This time Nordic Game Conferencewas held in Malmö, a town in the southern tip of Sweden, in late May, when the sun set at 10pm and the temperature was 20 degrees.
Most of the participants come from Scandinavian countries and Western Europe, and Hideo Kojima, who is already a worldwide legend in the gaming industry, is so popular that it drives people crazy even in the Nordic gaming industry.
As one of the keynote speakers at the Nordic Game Conference, Hideo Kojima was given VIP treatment, with a venue that could accommodate 600 people, one of the largest at the event, and no other sessions during the same time slot.
Although many participants were tired from the previous night’s party, the venue was already full by the time Kojima’s session started at 10am, and everyone was waiting for Kojima to enter.
This time at the park, there was no theme, and the event was held in the form of a one-on-one roundtable discussion called “Kojima Q&A.” The interview was conducted by Thomas Puha, who is in charge of communications at gaming giant Remedy.
Now, please take a look at the summarized contents.
Nordic Game Conference Hideo Kojima’s lecture summary
— What does the photo I saw on Kojima-san’s Twitter on the second day mean?
Mr. Kojima: I created it as an icon and symbol of Kojima Productions. The EverCreative Suit expresses the idea of adding a sense of adventure to cutting-edge equipment and delivering play to lands and worlds that no one has ever been to before. Although he doesn’t have a weapon, he wears medieval armor to protect himself as he ventures into the unknown.
— What do the photos and messages posted on the website represent?
（KOJIMA PRODUCTIONStwist)
Mr. Kojima: Humans have evolved by using tools. According to a Dutch scholar, humans learn by playing. In the same way, we want to enrich people’s lives through playing games, and we also want to create games that encourage learning and communication.
— What image do you have of the Nordic game industry?
Mr. Kojima: Ever since I came to DICE in Copenhagen eight years ago, I have been amazed by the Nordic game industry. Many titles are developed in Scandinavia, from famous console blockbusters to world-famous smartphone games. One of the reasons I came here this time was to find out why.
— I know you are very busy, but do you have time to play games?
Mr. Kojima: There are only 24 hours in a day, so I’d like to use that time to make games first. Next, I want to find time to spend with my children. After that, it’s time to eat, sleep, watch movies, read books, and play games. However, I play the famous games myself, and have the staff play the difficult games.
— How do you feel now that you have started your own company?
Mr. Kojima: I’ve been making games for 30 years now. I’m used to things like gathering people and using a new development engine, and I’m not worried or afraid because I’ll just be doing those things again. The biggest difference is that now that I’m an indie developer, I no longer have business meetings, which gives me more time.
— What kind of game are you planning to create with your small team?
Mr. Kojima: Our team is small, so at first we were trying to make a small game. However, many people pointed it out. This is the kind of game we want from you. So right now I’m making a different game with a sharper feel. I want to get it out into the world as soon as possible.
— How do you choose a development engine?
Mr. Kojima: If possible, we would like to create the development engine in-house, but we would like to develop by adjusting the existing engine, taking into account the advantage of being able to release the game faster. We are currently in the process of looking for that engine.
— In the past, I would concentrate on one game and complete it in a few days, but now I play some games for several years.
Mr. Kojima: People’s lifestyles are changing these days, and fewer and fewer people are watching movies online for two hours straight, and more and more people are watching only a few minutes.
Rather than just having players play a set route, we need to continually change the way we create games so that players can freely decide how they want to play.
Just as a movie can be made for five years and finished in two hours, games used to be made over several years and finished in a few days with intensive play, but like TV dramas, they are released in episodes. I think it will be possible in the future to continue development and release while making players wait.
If this happens, you can develop while playing catch with the players. However, I think unpopular characters will die more and more (lol)
— You have created many innovative games, controls, and interfaces, but how did the ideas for them come about?
Mr. Kojima: A sense of realism is extremely important in gameplay. If you don’t pay attention to the small details in the game, the player will feel a little strange and then go back to reality. We are making games with great care. For example, Disneyland is a dream world, and the toilets there are also designed to be part of that dream world. You can see the difference in the sense of immersion because other theme parks have not been built.
— What do you think about VR?
Mr. Kojima: I’m very excited about future developments with new technology. Of course, there are still things like high prices and bad looks right now, but there are many areas where it can be applied in the future, such as education and simulators, and in 10 or 20 years, it will probably become something we could never have dreamed of. .
(The summary of Mr. Kojima’s lecture ends here.)
It was a one-hour session, but it felt surprisingly short because there was an interpreter involved.
Mr. Kojima, a world legend in the game industry and highly popular in Scandinavia, spoke about his valuable experience and his future plans.
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