From steak to DVD: Kojima talks next-gen
by Ross Miller 
{ Jun 19th 2006 at 12:55PM }
You may recall a while back Hideo Kojima (the Metal Gear Solid franchise) compared the next-generation consoles to steak dinners. Kojima has once again spoken, this time using more tech-oriented metaphors. Let's see how his opinion has changed: PlayStation 3
- Then: "If the game creators and the users want to have a great steak for their anniversary, they go maybe to PS3."
- Now: "The PlayStation 3 is like a movie theater for people who want to see this movie on the big screen with THX and 5.1 audio, even if they have to pay a high price."
Xbox 360
[via EuroGamer]
- Then: "If they want great dinner, great steak with their family, a little bit more casual during the weekends, they might select Xbox 360."
- Now: "The Xbox 360 is DVD. Basically, you don't know what movie you want to see, so you go to the store and see if you can pick up a good one."
- Then: "Why not have a great steak at your house everyday, they might choose Revolution."
- Now: "The Wii is like a TV for when you're home and you don't know what you want to watch but you [want to] have that variety"
[via EuroGamer]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Nin10dude @ Jun 19th 2006 1:00PM
He's a genius, he takes my analogies, only he can have them make sense to other people.
Aran @ Jun 19th 2006 1:04PM
Seems like Kojima is still very excited about Wii as he has mentioned earlier. I hope they finish MGS4 soon so he can start concentrating on Wii projects. :)
Ben Hobbs @ Jun 19th 2006 1:06PM
Wow!
A Japanese thinking that a Japanese console will be the best (which he also is exclusively linked to).
Don @ Jun 19th 2006 1:08PM
Either he makes horrible analogies, or is clueless. Less and less people are going to the theatre, despiste the big screen and THX.
The big factor? Paying $10-13 (plus food) for an experience that isn't just worth that kind of money.
What are more people doing? Watching dvds and TV! Some of the best content is on TV nowadays. So conversely, according to Kojima, the PS3s profits will drop like hollywood's movie profits are, and more and more people will be playing the Wii.
david @ Jun 19th 2006 1:08PM
yawn...
Lynx34 @ Jun 19th 2006 1:12PM
@Don
You realize that's his point, right?
Xanatos @ Jun 19th 2006 1:18PM
Question: do you like wearing pants?
Kojima: when you think of potato chips, there are many kinds that people enjoy. plain salted lays come to mind as a simple snack favorite, or perhaps with a sandwich and a deli pickle. many people eat standing up, so the use of the bag as a holder for the chips, instead of a paper plate or a sippy cup with the lid off, would be ideal for them. i believe there are those people who would like a barbeque chip, or perhaps a sour cream or salt and vinegar or cheddar ruffled potato chip, the ruffled chip is wonderful alone or with dip. there are also the corn chip varieties, and numerous colors of those immediately spring to mind, blue is a truly wonderful corn chip, but some people wish to have a frito scoop and some salsa, or a dangerously pointed dorito for those who crave excitement. i have not neglected the cheese oriented arena of snack chips, i have merely been pondering those who prefer the caveman war club cheetoh to the softer, more childlike puff.
Jake @ Jun 19th 2006 1:22PM
Well I sure hope the PS3 delivers what he's promising.
I'm a little underimpressed with my 360 as of late:
-- grabbed Hitman. It's the same as the Xbox version.
-- grabed MotoGP- it generally looks past-gen with high res textures, and on top of it has framerate problems. See the gamespot review:
"There are also some very apparent dips in the frame rate, and sometimes when coming around a corner you'll notice the game slows down quite a bit. In addition to the frame rate issue, there are also a lot of very visible lines that frequently appear onscreen where the frames don't quite match up. It's worse on some tracks than others, but when it gets bad it can look pretty ugly."
http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/driving/motogpurt/review.html?page=2&q=
riffgod @ Jun 19th 2006 1:23PM
It stills sounds like he's talking about how frequently you use the system. I hear, "Play your PS3 once in a while on special occasions, play your 360 every week or so, but your Wii you can play with all of the time.
I think this guy needs to give up on any type of comparing or contrasting in the future.
Aran @ Jun 19th 2006 1:24PM
Game Informer magazine did an interview with Hideo Kojima and asked him about developing for the Wii and 360. Here it Is:
GI:You have said before that Metal Gear Solid and the Playstation brand are very closely intertwined. Do you have an interest in pursuing development for the Wii or 360
HK:Of couse. For Wii, I really want to do it. The biggest stress or disappointment I have now is that I can't work on new things on Wii right away, but I have MGS4 and MGS:Portable Ops that I have to finish. When I went to Nintedo's [E3] party, Mr. Miyamoto came up to me and said "Aren't you creating for the Wii?" and I said, "Yes, I really want to, but I can't"
GI:All three of the hardware manufacturers have made it a goal to draw in more types of gamers. If more novice and casual gamers come into the fold, do you see a danger of games becoming overly simplistic?
HK:I don't think there is a danger to expanding, because expanding the population of people who play games opens up possibilities in the industry. I am a game designer who grew up playing Mr. Miyamoto's games, a gamer who became a game designer. This means I will probably create games for the people who play games the love and the are devoted to. And I will keep creating games for that core audience. There will be that difference in games in the future, but it is a good that there are new possibilities by bringing in new people.
The1 @ Jun 19th 2006 1:28PM
Ok for his analogies, what he has done on the PS3 can be accomplised elsewhere. So what he is say is that you can buy a pair of Levis from Bloomingdales or get them from Target so to speak.
Nick @ Jun 19th 2006 1:29PM
Given the Foreman-style design, I expect to have grilled steak every night on the PS3, with half the fat!
MarkTAW @ Jun 19th 2006 1:35PM
Sounds like he's saying that Sony has higher standards for it's games, not that the console itself is any different. Nintendo games will be quick & easy to play, like television sitcoms. Microsoft is a little more strict, and X-Box games will be on a somewhat larger scale. Sony will have the highest standards, and the games that are on the Playstation have to meet high criteria for aesthetic etc.
Of course, this could backfire. There's nothing stopping someone from creating an X-Box or Wii game to the same high standards Sony holds, so they could get all the "movie theater" games AND the DVD and television games.
mike @ Jun 19th 2006 1:44PM
PlayStation 3
* Then: "If the game creators and the users want to have a great steak for their anniversary, they go maybe to PS3."
* Now: "The PlayStation 3 is like a movie theater for people who want to see this movie on the big screen with THX and 5.1 audio, even if they have to pay a high price."
* Later: "The Playstaion 3 is like the fancy restaurants that put parsley on the plate, it has no use it just makes the plate look better and you have to pay more."
KawF @ Jun 19th 2006 1:46PM
@Ben Hobbs#3
Ever heard of the Lunar Knights series of games? Developed for Nintendo (DS)? By Kojima Productions...
It sure is amazing how a developer developing exclusivley... ooh, that's right. It seems I'm bad at math, because 2 does not equal 1, therefore, not exlusive to one system. Amazing.
Seriously you peope that claim that "japanese developers only care about japanese consoles". Look at yourselves. If it's not xbox/microsoft, then you claim it's crap. Oh, that's right, the xbox is an American console. I guess then it's fine. As always. "Do as we say, not as we do."
JimmyHACK @ Jun 19th 2006 1:48PM
He has a great view, stating how all 3 are different and great in their own ways
OtakuCODE @ Jun 19th 2006 2:06PM
Don: A big reason theaters are dying (thank FSM) are that people are investing in their own home theater systems. If you have a decent-sized HDTV and a surround sound system (you can get both for under $2k total now), the allure of home entertainment completely trounces going out and taking in all the negative aspects of public theaters.
The analogy doesn't really hold up to home consoles, though. I think the real problem with the PS3s price is not that people won't think it's worth it, it's that people flat out won't be able to afford it. A $600 item is going up against a lot. $600 can buy you a lot of goodies. I recently got a new widescreen LCD for my PC and an ATI X1900XT video card for about that price. Myself, I spend more time on my PC than I do playing consoles.
Yes, I would really love to turn on my console and have a fully HD surround-sound blow-me-away experience. But it takes a lot more than the tech to accomplish that. As always, it'll be about the games.
RogueStorm @ Jun 19th 2006 2:12PM
I find it funny that this guy would compare the most expensive console to one of the most expensive meats available in Japan. Beef is very highly priced over there last I checked, and that's only when they're not refusing to import it because of a mad cow scare or four each year.
To go along with him though, I like to grill my own steak, not buy some overpriced crap with a flashy label or too much of something I don't want to pay for. It will be the Wii60 for me, thank you.
Disposable Hero @ Jun 19th 2006 2:25PM
I think he's just saying this stuff for the sake of simply saying it and seeming unique. Hes basically just comparing prices and the quality of the experience (in his opinion), like we couldnt already do it ourselves, we need it to be compared to steak and watching a movie.
Staticneuron @ Jun 19th 2006 2:39PM
"Don: A big reason theaters are dying (thank FSM) are that people are investing in their own home theater systems. If you have a decent-sized HDTV and a surround sound system (you can get both for under $2k total now), the allure of home entertainment completely trounces going out and taking in all the negative aspects of public theaters.
The analogy doesn't really hold up to home consoles, though. I think the real problem with the PS3s price is not that people won't think it's worth it, it's that people flat out won't be able to afford it. A $600 item is going up against a lot. $600 can buy you a lot of goodies. I recently got a new widescreen LCD for my PC and an ATI X1900XT video card for about that price. Myself, I spend more time on my PC than I do playing consoles."
How ironinc you mention that after stating that two devices combined is worth just under 2k, That means you are spending well over 600 bucks for on of those devices in that equasion.
Just like this silly arguement has always been it is not that people "cant" afford it. It is whether or not people "decide" that the PS3 is "worth" spending so much on.
" I recently got a new widescreen LCD for my PC and an ATI X1900XT video card for about that price. Myself, I spend more time on my PC than I do playing consoles."
Therefore it wasn't about the price it was about the value. Where as a ps3 can play on any TV. Play blu ray, dvd, and cd's. Play video games, Surf the net, and try to whip up a homebrew concoction. I see a value there. Hell, I see value for all consoles because I like console gaming. I can get a lot of things for $200 bucks and/or $400 bucks doesn't make the 360 or the Wii less of a value to have.
So the whole you can get alot for $600 bucks arguement is tired and old.
Screen @ Jun 19th 2006 2:41PM
LOL!
Sorry if I don't take Hideo too seriously, he is literally a joke.
I mean, he took a survey from school girls, and they wanted Raiden and thats why MGS2 was the worst game ever, LOL.
Ben Hobbs @ Jun 19th 2006 2:46PM
@Kawf#12
"Ever heard of the Lunar Knights series of games? Developed for Nintendo (DS)? By Kojima Productions..."
No... and besides its not out for any of the three systems mentioned and I doubt that his company's future is resting on the balance of it.
Besides I said he was exclusvely linked to it, and with MGS 4, he is.
"Look at yourselves. If it's not xbox/microsoft, then you claim it's crap. Oh, that's right, the xbox is an American console. I guess then it's fine. As always. "Do as we say, not as we do.""
I'm British but live in Thailand, I didn't say the other games machines were crap - I simply stated that this guy has a vested interest (as you have pointed out in every manufacturer except Microsoft). Its hardly a good analogy (Cinema, DVD, TV) and its not my fault this guy thinks hes the Warhol of videogaming.
Why not just call it the Cheeseburger, 1/4 pounder and Big Mac of videogaming, whilst trying to appear mysterious.
LongshotX @ Jun 19th 2006 2:56PM
Why does joystiq insist on posting this crap. Who cares about his opinions that don't even make the slightest sense. Nobody goes to movies just cause it's on a big screen or it has THX. They go cause it's a movie theater, where you can sit down, eat popcorn, and enjoy a movie with friends, family, and even people you don't even know. This guy needs to stick to his day job, he sounds retarded. It's like he's talking in haiku.
bv @ Jun 19th 2006 2:58PM
Leep my stockings!
Uh excuse me?
My stockings. Leep them!
Seriously i think Kojima is lost in translation here, cause these ancient proverbs he's speaking don't make sense.
Gonzo @ Jun 19th 2006 3:21PM
And
D - The ds is like a good massage. You can get a massage anywhere but the ds will give you a hit of opium and a happy ending.
Kids: there are no happy endings with opiates; trust me!
Bored @ Jun 19th 2006 3:21PM
I don't go to movies because a big screen and THX or 5.1 audio Mr. Kojima. I go because I want to see the content playing on said big screen right away instead of waiting for it to go to DVD (essentially taking away the effect of my friends and family potentially spoiling the movie before I see it). More often then not I wait for it to come to DVD now because Hollywood hasn't produced a movie that I have to see right away.
boots @ Jun 19th 2006 3:27PM
Go Xbox 360 fanboys, you CAN do it! Defend your console at any cost, better if you attack PS3! Especially if you can't afford more than one console! Bill Gates guarantees eternal glory in heaven with 40 mindless virgin zombies playing Halo 5! And he'll thank you for making his wallet even fatter of course!
Dan @ Jun 19th 2006 3:30PM
I'm going to buy a Wii and I own a DS, but I have to say:
"Why not have a great steak at your house everyday, they might choose Revolution." = FANBOY
Lee @ Jun 19th 2006 3:44PM
SS, DD.
You guys, and your back and forths, always the same no matter what console the thread is about. Don't you ever get tired of it?
Sure, he's chatting rubbish, sounds like he's having a bit of a laugh actually. Of course he's going to say nothing but good things about the console his next big project is going to be on.
When was the last time you heard a developer say:
"Yeah, our game's gonna be great, there are better platforms to release it on, but hey, getting paid, right?"
It's got nothing to do with the actual quality of the console, Hideo has just been done well by Sony in his past MGS ventures, and less so by the MS/Nintendo ventures (I know, there are more factors, that they were ports/remakes, but the point remains).
I'll go for the Wii/360 combo until I can afford a PS3, I'm damn sure it won't be worth it for the first year. But I may just crack under the MGS4 pressure. The man does damn. Good. Work.
"If I knew where Hideo Kojima was, I'd be down on the floor licking his balls at this very moment."*
*Quote may have been altered slightly for the purposes of relevence.
lazy @ Jun 19th 2006 4:13PM
Did he just underhandedly slap Sony?
He effectivly called it a super media player, hence bluray?
Watership @ Jun 19th 2006 4:38PM
Kojima makes as much sense as the plots of any MSG. None.
cringer8 @ Jun 19th 2006 4:45PM
@OtakuCODE
You said, "If you have a decent-sized HDTV and a surround sound system (you can get both for under $2k total now)"
Umm, an HDTV that supports 1080p (PS3's output potential) costs over $3000. If you see one advertised for less, then the screen is lower quality and the 1080p signal gets downsampled to 780p. The only HDTV's for less than $3000 are 780p (for now). Toshiba's president put it best when he said, "shop with your eyes, not by the numbers. There are very few 1080p sets on the market with screens that can display such a resolution."
Kyle @ Jun 19th 2006 5:02PM
Go, Kojima.
I mean, who wouldn't want a steak as opposed to Lunchables? Granted, lunchables are badass, but I do have to agree on one point. I don't go to the movies to have that experience, I go because I feel the movie I am about to see was worth admission. It all comes down to personal value and if you'd rather spit out 650-700 for a Wii60 combo mania, then fine.
Others of us will snag a PS3 and have a large variety of game genres to play. Which is to say, more than WWII shooters, sports titles, and racing sims.
losers @ Jun 19th 2006 5:11PM
cringer8, you are wrong.
Best buy has a 42" 1080p Westinghouse LCD that they are actually using to demo the Toshiba HD DVD player inside stores for $1,999.
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=7699163&type=product&productCategoryId=pcmcat33900050026&id=1138084694260
I've seen it in person, looks great, and Best Buy must think it looks great if they are using it as a demo for HD DVD. I might just get one to hook my PS3 up to.
Lee @ Jun 19th 2006 5:25PM
"Kojima makes as much sense as the plots of any MSG. None."
Watership makes a point, Metal Solid Gear was hella confusing.
Just because you don't understand something, don't just put it down to not making sense.
Overly convoluted, perhaps (really just talking about MGS2 here), but it does all make sense.
Vader582 @ Jun 19th 2006 5:31PM
WHAT'S UP WITH MY COMMENTS BEING ERASED?! UP FOR A SECOND TIME!!
Sounds what $ony is really trying to do is bank on
elitists (yes that's you $ony fanboi) who feel they are better than everyone else.
I'm sure Kojima was/is handsomely rewarded for any positive statements he makes on the P$3. I mean look at how egotistical the statement is: "The PlayStation 3 is like a movie theater for people who want to see this movie on the big screen with THX and 5.1 audio, even if they have to pay a high price." As someone
mentioned, ticket numbers are down...the analogy may be more appropriate then they want/hope.
I love all the current systems.
They ALL have great games. But $ony's attitude is really rubbing me
wrong. Don't come up with more analogies! Here I have an analogy for you $ony, The P$3 is like MickeyD's, the 360 like BK and the Wii...like Chucky Cheese. (Notice how I chose restaurants that are
more or less of the same caliber?) There! I solved your problem of what analogy to use next! Now put your money where your mouth is and show us some damn product!!!
Chuck Norris @ Jun 19th 2006 5:50PM
He's absolutely right. As a game developer, I found PS3 Dev kit is just freakin' amazing. It's worth every penny you will spend on.
Doomstalk @ Jun 19th 2006 6:42PM
I'm waiting for him to liken the consoles to prostitutes. I can imagine it now: "The Playstation 3 is like a high-class hooker: she's great at conversation, and you can take her to dinner, but at the end of the evening you really just want to sleep with her."
"The Xbox 360 is like a reguar whore: she'll do most of what you want and, for a little extra, she'll do everything."
"The Wii is like a swingers' club: she'll get more people involved, and get them to do a lot of things they never would've tried before- many of them involving attachments."
jason w @ Jun 19th 2006 6:50PM
So with massive losses at the movie theaters over the past few years this is supose to be a good thing. Isnt Hollywood bitching that people dont go to the movies as much anymore? Not to mention the fact that a good portion of the people out there have wide screen hd tvs with surround sound built in at home.. well at least i do. Thank God for College.
carlos @ Jun 19th 2006 7:06PM
i hate developers that talk and speek jibberish like david jaffe to this guy fisrt of all just because david
jaffe developed god of war doesnt mean he is good everyone kissed his ass by saying oh ur the best developer just cause u developed god of war go back to developing mgs4 kojima!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Silkios @ Jun 19th 2006 7:13PM
@Vader582:
Actually, to me it sounds like Kojima is saying something positive about all the consoles, albeit in a very strange manner. Maybe something was lost in translation. Oh, and he doesn't work for Sony, so it's not Sony's attitude that's being portrayed here.
Donutta @ Jun 19th 2006 7:58PM
To be honest, I pulled out my Dreamcast yesterday and I had more fun with that than I've had playing with any of the current consoles, including the 360. The DS is probably on par, but I think my 360's blog -- http://www.360voice.com/blog.asp?tag=Lord%20Donutta -- says it all. After all, the top 2 games are XBLA titles, and the only reason I turned it on that one day was to show a friend what it could do.
But of course, I'm one of those bitter, annoying types that keeps harping on about how video games suck these days. And they do; there's just simply not enough arcade action to keep me happy. People are more concerned with making stuff like Metal Gear Solid and Gran Turismo and I'm looking for something like Virtual On or Scud Race.
So basically, you can go on about steaks all you want, but at the end of the day, I'd rather have a hamburger : quick, cheap, and satisfying.
Brad Lee @ Jun 19th 2006 8:20PM
Was this a mistranslation or something? Because none of that made any sense to me. If it is not a mistranslation, then people need to stop with these bizzare, confusing, and completely unnecessary similes/metaphors.
This "PS3 is like an expensive steak dinner" BS is exactly why Sony is losing their fanbase. How can we possibly trust a company to give us solid video game experiences when they are comparing the PS3 to produce? They aren't even calling it a 'multimedia device' anymore.
Thats okay though, I thought Kojima was brilliant because of MGS1, but everything after that I thought was completely overrated. Nowadays, Kojima could shit in a dvd case with 'Metal Gear Solid 4' scribbled on the front in crayon and fanboy gamers would probably still adore it.
the antique @ Jun 19th 2006 9:39PM
uh... for the Now part of Wii, it's "Your," not "You're"
cringer8 @ Jun 19th 2006 10:53PM
@losers
That's a great deal. Go buy it. That's a new set that usually retails for $2500.
But I'm not "wrong." You can't get a 1080p set and a 5.1 surround sound system for under $2000.
Ben Hobbs @ Jun 20th 2006 9:42AM
Cringer,
Sure, 780p right?
Personally never heard of it, sounds like someone doesn't really understand what they are talking about to me.
Oh, and I hated all of the MGS games, all I remember is mashing my button trying to get through all the hours of meaningless, unintelligable 'text' conversations and running around with the computer screaming "whoa whoa" at me.