Già da tempo Hideo Kojima ha espresso il desiderio di volersi dedicare ad altri progetti e di voler abbandonare la saga che lo ha reso celebre in tutto il mondo, Metal Gear Solid. In queste ore Hideo è tornato sull'argomento, riflettendo sul suo futuro e rivelando che potrebbe ricoprire il ruolo di produttore ed affidare lo sviluppo del prossimo capitolo ad un team più giovane. Inoltre ha dichiarato di essere stato molto sotto pressione per l'hype generato da Metal Gear Solid 4 ma che questo ha migliorato la sua creatività.

Q: There is a lot of expectation that "Metal Gear Solid 4" will help Sony sell more PS3s. Did that create more pressure for you?

A: "Indeed, there is pressure. There is always pressure. But I'm not talking pressure in a negative way. I can use it to push up the bar for what I'm creating. In that sense there's a positive pressure."

Q: Sum up two or three things about the game that make it different from not only past ones in the series but other games out there. What makes it unique?

A: "The MGS series has always been about action, or actually they call it stealth-action. This time the setting is a war zone or a battlefield, which is a unique experience. It's a war zone, so there is shooting as side A fights side B, but there's a lot of freedom so you can take advantage of being in a war zone and find various ways to play."

Q: What did you do with the story? How important was it to the game and does it wrap up the series?

A: "Yes, it wraps up all the stories of the past MGS games. I'm not a genius like George Lucas, I didn't have this story planned out. I always tried to finish the story in each game. But by some miracle in MGS4 I was able to resolve the mysteries left behind in past games and resolve the side stories from past games."

Q: What was your creative inspiration for "Metal Gear Solid," either the series as a whole or MGS4 specifically?

A: "Actually, I can tell you one incident that was not so much inspiration but that influenced the game design. We have a great military adviser and we take lessons and go to training camps. This was a great experience in designing the game. It wasn't just about how to handle guns or weapons, it was more mental or psychological, like how to blend in with the environment, how to disappear into a forest."

Q: You've indicated that this will be your last "Metal Gear Solid" game. Are you looking forward to other projects or will you continue to be involved in the series?

A: "MGS will always be around. I feel a responsibility to continue this series as long as users demand it. But it doesn't mean I'm going to sit in completely. I'll probably take a different role in the next game. Maybe I'll sit in as producer and let the young staff take control of the new series. I really want to go on to new things."

Q: Games are gaining a status on par with Hollywood blockbusters. Are developers getting more recognition for the art they create?

A: "Yes, I totally agree. When entertainment becomes digital, there can be a great collaboration between games and other kinds of entertainment like movies or even novels. All these things might form together to form a coherent medium.

"I can't really predict precisely that this will happen in two or three years or whatever. But the trend is there, things are happening and I believe that convergence will happen sooner or later.