make it work, is the thing that energizes Kojima the most.
Kojima said he is really fortunate to be able to make games like this. Gaming making is a very global art, you have to know a lot of things, understand how to implement different elements. It also requires a lot of energy, so you really have to love doing it. Kojima also called it a lonely profession, despite the fact that working with a team. When you’re trying to create something and people don’t grasp it, you have to make it work on your own. So for Kojima, the external support he receives from those who understand him is really important.
To see the interview for yourself, go here. The Q&A Session starts at around 31:30.
Source: Gamescom MGSV Preview Event
Always enjoy Q&A with Kojima :D.
Kojima’s real inspiration for Skull Face.
http://digitaldeconstruction.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/skeletor.jpg
I don’t like this joke but I like it
Thanks :3
Is that from He-Man?
Yes, the evil Skeletor ;D …
it means big boss does not ally with skull bitch but betrays miller.i wanted diamond dogs to become(evolve) outer heaven or a sub-organization of outer heaven.if he leaves diamond dogs which doesn’t become outer heaven or sub-organization and betrays miller it is indeed sad.
im crying if this is true
Oh noo! I´ve seen a spolier on the question about skullface: “…during his battle against Skull Face he forms Outer Heaven”.
OK, all of us know that Skull Face is in MGSV and Outer Heaven too.
But now I know a plot of the game that I´ve prefer to discover playng the game.
thats a spoiler to you? i rather think it’s been already clear.
Not too clear, since we´ve seen Skull Face and Big Boss on a jeep on “Nuclear” trailer. That made me think that they are joining forces against Zero or something.
Speaking on Kojima nothing is clear.
i read they work together, but both on own purposes, which sometimes makes them work/fight against each other. in words, both are hunting zero/cipher, but by different goals.
nuclear trailer lol very nostalgic
*spoiler
only 4 hours sleep at night, thats way too little. if i can’t get at least my 7 hours of sleep, i’m an angry motherfucker the next morning. funny fact with that daily dose of movie, i do exactly the same for years, before that it’s been years with music^^
after what he said about remake mgs 1 i’m looking forward to the future. if i should bet, this will be the next mgs. and he will take part of it.
I think the next MGS should be a merger of MG1, MG2 and MGS1, by tactically streamlining the stories. It could be done, and that’d be the end of everything, bridging all the main stories together with pretty and playable graphics.
I always thought Skullface really does remind me of Gouda from Ghost in the Shell 2nd GiG.
http://i.imgur.com/1elO7.jpg
https://permanentsocialism.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/52bgouda2brebuild.jpg
https://permanentsocialism.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/52bgouda2bpersonalities.jpg
And if you watch the show. I think they really might pull a fast one on us.
Come on now Kojima, it seems he’s avoiding the MSX games. I don’t think he ever actually talked about remaking those two games which worries me since after Phantom Pain, we’re pretty much at that point of the story.
In any case, i’m not surprise on how he’ll only be a producer if he decides to remake MGS1. We’re getting to a point where he can no longer direct like he used to. Kinda like Miyamoto acting more of a producer while Eiji Aonuma, Hidemaro Fujibayashi acts as directors of each Zelda game.
Kojima needs to find a worthy director for the franchise’s future.
Jesus! That first pic! Thats Him!
He doesn’t like remaking them because he’ll have to rewrite the script
I’m not sympathetic to that reason. Basically, if he didn’t like rewriting the script, he should keep the retcons to a bare minimum, instead of constantly retconning the heck out of the series since at least MGS so remakes wouldn’t have even been made necessary.
I love the fact that he sleeps 4 hours a day and tries to watch as many movies as possible, which is the exact same thing I do lol.
The idea behind Skull Face and everything it represents is brilliant, I think he’s going to be one of my favorite MGS characters ever.
that info about the sub plots sounds really interesting
I’m really curious to find out more about Skull Face. On paper, he’s a Batman villain with a Ramsay Bolton level of sadism, but in the cassette tapes, he’s genuinely menacing and intriguing. James Horan’s performance makes you want to know just what the hell happened to make him the way he is– even losing his face wouldn’t account for (much less excuse) what he’s done.
Dear Mr. Kojima what secret society are you a member of ? a.) The free masons b.) illuminati c.) skull and bones BOOOOO YAAAAAAHHH!
Don’t tase me bro!
skull and bones
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOO YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH
skull and faces
Venom awakens to kill kojima for ruining e3 2014gameplay and a bit of gc 2014(Jeep spinning too much because of a small shit) by putting too much comedy.
a bit too much yes. i have no problem with an absolute dark and dusty phantom pain. give it to me! i don’t need a smile!
dusty?
a rough MGS, thats what i mean. dusty, dry, whatever. just something hard u know? i understood your first comment as it’s too much funny stuff for you. and i agree with that. kojima said he needs to implement that to hold a balance into the game. ok. but all i wanted to say is that i wouldn’t have any problem with it as dark as fuck.
ok mr ibrahimovich
did you say rough cod.
that was a bit of a joke and truth.
I totally agree with the last answer, but I’d have to say that where most people don’t care for the diologue and the story:(at least as far as me myself) I’ve never been forced to think differently due to incredibly executed What the F’ moments as I have by Kojima’S story telling through dialogue. Much is relevant political science much is not so fAR from the truth Sci fi, and much is head trip sci-fi drama to get you to pay attention to the former. Rarely do artists put themselves on the line so far to educate and get their story across.
Good job kojima. I have faith you could not let us down if you tried.
Chad
Ventura, ca
Games have the power to change the world one generation at a time I’m afraid kojima ditched the story and diologue to please those who do not see the man’s potential to educate young people growing up in racist or extremist /radical war torn areas of our world that do not learn differently than to be at war for thousands of years.
I wander if we are able to build metal gear zeke again
I understand his ideas he should just hire me as a writer 😀
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