Viz Media announces that it plans to release Hideo Kojima’s collection of essays discussing the influences behind his legendary video games.
Hideo Kojima is one of the most influential individuals in game history, with his titles Metal Gear Solid and Snatcher continues to inspire games released to this day. The Japanese game designer has already won many awards for lifelong achievements and is one of the first gaming directors.
Hideo Kojima debuted in the late 1980s as the director of a video game with titles such as Metal gear and Snatcherhowever, it was not until 1997 Metal Gear Solid that Kojima has positioned himself as one of the greatest creative minds in the industry. The game was praised for its remarkable film qualities, which were considered ahead of their time and which still influence today. Kojima went to work at publisher Konami until 2015, when he left the studio after the release of Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain and the cancellation of Silent hills.
With the legendary game designer today still a leading force in the industry through titles such as Death StrandingKojima has been asked many times over the decades for his main inspiration for his work in video games, and now, thanks to Viz Media, his collection of essays that it reveals publicly will be released in English later this year.
Announcement: Hideo Kojima, creator of Death Stranding and Metal Gear Solid, explores the influences and inspirations that shape his work. The creative genes fall autumn 2021. pic.twitter.com/VKL6yXtK79
– VIZ (@VIZMedia) 19 February 2021
The Creative Gene: How books, movies and music inspired the creator of Death Stranding and Metal Gear Solid (known as The Gifted Gene and my Lovable Memes in Japan) is a collection of essays that Hideo Kojima originally published in Japan in 2019, in which the director discusses the inspiration behind his works. The book also contains a discussion between Kojima and the actor / musician Gen Hoshino, whose track “POP Virus” appeared Death Stranding.
The description of the book reads: “From childhood, Metal Gear Solid and Death Stranding creator Hideo Kojima was a voracious consumer of movies, music and books. They ignited his passion for stories and storytelling, and the results can be seen in his groundbreaking, iconic video games. The head of the independent studio Kojima Productions, Kojima’s enthusiasm for entertainment media has never waned. This collection of essays explores some inspirations behind one of the titans of the video game industry and offers an exclusive insight into one of the brightest spirits in pop culture. ‘
Fans of Kojima’s will know that the designer is not ashamed of his love of film, as he constantly shares the films he currently enjoys on his social media accounts, as well as collaborating with actors such as Norman Reedus and Mads Mikkelsen, and even film directors like Guillermo del Toro and Nicolas Winding Refn. Hideo Kojima has even partnered with some of his favorite musicians like CHVRCHES and Bring Me The Horizon to release an album for the release of Death Stranding.
While this collection of essays was written during the development of Death Stranding, it is possible that the book may contain tips for future projects distributed at Kojima Productions, as Kojima has been holding ideas for years before incorporating them into his games. The book will be published on October 12.
Death Stranding is now available for PC and PlayStation 4.
