Kojima explains those "erotic" tweets

Hideo Kojima's Twitter account drew attention this week for comments about a new Metal Gear Solid character, and how he had requested she be made "more erotic." The game director has now clarified those tweets, and explained he actually meant sexy.

"Maybe the phrase 'erotic' wasn't really [the correct word for] what I was trying to say," Kojima told Polygon through a translator.

"What I'm really trying to do is create unique characters. One of those is, of course, Quiet. She's a really unique character, I wanted to add that sexiness to her. It wasn't really supposed to be erotic, but sexy."

While the game's art director Yoji Shinkawa said sexy is a term that can apply to any element of design within the game.

"Often I look at a weapon or a vehicle and think 'That's really sexy,'" said. "It's not just the characters, but the mechs and weapons [as well.]"

The character in question is a mute sniper sporting a bikini, and according the original tweets the Shinkawa was told to make the character more erotic, to boost its appeal for cosplay and collectible figurines.

"The character I asked Yoji to make it more erotic, this one may not be cosplayable," Kojima tweeted on September 4.

"The initial target is to make u want to do cosplay or its figurine to sell well."

He then tweeted "dear Cosplayer friends, something like this for example," followed by a shot of Quiet's rump.

The model for Quiet, Stefanie Joosten also told Polygon there were reasons for the character's costume choice that would be revealed at a later time.