Key Takeaways
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Hideo Kojima is a rare breed in games, one of the few “writers”.
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Dragon Age's creative director admits it takes a studio to make a game, but Kojima has won the title.
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Few can match Kojima's reputation in the industry.
Hideo Kojima's reputation for acting is unparalleled. There aren't many 'household names' in gaming as players tend to associate games with studios rather than individuals. In most cases, this is the correct way of thinking because hundreds, if not thousands, of people are involved in creating a successful triple-A game. It's the collaborative experience of a developer studio that makes games so fun.
However, Hideo Kojima is a creation that people associate with interesting and exciting games. Kojima earned this reputation at Konami and has complete control over the creation of his projects at his independent studio, Kojima Productions. A recent Washington Post article referred to Kojima as a “writer”, in fact a director who has so much influence on a project that they go beyond their role and define the entire work. This is a common title given to Kojima in the media.
Kojima's popularity is unparalleled
Dragon Age: Veilguard creative director John Epler took to social media site Bluesky to comment on Kojima's status as one of the few auteurs in gaming (good spot , GamesRadar+), and said that “in general, I'm against the idea of auteurship in games, because a lot of people don't have control over how a game turns out, but Kojima is one of 'the few people I think get it.”
Epler expanded on his comments in response, saying, “As someone who has just launched a AAA game in a leadership role, it's easy to have a vision. I've done it many times.” Epler went on to say that Death Stranding is “different from anything else [he’s] played” and while he's not sure he likes it, he appreciates it.
Certainly not many designers have the reputation and longevity that Kojima has developed. Hidetaka Miyazaki, Goichi Suda and Katsura Hashino are all other names that come to mind, but it's hard to match Hideo Kojima's name recognition.
Kojima Productions plans to release Death Stranding 2: On the Beach in 2025. The studio is also working on OD, a horror game written by Jordan Peele, and Project Physint, a spiritual successor to Kojima's Metal Gear.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard is the long-awaited fourth game in the fantasy RPG series from BioWare formerly known as Dragon Age: Dreadwolf. A direct sequel to Inquisition, focusing on red lyrium and Solas, the aforementioned Dread Wolf.
