Famitsu: Kojima directing two new titles, aiming at Western markets

by Ludwig Kietzmann { Dec 24th 2008 at 3:28PM }

Now that Snake is enjoying his favorite TV stories at the retirement village, Metal Gear Solid director Hideo Kojima appears to have set his sights on new projects and distant markets. According to a recent interview within the pages of Japanese mag Famitsu (translation via 1UP), the renowned developer hopes to target overseas regions with his next title -- one of two.

Though one of the projects will reflect design processes employed in previous titles, Kojima Productions will allegedly undergo a "makeover" to put it on par with studios in Europe and America. Will Kojima trump them all with his other mystery game? We'll start off by asking: How many space marines are in it?*

*Note: Joystiq does not actually condone generalizations regarding Western developers, Western tastes nor Westerns. These generalizations are all baseless and contemptible.

Tags: Famitsu, Hideo-Kojima, Kojima-Productions

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Taco_Hell @ Dec 24th 2008 3:35PM

Oh, for the love of god and all that is good and holy in this world, please let one of those titles be Zone of Enders 3.

Naota @ Dec 24th 2008 3:40PM

I haven't played ZOE in so long...

Rein @ Dec 24th 2008 4:04PM

More ZOE is always a good thing. Honestly, why hasn't he made ZOE 3 yet?

zkey14 @ Dec 24th 2008 4:42PM

ZOE3 is the only game that would actually make me sprint to the store the minute it comes out. ZOE2 was a gift from Heaven.

Shit, I'd even buy a PS3 for a taste of that sweet, mecha action.

t_m @ Dec 24th 2008 8:43PM

does ZOE have space marines? Or Ender?

Moptimus Slime @ Dec 24th 2008 3:35PM

Weren't Kojima and Suda51 supposedly working on a game together?

Maybe 1 of the 2 is that game...maybe

Mr Khan @ Dec 24th 2008 3:42PM

Suda himself confirmed that at some point. It was called "Project S" and thus has led to rumors of a Snatcher remake

Though the only facts to back that up are that Snatcher begins with an S

Jakka ( The Order of Haters of Balance) @ Dec 24th 2008 4:22PM

S = 5

MGS5 confirmed!

slycooper_rocker [anti-panda death murder squadron force five] @ Dec 24th 2008 4:49PM

@ Jakka

they never said mgs was over. they said kojima would stop working on them and snake wouldn't be the main character anymore. so mgs5 is completely possible. but i can't imagine it being nearly as good.

tmacairjordan87 @ Dec 24th 2008 3:42PM

Hopefully Guerilla and Infinity Ward taught Kojima well in...whatever he went there for. The japanese have proven time after time they have no idea what the rest of the world wants, so hopefully for once they'll get it right.

Mr Khan @ Dec 24th 2008 3:43PM

If all the Japanese devs start making bland grey-brown sci-fi games, i'll quit gaming, and that's a fact

tmacairjordan87 @ Dec 24th 2008 4:02PM

Nothing could be any more bland and lifeless than what the japanese have churned out over the last 3-5 years. Not everyone, but most of them.

Otimus @ Dec 24th 2008 4:03PM

Amen to that, Mr. Khan.

I really, really, really want the Japanese to be able to stick to their guns, and keep doing what they do well, instead of being pigeon holed into making as much money as possible pleasing American and Europeans.

Haggard @ Dec 24th 2008 4:13PM

Genius exists in all corners of the world. Good Japanese games appeal to us because of how unique they seem to our western viewpoints. However, the majority of japanese games, just like the majority of western games, are bland, lifeless and boring.

Spartacus @ Dec 24th 2008 4:16PM

I don't think "color palette" is what tmac is talking about. I think he's referring to actual game mechanics and philosophy.

I think RPG's are a great example of this. Western devs have really evolved the genre while Japanese devs are doing the same thing they did in the PS1 era.

Jakka ( The Order of Haters of Balance) @ Dec 24th 2008 4:27PM

@ Spartacus

As opposed to what? CoD5 not being a high-resolution reskin of CoD1? Fallot 3 not being Oblivion with Guns? Western market is pretty much filled with one sequel shat on top of the other.

Moptimus Slime @ Dec 24th 2008 4:38PM

tmac, allow me to point out MGS2 as an example of how Kojima doesn't give a fuck what the rest of the world wants and will make his own damn game

WiredKnight @ Dec 24th 2008 4:44PM

@Jakka, No.

As opposed to progress. While they may seem the same to you, it's pretty obvious to other people the kind of new ideas an innovation that go into modern western games. Sparticus is right, Japanese RPGs haven't changed a bit. They might make little tweaks here and there, but they're all still based on the same exact core.

It's unfortunate, really. We get people like Will Wright and Peter Molyneaux and Jean-Christophe Guyot out there trying new things, breaking new ground, and all people do is complain.

Moptimus Slime @ Dec 24th 2008 4:49PM

"They might make little tweaks here and there, but they're all still based on the same exact core."

which is different from any gaming franchise.....how? Mario still jumps on heads, Space Marines still shoot aliens, NASCAR fans still turn left, etc.

"it's pretty obvious to other people the kind of new ideas an innovation that go into modern western games"

thats because we have people like Peter Molyneaux who spend every waking minute since the games announcement telling us about every slight tweak that separates it from the last one

Otimus @ Dec 24th 2008 5:17PM

A genre does not have to change to suit someone's tastes, or to be like something else. Most genres don't change. Most genres HAVEN'T changed. I hate that whole attitude "Hey, these WRPGs are fun, why can't JRPGs be this. I hate JRPGs! Angry! Angry!"

The real truth of the matter is, is that WRPGs haven't evolved a whole lot either. BUt to know that, you'd have to of been playin' them before the XBOX 1, on PC.

Spartacus @ Dec 24th 2008 7:00PM

To say that WRPG's are the same today as they were 10 years ago is ridiculous.

Mass Effect?
Oblivion?
Fable 2?

These are games that brought something new to the table, whether it be movie quality dialog, extreme open world design or in game economy. They weren't always implemented perfectly, but my god man, Western devs innovate 10x more than Japanese devs have! But yeah, all the innovation is certainly mixed with a torrent of "more of the same".

You can't argue that Western game development hasn't made aggressive and massive progress compared to Japanese game development. Fifteen years ago Japan's quality and quantity dwarfed that of the Western games. Now, certainly the quantity comes from the West, though I guess quality could be a matter of opinion, most of the critically acclaimed games in the last few years have come from the West as well. Meanwhile it seems Japan hasn't dried up by any means, but their progress is much more incremental and deliberate.

Joeshie @ Dec 24th 2008 7:49PM

As sad as it is, Western development has become much better than Japanese development, in terms of polish and quality of gameplay. It seems like all the AAA must have games are now from the West and the best the East can do it put out a decent game.

Lavat @ Dec 25th 2008 7:56PM

@Joe

Lack of Polish? I would not call MGS4 lack of polish in the Japanese development ring. You compare MGO to Gears Of War 2 multiplayer and I am seeing GOW having more obvious exploitable glitches and alot more lag.
As for the rest of alot of Japanese games...I could not speak for them. I do not happen to come across a guy like Kojima who happen to have had Ryan Patton.

EKAJ13 @ Dec 24th 2008 4:01PM

La-Li-Lu-Le-Ha-Lo

Popfrogs @ Dec 24th 2008 4:10PM

As long as they're not some useless iPhone games I'm all for whatever he comes up with next.

Other Japanese developers should be taking notes as well. The Japanese market isn't nearly as lucrative as it used to be for even Japanese companies. Unless it's a train simulator or something with gigantic eyed characters and lots of spiky hair and numbers on the screen, it won't sell.

My biggest disappointment so far has been Square-Enix's lack of quality (and quantity) since this new generation started 2-3 years ago. Can someone explain why Japanese devs are so far behind the curve?

Sora @ Dec 24th 2008 8:23PM

Square Enix already spent freaking forever on great games last gen, so now they're spending even longer because of the better hardware/engines etc. I'm sure we'll start seeing their quantity pour in in the next couple of years once their development cycles that began a year or so before the generation began end.

WiredKnight @ Dec 24th 2008 4:29PM

Bring it on, Kojima.

I'm interested to see what he can do outside of Metal Gear.

Papa @ Dec 24th 2008 4:35PM

Boktai?

WiredKnight @ Dec 24th 2008 4:49PM

Oh, sorry I guess I should have said I'm interested to see what he comes up with next.

j.howlett @ Dec 24th 2008 4:36PM

come on bayou billy

GWX @ Dec 24th 2008 4:44PM

Don't you mean AMERICAN space marines? I'm pretty sure europeans can only fight with tea and good manners, not space guns.

I only kid.

But that would be the best game ever, a FPS where you throw tea and compliment the hordes of space zombie vampire nazi communist mutants from africa. Who's with me?

WiredKnight @ Dec 24th 2008 4:50PM

*cricket*

Hala Madrid!! (Somebody get me a tie! And it sure as hell better be red!) @ Dec 24th 2008 4:56PM

I just hope that is not another fucking iPhone game.

ChiTownRuler23 @ Dec 24th 2008 5:08PM

if its not an RPG or a stealth game ill probaly give it a try

fantastic dan @ Dec 24th 2008 5:16PM

whatever it is i hope it has reeeeeeaaaaaaally long cutscenes

OMGOMG @ Dec 24th 2008 5:25PM

I want a true new IP for the 360. He said he'd be interested in doing one.

DigDug @ Dec 26th 2008 11:58AM

Not these 2, these are both PS3 exclusives...

343 Guilty Fart @ Dec 24th 2008 5:26PM

How about a Metal Gear prequel, with young 'Snakey' as a slave, who builds his own robot buddies, and gets saved by some Jedis. We'll call it "Metal Gear Solid: Episode 1: The Patriot Menace: Special Edition: Tactical Espionage Action"

Lard @ Dec 24th 2008 9:04PM

How about a geography game *For* the people at Konami, so they can finally learn that North America doesn't consist of just New York and LA.

sweetasman01 @ Dec 24th 2008 9:40PM

How about geography game for americans so they know Africa is not a country!

LordVesper007 @ Dec 24th 2008 6:16PM

Lol as long as it's not a ps3 exclusive I'll care.

LordVesper007 Whisperer @ Dec 24th 2008 6:43PM

Did you really laugh out loud?

Popfrogs @ Dec 24th 2008 11:56PM

Hey leave him alone, he didn't do anything to you.

Come here sweety, we can troll together in the next vaguely PS3-related story.

Wiinterfang @ Dec 24th 2008 7:06PM

Lunar Knights 2 please.

StarCasm, formerly known as Rastafario, formerly known as HB96st @ Dec 24th 2008 7:17PM

Sorry but IMO, the Japanese have been falling behind everyone else. I look at my recent 360 collection, and not one game is from japan! (out of 10-12 games) they're too busy churning out "quirky" games and half decent RPG's. FF10 was the last rpg that got me open.

They were running shit, but the west caught up AND surpassed them. The only Japanese developer that never slipped was Capcom. I would love to see new ip's from them.

Flame @ Dec 24th 2008 8:39PM

Tip: Most western gamers do not enjoy long-descriptive cutscenes that bring out core of the story and make it more engaging. 5 minute cut-scenes tops!

Yoshi @ Dec 24th 2008 9:40PM

Please, please, PLEASE be talking about a Zone of the Enders 3!

Break @ Dec 25th 2008 4:50AM

While I'd like to see a follow-up to ZoE, I doubt it's going to happen. If anything, Kojima might make a straight up FPS (now where are my space marines?!), or something else along those lines. ZoE and its kind are dead, Western audiences want something that glorifies war or the heavy use of guns (except for the otaku who get their jollies from scantily clad females with big eyes and big guns). If Kojima wants to go the distance, he's going to have to remake either Halo 3 or Fable 2. That's the only way I can see him go and be able to please Western audiences. Anyone up for a(nother) sequel?