Support NeoGAF

[Wario64]

http://www.gamespot.com/pages/news/story.php?sid=6142668

The creator of Metal Gear Solid is now producing his own online talk show, dropping MGS4 details.

TOKYO--Months after he started keeping a blog, Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima has begun his own podcast. Titled "Hidechan! Radio," it features various guests, most of which are Metal Gear Solid series developers. The podcast appears to now be the primary source of information about the ongoing development of Metal Gear Solid 4, as Kojima has neglected to update his blog in recent weeks. Gamers with an understanding of Japanese can download Kojima's broadcasts (in MP3 format) from his Japanese blog.

In his latest show, Kojima started a new segment called "Hidechan's Café." Its first guest is Akio Otsuka, the seasoned actor who voices Snake in the Japanese MGS games. Otsuka's conversation with Kojima will be available in installments over next few weeks, and has already revealed details about the development of MGS4. In his first talk with Otsuka, Kojima let slip that dialogue for MGS4 will be recorded throughout 2006, and the recording process will take as long as it did with previous entries in the series.


http://www.blog.konami.jp/gs/hideoblog/


someone translate please?

 

[polg]

kojima needs this

 

[jett]

Why must Kojima always neglect MGS's bigger fanbase? Fucker.

 

[Snaku]

Why must Kojima always neglect MGS's bigger fanbase? Fucker.

 

[SolidSnakex]

Why must Kojima always neglect MGS's bigger fanbase? Fucker.

He also apparently didn't like his blogs being translated because it embarrased him.

 

[Mihyaeru]

He also apparently didn't like his blogs being translated because it embarrased him.

How/why?

 

[SolidSnakex]

How/why?

It was posted on the MGS.org boards (which are down now). From what I gathered its because of his writing style in his blogs. Its why I think he switched the doing a radioshow instead.

 

[ant1532]

and the recording process will take as long as it did with previous entries in the series.

how long did the previous ones take?

 

[BigBoss]

how long did the previous ones take?

Around 2 weeks.

 

[C- Warrior]

Kojima's starting to piss me off. Just shut the fuck up and make the damn game, if he -really- was the director of MGS4 (which it is stated he is) he wouldn't have time to go to every damn game/music/award event, do blogs, podcasts, interviews etc., soon he'll create a Dr. Phil and Opera esque daytime T.V show aired in Japan. I have nothing wrong with that, but atleast he should credit the guy who's spending 15 hours in the studio making MGS4, yeah--call him the director, not "the younger guys who sometimes help me out and stuff."

 

[SolidSnakex]

Kojima's starting to piss me off. Just shut the fuck up and make the damn game, if he -really- was the director of MGS4 (which it is stated he is) he wouldn't have time to go to every damn game/music/award event, do blogs, podcasts, interviews etc., soon he'll create a Dr. Phil and Opera esque daytime T.V show aired in Japan. I have nothing wrong with that, but atleast he should credit the guy who's spending 15 hours in the studio making MGS4, yeah--call him the director, not "the younger guys who sometimes help me out and stuff."

He is

 

[elostyle]

Does this guy ever work on his games? Seems like he's on 24/7 interview/pr/event duty.

EDIT: Didn't see that someone had exactly the same thoughts already above...

 

[jerrymaguire]

Yeah, it is getting excessive, but then I'm sure he's fed up doing the same game over and over again...

 

[C- Warrior]

Does this guy ever work on his games? Seems like he's on 24/7 interview/pr/event duty.

EDIT: Didn't see that someone had exactly the same thoughts already above...

Seriously, thank you!

You hear Jaffe and crew saying how he gained a bajallion pounds, went bald, nearly lost a wife, and nearly turned gay from directing God of War, and here Kojima is pimping interviews 24/7, doing blogs, TV apperances, awards/music events, podcasts, interviews and the like, WTF man? At the same time going to some boot training camp in fuckin Cambodia just to get sound samples on how some stupid ass insects sound?

No doubt Kojima is 'working' on the game, but there is the underpaid, no name guy who is the REAL DIRECTOR of MGS4, spending the long hours fine tuning the game, adjusting the damage ratios, the event scenarios and so forth.

Same with Itagaki. He's not the director/game designer of Ninja Gaiden, or any of the DOA's. I want interviews with the guy who created those games, not a guy who spends 80% of his PR-ing smack talking Tekken.

 

[SolidSnakex]

The guy has always done a shitload of interviews and other things for MG's. Go check all the shit he did with MGS2. It got so bad at one point that at the end of one trailer it said "MGS 2 Submerges", so that he could cutoff all interviews and distractions so that he could just finish working on the game.

 

[elostyle]

"Produced, designed and directed" is just very bold. Executive producer might be a little more sane, but what do I know.

... oh he is also co-author apparently.

 

[EekTheKat]

Far out answer - there's a Kojima clone out there doing PR work while the real one is working hard away at MGS4.

Or he just has more time these days since forming Kojima Pro - from what I've read he's "formerly" the VP of KCEJ so he doesn't have to deal with the "business" side of it all as he use to.

 

[Bebpo]

"Produced, designed and directed" is just very bold. Executive producer might be a little more sane, but what do I know.

? Plenty of talented move directors write,produce, and direct their own films (sometimes they edit them too). Kojima is extremely talented at all sorts of skills, so more power to him for being able to handle so many duties in his projects.

 

[elostyle]

? Plenty of talented move directors write,produce, and direct their own films (sometimes they edit them too). Kojima is extremely talented at all sorts of skills, so more power to him for being able to handle so many duties in his projects.

In game development all that stuff happens at the same time and throughout the project.

 

[SolidSnakex]

In game development all that stuff happens at the same time and throughout the project.

Which is why he does all of that. If something goes wrong, it falls on him instead of on someone else who might not be able to handle the duty.

 

[elostyle]

Which is why he does all of that. If something goes wrong, it falls on him instead of on someone else who might not be able to handle the duty.

You're missing the point... there is not enough time for one person to do all that. Especially not while being out and about. You can't make a game with the producer, designer, director and writer being out for days at the same time.

 

[SolidSnakex]

Tell that to him then, he's been doing it with every MG game, and seems to get it done. I've never even seen anyone question whether or not he's really doing all this. Some of you're acting like the game is coming out this year, its not due until late next year.

 

[Amir0x]

why do we care how he manages his time? MGS4 is gonna come out, and it'll probably be awesome, so is this just a matter of giving Murata time to go through interviews? That's a good idea, but, I don't see why it's important how many billions of interviews/podcats/blogs Kojima puts out. I'm always curious about the life someone who helps make games... but I'm a geek!

 

[The Bookerman]

Seriously, thank you!

You hear Jaffe and crew saying how he gained a bajallion pounds, went bald, nearly lost a wife, and nearly turned gay from directing God of War, and here Kojima is pimping interviews 24/7, doing blogs, TV apperances, awards/music events, podcasts, interviews and the like, WTF man? At the same time going to some boot training camp in fuckin Cambodia just to get sound samples on how some stupid ass insects sound?

No doubt Kojima is 'working' on the game, but there is the underpaid, no name guy who is the REAL DIRECTOR of MGS4, spending the long hours fine tuning the game, adjusting the damage ratios, the event scenarios and so forth.

Same with Itagaki. He's not the director/game designer of Ninja Gaiden, or any of the DOA's. I want interviews with the guy who created those games, not a guy who spends 80% of his PR-ing smack talking Tekken.

@ Ubi, the people who do lots of PR and still get the rewards are the producers.

I can't say they're on easy street, but I don't see them at their desks often like say a creative director.

But that's on a high budget project.

I remember hearing somebody say that there's lots of producers out there in japan that sit on their ass, do sequels, do nothin but collect their share of revenues.

 

[elostyle]

See guys, the point is that their is no one credited for say... game design in that picture SSX posted. The game gets done yes, however it is a complete mystery as to who is really responsible for large parts of it because quite frankly he can't be doing it all by itself.

 

[TTP]

You people don't understand. Hideo Kojima is God and he can do multiple tasks (and be in different places) at the same time.

 

[TTP]

See guys, the point is that their is no one credited for say... game design in that picture SSX posted.

Check again

hint:

Spoiler

the very first line

 

[elostyle]

Check again

hint:

Spoiler

the very first line

I meant to say besides him.

 

[dark10x]

At the same time going to some boot training camp in fuckin Cambodia just to get sound samples on how some stupid ass insects sound?

Whether he deserves the credit or not, the wierd ass shit that they seem to do pays off in spades.

 

[TTP]

I meant to say besides him.

Ah ok. Sorry

 

[C- Warrior]

My god look at these damn Kojima tools.

Get off his cock for god sakes. You guys are saying that:

***************

Kojima is Producer
Kojima is Husband
Kojima is Father
Kojima is PR
Kojima is Blogger
Kojima is interviewer/podcaster
Kojima is Game Celebrity
Kojima is Writer
Kojima is Director *aka fuckin LEAD game designer*
Kojima is GOD behind MGS4 through and through.

Yeah, bullshit. The guy probably doesn't even have time to jackoff let alone sleep and you know, LIVE A FUCKIN life.

I'm just saying, it's bullshit how he gets all this credit, when it's quite obvious there is somebody else behind the scenes building MGS4 in it's details. Kojima might come in and blurt out a few broad statements of what he expects and wants, but it's that other guy that spends the months creating it and fine tuning it. Then Kojima comes back, looks at it and says more shit, rinse and repeat.

Shinji Mikami went on record saying that he worked so hard creating the original Resident Evil, he actually collapsed and was hospitilized.

Hideki Kamiya, when making RE2 got an alcohol addiction problem and started vomiting blood.

David Jaffe got a Taco Bell obsession and had a stress level of *insane* and even said "making God of War was the hardest thing in his life, and doesn't want to do it again." and that he even pissed off his family.

I even remember a Famitsu article talking about how one of the sound directors or CG artist (don't remember) working on Silent Hill, had to sleep under his desk at times to finish work.

Yet nooooooo, Kojima--can do *all* this, and we're supposed to believe it because we're guzzling down his semen.

 

[EekTheKat]

See guys, the point is that their is no one credited for say... game design in that picture SSX posted. The game gets done yes, however it is a complete mystery as to who is really responsible for large parts of it because quite frankly he can't be doing it all by itself.

I'm sure all the names you're looking for are in fact in the end credits for MGS4.

That screencap was from a teaser trailer - much like in a movie teaser trailer they're only going to stick the names of the well known folks that are involved in the game.

If they did the 8 minute teaser itself would probably be 7 1/2 minutes of names scrolling by and 30 seconds of actual footage.

 

[SolidSnakex]

He always does all of this

http://www.mobygames.com/game/ps2/metal-gear-solid-3-snake-eater/credits
http://www.mobygames.com/game/ps2/metal-gear-solid-2-sons-of-liberty/credits

They don't have the MGS credits, but he did all those things in it too. The guy is obsessive over the main series. Just look at how he says he won't return in the same position each time, and always does because he's fearful of it not turning out right.

Yet nooooooo, Kojima--can do *all* this, and we're supposed to believe it because we're guzzling down his semen.

Well..He's addicted to porn. Does that count? Anyway, Kojima's been doing this shit since the 80's, according to Jaffe, GoW was the first time he was ever in that position in game development so its going to be harder on someone doing it for the first time than someone who's been doing it for well over 10 years.

 

[Wario64]

hey guys lets talk about mgs4:

In his first talk with Otsuka, Kojima let slip that dialogue for MGS4 will be recorded throughout 2006, and the recording process will take as long as it did with previous entries in the series.

Anyone know how long it took to record dialogue for previous MGS's? Maybe we can get figure out some sketchy release date here...

 

[elostyle]

Jesus C-Warrior, I better not tell you some of my crunch time stories... and I only wear one hat on a single project that is also much smaller.

 

[jett]

hey guys lets talk about mgs4:





Anyone know how long it took to record dialogue for previous MGS's? Maybe we can get figure out some sketchy release date here...

Hey guy, let's read up. Two weeks.

 

[Wario64]

Sorry it was hidden behind these posts talking about how much free time Kojima spends wanking off

 

[elostyle]

They don't have the MGS credits, but he did all those things in it too.

The credits are the subject of this debate. It is in question if he actually does all he is credited for or to what extend at least.

 

[SolidSnakex]

Sorry it was hidden behind these posts talking about how much free time Kojima spends wanking off

He doesn't wank off, he just have someone else do it for him and later takes credit for it.

 

[BigBoss]

My god look at these damn Kojima tools.

Get off his cock for god sakes. You guys are saying that:

***************

Kojima is Producer
Kojima is Husband
Kojima is Father
Kojima is PR
Kojima is Blogger
Kojima is interviewer/podcaster
Kojima is Game Celebrity
Kojima is Writer
Kojima is Director *aka fuckin LEAD game designer*
Kojima is GOD behind MGS4 through and through.

Yeah, bullshit. The guy probably doesn't even have time to jackoff let alone sleep and you know, LIVE A FUCKIN life.

I'm just saying, it's bullshit how he gets all this credit, when it's quite obvious there is somebody else behind the scenes building MGS4 in it's details. Kojima might come in and blurt out a few broad statements of what he expects and wants, but it's that other guy that spends the months creating it and fine tuning it. Then Kojima comes back, looks at it and says more shit, rinse and repeat.

Shinji Mikami went on record saying that he worked so hard creating the original Resident Evil, he actually collapsed and was hospitilized.

Hideki Kamiya, when making RE2 got an alcohol addiction problem and started vomiting blood.

David Jaffe got a Taco Bell obsession and had a stress level of *insane* and even said "making God of War was the hardest thing in his life, and doesn't want to do it again." and that he even pissed off his family.

I even remember a Famitsu article talking about how one of the sound directors or CG artist (don't remember) working on Silent Hill, had to sleep under his desk at times to finish work.

Yet nooooooo, Kojima--can do *all* this, and we're supposed to believe it because we're guzzling down his semen.

The mix of Kojima's laughter and coughing is a telling juxtaposition that represents both the joy and hardship he has been through these past three years--a thousand days of work that will hopefully culminate tonight, September 28, 2001, with the production of a final version of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, the most anticipated PlayStation 2 game of the year and the follow-up to his much-revered 1998 PlayStation game, Metal Gear Solid.

While looking at the list(of bugs), Kojima begins to slowly shake his head and sigh. His body language says what he doesn't speak aloud: Unfortunately, building a game the size and scope of Metal Gear Solid 2 is a lot tougher than calling up some friends to arrange a game of hide-and-seek.

I must tell you, I was sitting here in June and thinking that no matter how hard anyone on the team could work we would not finish the game this year. And that was the toughest point in my 15 years in the game industry.

Read the whole thing if you think Kojima doesn't do anything but play with his balls all day long.

http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/video/btg_mgs2/index.html

 

[elostyle]

No ones saying that but being solely listed in no less than 4 major development positions suggest a much larger share of influence on everything down to details then he could possibly have.

Sure he does director, design, writer and production tasks - the high level stuff. Just the real heads in charge of those departments go unmentioned. Like say, lead designer or producer.

edit: Well I guess there is an additional producer listed as well as an additional director. Still no lead designer

 

[jenov4]

C- Warrior, enough with that trolling sheesh.

 

[gogogow]

edit: Well I guess there is an additional producer listed as well as an additional director. Still no lead designer

?
I see all kinds of lead designers on that credit pic. Kojima Productions has Lead designers/artist for different aspects of the game:
Character Modeling Lead artist
Background Modeling Lead artist
Real time demo Lead artist
2D lead artist
etc.

 

[dark10x]

What ze f*ck? Listening to it now. The intro was...odd. Was that Akio? Sounded like it. For some reason, in that particular segment, his voice reminded me of Kiryuu (or however you romanize it) Kazuma (main character from Ryu ga Gotoku). Nothing interesting beyond that...

edit - Oh yeah, that was indeed Akio. He sounds cool as hell even in normal conversation. Awesome.

Yet nooooooo, Kojima--can do *all* this, and we're supposed to believe it because we're guzzling down his semen.

I don't know if people truly believe that he does as much as you seem to assume people think. As with damn near every game company, he is kind of a figurehead and will often be referenced as a result. His status increases along with the popularity of the games that team works on. When MGS2 was considered a failure by many, Kojima's name was the one drug through the mud...so it's not as if it was all roses.

The fact remains that we really do not know just how much work he does, do we? It's all conjecture at this point and will likely remain as such.

 

[elostyle]

?
I see all kinds of lead designers on that credit pic. Kojima Productions has Lead designers/artist for different aspects of the game:
Character Modeling Lead artist
Background Modeling Lead artist
Real time demo Lead artist
2D lead artist
etc.

Those are artists and not game designers but whatever.

 

[C- Warrior]

The fact remains that we really do not know just how much work he does, do we? It's all conjecture at this point and will likely remain as such.

Indeed, but--which leads me back to what I was at first (granted, I'll admit, 'assuming') that anyone who has all this time for all these extra things must not be the 'lead game designer.' If it is, holy hell, Kojima, I god bless you J Allard style. But I doubt it, I really do think he has a co-director who is grinding more hours specifically on MGS4, while Kojima is just the figurehead to make all the MGS fantards happy that the "I will not work on MGS4" statement didn't come true.

 

[pj]

My god look at these damn Kojima tools.

Get off his cock for god sakes. You guys are saying that:

***************

Kojima is Producer
Kojima is Husband
Kojima is Father
Kojima is PR
Kojima is Blogger
Kojima is interviewer/podcaster
Kojima is Game Celebrity
Kojima is Writer
Kojima is Director *aka fuckin LEAD game designer*
Kojima is GOD behind MGS4 through and through.

Yeah, bullshit. The guy probably doesn't even have time to jackoff let alone sleep and you know, LIVE A FUCKIN life.

I'm just saying, it's bullshit how he gets all this credit, when it's quite obvious there is somebody else behind the scenes building MGS4 in it's details. Kojima might come in and blurt out a few broad statements of what he expects and wants, but it's that other guy that spends the months creating it and fine tuning it. Then Kojima comes back, looks at it and says more shit, rinse and repeat.

Shinji Mikami went on record saying that he worked so hard creating the original Resident Evil, he actually collapsed and was hospitilized.

Hideki Kamiya, when making RE2 got an alcohol addiction problem and started vomiting blood.

David Jaffe got a Taco Bell obsession and had a stress level of *insane* and even said "making God of War was the hardest thing in his life, and doesn't want to do it again." and that he even pissed off his family.

I even remember a Famitsu article talking about how one of the sound directors or CG artist (don't remember) working on Silent Hill, had to sleep under his desk at times to finish work.

Yet nooooooo, Kojima--can do *all* this, and we're supposed to believe it because we're guzzling down his semen.

I started reading kojima's blog from the beginning a couple days ago and have learned a few things from it..

1. He's either really private about his family or he doesn't spend much time with them, because they rarely if ever come up.

2. He is frequently at work until after midnight

3. He does do real work on games. I was reading through october's entries and he mentioned things he did on subsistence pretty much every day

4. Some of the team members slept in the TGS hall when mgs4 was being shown

5. Kojima said that he vomits from stress during development sometimes, and he also gets a mysterious immobilizing shoulder pain that he thinks is due to stress, because doctors dont know what it is.

6. He's always thinking about what he's going to do with mgs4, he mentioned some design changes he made while he was at the gym, among other places

7. He sometimes isn't able to write the articles he's supposed to write, and when he does write them it seems he bangs them out pretty quick

8. He also gives credit where credit is due, read his blog, he knows how essential his team is to the games' success.

Note: I am not a kojima worshipper, I haven't even played MGS3 yet. The only reason I know any of this stuff is because I learned all of it less than 2 days ago.

 

[gogogow]

Those are artists and not game designers but whatever.

You said you wanted some lead designers ( I don't think they are any different than lead artists, just a different word)
But ic you want the game designer now? Ow, okay.
Game designed by Hideo Kojima.

 

[SolidSnakex]

7. He sometimes isn't able to write the articles he's supposed to write, and when he does write them it seems he bangs them out pretty quick

This is true, he was actually behind on writing the plan behind their new PSP game because he was too busy trying to finish up Subsistence. MGS4's develpoment has barely even got off its feet at this point since they just completed MGS3S, and yet people (for some reason) are claiming he can't possibly have that much involvement in a game. The script still isn't complete, as he keeps bringing up in interviews they still don't know how long after MGS2 it's going to take place.

 

[karasu]

Why are people acting as if it take immense amounts of time to post in a blog or record yourself asking your coworkers a few questions? 0_o