Eight Years of Kojima Production: Key Facts and Influences

December 16, 2023 marks eight years since Kojima Production was founded. It is worth noting that Hideo Kojima left Konami in 2015 to start his own studio. The developer released Death Stranding and is now working on its sequel as well as a project known as OD. This article, timed to the studio anniversary of the cult creator, collects notable facts about Kojima and his influence on games and pop culture.

Metal Gear sequels

The original Metal Gear released in 1987 was Hideo Kojima’s first major project. It is one of the few games to have two official sequels released simultaneously. The Snake’s Revenge, a version for the NES that appeared in April 1990, was developed without Kojima and did not achieve success. Consequently, Konami gave the second part, Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, to Kojima, released on July 20, 1990, and it is considered canonical today.

The original Metal Gear helped establish the stealth action genre and inspired numerous titles with its emphasis on planning, timing, and concealment.

LEGO game levels

The later Metal Gear Solid era, in the mid to late 1990s, broke new ground by exploring fully three dimensional spaces. In a visionary move, Kojima used LEGO bricks to visualize and test level design, helping the team refine how players would navigate environments. That playful approach remains a hallmark of Kojima’s process, often referenced in discussions about his development style.

Kojima has a special connection to LEGO and frequently shares purchased sets on social media, offering fans a glimpse into his creative process.

Latest Metal Gear Solid

After releasing each new Metal Gear Solid entry, Kojima has suggested that he would step back from the series. Yet new ideas and visions kept drawing him back into game development. The last Metal Gear game Kojima worked on was Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. A forthcoming remake of the third installment is planned without his involvement.

Game based on The Matrix

In 2005, Kojima was approached by the Wachowskis with a proposal to create a game inspired by The Matrix trilogy. The discussion referenced the successful Twin Snakes remake, which integrated time dilation in battle scenes featuring Neo. The project never moved beyond talks, but the idea reflected Kojima’s fascination with combining cinematic storytelling and interactive gameplay.

Three Matrix inspired titles were released, but none achieved lasting commercial or critical success.

Love for Russian cinema

Kojima is known as a cinephile with a broad taste, including Russian and Soviet cinema. Among his favorites are Viy from 1967, Burnt by the Sun 2: The Citadel, Leviathan (2014), and Hard to Be a God (2013).

These influences surface intermittently in his work, shaping his sensitivity to atmosphere, pacing, and mood, even as his projects remain firmly rooted in gaming.

Kojima is a genius, but only for us

The meme Kojima is a genius gained popularity in 2015 after the release of Metal Gear Solid V and a video by a popular blogger. Following Kojima’s departure from Konami, comments praising his genius grew among fans, especially in Russian-speaking communities. In western circles a different meme briefly circulated, but the core idea remains widely discussed among players and commentators alike.

Is Kojima a genius?

Kino controversy and plagiarism allegations

Russian games journalist Anton Logvinov publicly accused Kojima of plagiarism at E3 2008, suggesting that a main musical theme from Metal Gear Solid 2 resembled certain classical pieces. The discussion focused on the composer Norihiko Hibino, who crafted the soundtracks for multiple Metal Gear installments. The debate highlights how influential Kojima’s work became and how eagerly fans dissect its influences.

Three video games based on The Matrix trilogy were released, but none achieved lasting success.

Kojima hides his profession for a long time

In the 1980s Japan saw arcade machines rise to prominence, yet being a game developer was not widely recognized as a prestigious career. To avoid awkward questions, Kojima once claimed he worked in finance. A friend once introduced him at a wedding as a man who simply loves playing video games, provoking surprised laughter from those present.

Over time, Kojima’s work life became more visible, and his role as a creator grew far beyond the stereotype of a hobbyist.

Kojima still wants to make movies

The creator dreamed of directing films since childhood. While gaming remained a central focus, a new division within Kojima Production started in 2021, concentrating on film and music. The potential for feature filmmaking remains a real possibility, and fans keep an eye on any announcements about future cinematic projects.

Although one unit of Kojima Production works on film, a Death Stranding film adaptation has been discussed as a possibility and could be produced within a renowned studio network.

Would you like to see a Kojima feature film?

Kojima’s challenges with lawsuits and public relations

In 2015, Canal Plus Group, holder of rights to the film Escape from New York, considered legal action against Kojima for alleged plagiarism. Personal connections helped avert the lawsuit when John Carpenter intervened, reportedly describing Kojima as a good guy. The outcome left a mark on the public perception of Kojima, illustrating how personal relationships can influence legal disputes in the entertainment world.

The resemblance between Snake and the main character from Escape from New York is obvious, yet Kojima did not hide his sources of inspiration, leaving numerous references within his works.

Readers are invited to share their thoughts about Kojima’s genius and his impact on the industry in the comments.