Kojima on Japan's game development curse

Hideo Kojima, director of Kojima Productions and the man behind the massive Metal Gear Solid series, has suggested that the problem with Japanese game development is that it's too focussed on making games for Japan.

"One thing about Japan, and this isn't just games, is that things made in Japan are very much targeted at Japan, whether it's games, movies or novels," the famous developer told CVG.

"The curse in Japan is that a lot of media is made in Japan just for Japan - you go to the cinema and it's all Japanese movies. My generation is now being exposed to a wide range of influences, that's why what I want to make is a little bit more in tune with what people in the West will like."

His words echo those of Keiji Inafune, who used his GDC talk to warn the Japanese industry that "Japanese games are becoming a blast from the past, similar to how the Beatles were great, Steve McQueen was a brilliant actor."

Kojima, best known for his hardcore Metal gear Solid series, also revealed that he wasn't worried by the rise in social gaming, seeing it as a way for more casual players to take part on the franchise.

"I don't think that they're that separate, both social games and hardcore games will evolve together, and at some point I feel the social side of things will converge with the core games," he predicted.