Kojima: Japan "lacking the motivation"

Metal Gear Solid lead Hideo Kojima is concerned that the Japanese games industry is being outpaced by the West, decrying his country's motivation and education system as the cause.

In a long outburst via Twitter, he expressed dismay at various aspects of Japan, and particularly its young people.

"The West is very motivated. The younger generation of Japan is losing," he said.

"The designers and to-be-designers in the West have the focus, ambition, and ability to make their dream become true. It is not the Japanese technology or culture that is losing; we are lacking the motivation."

He felt a lack of cross-cultural pollination was partly to blame, claiming that the Japanese education system needed to embrace the West more if it was to train a new generation of game-makers.

"The number of students that study abroad from Japan has decreased. There are very few Japanese students at the prestigious Harvard University, and in MIT...zero. The engineering population in Japan may be in jeopardy. We should first review our education system here in Japan."

His tirade also extended to more senior members of the Japanese game industry, claiming not enough retained personal enthusiasm for the medium.

Praising the dedication of his favoured staff, he advocating that others should dedicate more spare time to playing games. "I am tired of taking care of people who do not have the passion," he complained.