Resurfaced Metal Gear interview reveals Kojima was so frustrated making the original game he planned to leave Konami

Game designer extraordinaire, Hideo Kojima, is held in high esteem within the gaming world. Renowned for resurrecting and innovating the stealth genre, as well as pioneering game cinematics, Kojima continues to captivate audiences with Death Stranding and its forthcoming sequel.

Initially in his gaming career, Kojima felt “discouraged” and even considered quitting Konami prior to the completion of the original Metal Gear MSX game.

Hideo Kojima almost left Konami before Metal Gear launch

In an interview with Nice Games back in 1999 (archived on Shmupulations), Kojima admitted that the process of creating Metal Gear was challenging because of the dismissive attitude from other developers at Konami.

The game designer shared that during his early years at Konami, the environment became increasingly challenging due to passive-aggressive resistance, which almost caused him to leave the game studio. He admitted that he had grown so frustrated with working for a corporation like Konami that he was seriously considering leaving altogether.

From the outset, there was absolutely no drive or enthusiasm. It felt as if one might ask, “Why am I even here? Must I resort to violence against others?

HIDEO KOJIMA, 1999

Following a discussion with an experienced colleague, the developers at Konami began to shift their focus. But it wasn’t until the addition of the iconic exclamation point pop-up that everyone wholeheartedly agreed and jumped on board.

After successfully launching a functioning version of the build, Kojima noted, “When the exclamation point appeared upon catching the enemy off guard, it sealed the deal.” From that moment on, everyone’s perspective shifted: “This is going to succeed!” they agreed.

Currently, Kojima is busy with several intriguing projects such as Death Stranding 2, the horror title OD for Xbox, and potentially a revisit to the Metal Gear stealth series. Moreover, his classic game Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater is undergoing a substantial remake, though no official launch date has been announced yet.

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2025-01-15 16:39