So, I'm sure you've already heard that Hideo Kojima is coming to Dubai. The one and only industry giant will make an appearance here in the Middle East to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the beloved Metal Gear franchise and the release of Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance. If that doesn't excite you, then I'm pretty sure you've missed a couple of things. Allow me to put it into perspective for you.
Hideo Kojima is the creator and director of a number of different titles, but he'll probably go down as the guy behind the Metal Gear franchise which sold over 25 million copies worldwide. Almost everybody in the industry recognizes him as the best of the best, second to none.
Back in the 1980's, Hideo was tasked with a project named Metal Gear. The game was supposed to feature an intense combat system but due to the lack of appropriate hardware at the time, it was scrapped. So, Hideo decided to change the nature of the game to something more stealthy. He focused more on the element of stealth as opposed to full blown combat, smart decision. Metal Gear is one of the earliest stealth/action titles and its influence is still going around today.
Throughout the years, Hideo Kojima worked on a number of titles like the action/adventure game, Snatcher. Eventually, he was brought back to work on the next installment of the Metal Gear franchise, Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake. This time even more focus was added to the stealth element adding crouching, hiding, distracting and an improved A.I.
In 1998, Metal Gear Solid was released for the Playstation and that is probably when Hideo Kojima received international fame. Metal Gear Solid was the first in the franchise to feature 3D graphics and voice acting, giving the game a more cinematic experience. This is when I was introduced to the franchise, this one went on to sell 6 million copies.
Then came the installment that changed it all, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty. This game had the best graphics on the Playstation 2 and featured some of the best gameplay at the time. The game was very well received with emphasis on the storyline which was pretty philosophical. I was pretty young when I first got my hands on the game and didn't really understand the philosophical parts so I would skip the cut scenes. Now that I think back at it, I'm sure that the philosophical themes made those extremely long cut scenes worthwhile. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty sold over 7 million copies worldwide.
After MGS2, Kojima worked on Zone of the Enders, which at the time wasn't as hot as it is now. He then worked on a title for the Gameboy Advanced called Boktai. After that, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater was released. This was the first Metal Gear to feature outdoor gameplay, in the wilderness. With factors like camouflage and survival, Metal Gear Solid 3 was met with great critical acclaim. Hideo then continued to work on the sequel for Boktai, Metal Gear Acid and Metal Gear Acid 2 for the Playstation Portable. He also helped design and implement Solid Snake and the Metal Gear map in Nintendo's Super Smash Brothers Brawl.
In 2008, Hideo Kojima delivered Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots on the Playstation 3 which later sold over 5.5 million copies worldwide. Shortly after, Hideo announced that he will be working on only two more installments for the franchise, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance and Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker.
I think we can all agree that the guy is a legend. His take on video games and the experience it bring is like no other. Philosophical themes like the nature of war, nuclear disarmament, censorship, manipulation and more make his games an instant classic. So, if you live in Dubai, mark your calendars because thanks to Pluto Games, Hideo Kojima will be in Dubai tomorrow and on Friday, January 18th Hideo will be at Geekay Games in the Mirdif City Centre to meet the fans. Stay tuned for our interview and more coverage of his arrival.