Hideo Kojima receives lifetime achievement award from MTV

by Randy Nelson { Nov 24th 2008 at 8:50PM }

MTV has awarded Hideo Kojima its first-ever lifetime achievement award for games as part of its MTV Game Awards 2008, held Nov. 22 in Germany. The award was presented to Kojima, who appeared in person, by Assassin's Creed producer (and fan of his work) Jade Raymond.

Far from the end of his lifetime in games, the legendary designer commented, "I have to say, even though I received this award, let me state that I will not retire. I will continue to create games as long as I live." You can watch a video of Kojima's acceptance speech after the break.

[Via PS3 Fanboy]

Tags: hideo-kojima, jade-raymond, mtv, mtv-game-awards-2008

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Vol @ Nov 24th 2008 8:56PM

< bleep > Achievement unlocked!

Errrrrr.... trophy!

OMGOMG @ Nov 25th 2008 12:53AM

I'd unlock Jade Raymond's achievement any day.

Mikey @ Nov 24th 2008 8:58PM

Kojima's expression there is quite apt.

Lekko @ Nov 24th 2008 9:24PM

snake eyes >.>

Arnon @ Nov 25th 2008 5:51PM

Lulz.. "It was bound to happen >.>"

nickels @ Nov 24th 2008 8:59PM

totally deserves it :)

eldee @ Nov 24th 2008 11:46PM

well- let me preface this by saying MGS is one of the best series ever, and at least 3 of the games are in my all time top 10 favorite ever.

NOW, having said that- lifetime acheivement? totally deserves it?? He had a great idea- struck gold even- and just ran with it. He has never attempted to branch out or innovate the industry (other than pushing existing tech to the best of his abilities in order to best display his latest opus). There are many other game designers who are more deserving, who have legitimately tried to steer the industry (with varying degrees of success). Miyamoto comes to mind- but he's already won every award under the sun and is likely already richer than god himself- but how about real innovators like Tim Schaeffer?

MGS was a fantastic series, don't take it the wrong way- but he's not an innovator.

Popfrogs @ Nov 25th 2008 12:17AM

Dude, he's probably been making some form of the Metal Gear series since before you were born. Or maybe not. Regardless, 20 years of Metal Gear games, which were incredibly risky to begin with and have been interesting and fun ever since, is something to receive an award for.

Oh and don't forget his other games like Snatcher, Policenauts, Zone of the Enders, etc.

Lifetime award early? Yeah..maybe. But so what, it's just MTV handing it out anyway and he definitely deserves any kind of recognition for bringing a spirit of excellence, obsessive attention to detail, and just plain fascinating games to the world.

eldee @ Nov 25th 2008 2:54AM

That's just my point.. he's been making the same game forever. And the more recent incarnations (IE: the solid series) are just inconsequential improvements on the previous games.. nothing ground breaking by any stretch of the imagination.

Oh and how can we forget the other games he's designed? Easily, they were all mediocre and highly forgettable, with the exception of Zone of Enders which was pretty decent but not earth shattering.

My point is, regardless of how good the MGS games are, he's just milking a cash cow, nothing more. He's said time and time again that he plans to work on another game after MGS4- and I can guarantee you here and now it will be MGS related. He's been doing MGS for so long he could use it as his freaking job title now: Metal Gear Guy.

Metal Gear is fantastic, and I'll be the first to say it's one of my favorite games.. but as a game designer I'm more inclined to say that Kojima got lucky with the MGS idea.

To me, giving Kojima a lifetime achievement award for MGS would be like giving Activision a lifetime achievement award for churning out Guitar Hero and Call of Duty games. I always buy them and enjoy playing them, but it's just the product of a machine at this point and hardly an innovation.

Purple Haze @ Nov 25th 2008 2:56AM

@Eldee,

I definitely understand what you're saying, but they're giving this award in 2008, and I can't think of a more deserving person who has released a game this year. I also have to agree with Popfrogs that the Metal Gear Solid series has always been risky, and even Metal Gear Solid 4 was really risky. There's a reason that there's no other game quite like it.

eldee @ Nov 25th 2008 3:10AM

"but as a game designer I'm more inclined to say that Kojima got lucky with the MGS idea. "

by the way- I wasn't implying that I (myself) am a game designer, I just reread what I wrote and realized how that could be interpreted.

Noshino @ Nov 25th 2008 4:12AM

eldee,

thing is Metal Gear is considered to be the birth of the stealth genre...yes, now it isn't as groundbreaking, but back then, it was. Not only that, but MGS is often praised as well for its deep, at times even really confusing, story.

uh, and as for his other games, Zone of the Enders was freaking awesome, and so was Boktai, the only game for which I stood on the sunlight (I live in Florida to make matters worse) for long periods of time.

tmacairjordan87 @ Nov 24th 2008 8:59PM

Hmm I wonder how long it will take on here before people either start lashing out that he got one before Miyamoto did, or just start verbally destroying MTV.

Jacksons @ Nov 24th 2008 9:03PM

Just can't let sleeping dogs lie, can you?

tmacairjordan87 @ Nov 24th 2008 9:05PM

Well I don't personally care that he got one before Miyamoto did here, nor am I rubbing it in...because I don't care lol. I'm just saying it gets ridiculous here sometimes and I wouldn't be surprised if a flame war started over this.

hobbes @ Nov 24th 2008 9:14PM

I'll be honest, Miyamoto was the first person I thought of when I first read this. Not to say that Kojima hasn't achieved a lot and created a critically and fan loved series... but heck, ask your mother who Solid Snake is. Then ask who Mario is.
Snake may have changed gaming, but Mario created it.

Jason @ Nov 24th 2008 9:44PM

Ask your mother who Thales is. Then ask who Einstein is. Einstein may have changed physics, but Thales created it.

Cal @ Nov 24th 2008 9:58PM

Pfft, everyone knows Cliff Bleszinski should have got it over those two...

eldee @ Nov 24th 2008 11:48PM

yes, because tired action drama with chainsawz 'n' alienz is a real stretch of the imagination. Seriously, if gears 2 had some ass slapping in it I'd think I was playing army of two.

Derick @ Nov 25th 2008 1:56AM

Miyamoto was Knighted a while back wasn't he?

I'd rather be knighted by the Queen than receive this from MTV....

tmacairjordan87 @ Nov 25th 2008 7:59AM

Why? Both are equally useless nowadays.

Pureshooter @ Nov 25th 2008 11:24AM

I'm pretty sure Thales didn't create physics, which is why you wouldn't have heard of him over Einstein (or many other philosophers). He is a contributor, such as Newton, Aristotle, Galileo, etc. whom many mothers would know about.

Sackolantern PSN ID: johnnynumber5 @ Nov 24th 2008 9:10PM

She totally pegged Kojima and his legacy as one of the greatest video game creators and story tellers of all time. He is the father of the stealth based game genre. If there was a video game version of Mt.Rushmore I have no doubts that Kojima, Miyamoto, Meier and Wright and would be on there. The only notable exception being Carmack.

It really is exciting to know that we are living in the era of artisitc masters. People will look at this time and think of the names of some of these creators like we think of legendary artist, composers & authors.

Shmil @ Nov 24th 2008 10:33PM

That's the way I see it. We may even embark on some sort of gaming renaissance soon.

Ihavepants @ Nov 24th 2008 10:41PM

"He is the father of the steath based genre"

Go play Thief you poop.

The Fatass of Kickassness @ Nov 24th 2008 11:16PM

Unless you're talking about the arcade game, Thief came out a month after MGS.

eldee @ Nov 24th 2008 11:52PM

Thief? MGS?? both of you need to go play Castle Wolfenstein. Came out in 1981 and single handedly birthed the entire genre.

Kojima even acknowledged this fact in an interview :P

ThornedVenom (Harley Quinn Defense Force) @ Nov 25th 2008 1:33AM

A Mount Rushmore with Kojima, Miyamoto, Meier and Wright... this calls for an epic photoshop.

CABALLOTE @ Nov 25th 2008 3:04AM

...and hardly Legendary.

Noshino @ Nov 25th 2008 4:22AM

Ihavepants,

Thief: The Dark Project was released on November 98...MGS was released on September of the same year...

And the original Metal Gear (87) was stealth as well

So tell me, how is it that Thief was before MGS? unless you are referring to the Apple and/or Arcade "Thief" titles, which indeed came much sooner, small problem though, those were not stealth games

Ihavepants @ Nov 25th 2008 4:50PM

Well I preferred Thief, but yeah I did think Thief came out first... still a month is not all that long like.

Premature ejaculation man @ Nov 24th 2008 9:11PM

That was only 0.0001% of his acceptance speech
hurr hurr!

;p

naveed @ Nov 24th 2008 9:16PM

this is ridiculous, there is no way, hideo kijima is amazing and deserves the award but not before miyamoto. thats like retarted...i mean he only made like one game series.

i really think miyamoto should have gotten it this year and next year it should be kojima or something.

lorddshadow2 @ Nov 24th 2008 10:31PM

he made more than mgs.

eldee @ Nov 24th 2008 11:53PM

I am in partial agreement with you.

However- it is impossible for someone to be re-tarted, as they would likely die during the first tarting process.

English is fun.

j.howlett @ Nov 24th 2008 9:18PM

no place for hideo?

Dave @ Nov 24th 2008 9:20PM

Isn't he a little young to be receiving a lifetime achievement award? Isn't that usually something you receive closer to the end of your lifetime? The guy's not even 50 yet.

Blank-Mage @ Nov 24th 2008 11:08PM

This is MTV we're talking about. If it's not recent, it's not relevant.

eNrique @ Nov 24th 2008 9:23PM

Hideo.

Cal @ Nov 24th 2008 9:26PM

So MTV can get Hideo to go to the event and collect his award, yet they got nothing from Rick Astley? =(

PSAZNFBY @ Nov 24th 2008 9:29PM

So what they give lifetime achievement awards to developers who over exploit over verbose dialouge and self serving cut scenes now?

Yay for the most insular, ultra nationalistic designer ever!

Can't wait to see the gaggle of sycophants on the web trip over themselves over this great news.