IGN: After Metal Gear Solid 4 you said you were done with the series yet you're back with Peace Walker – why are you finding it so hard to let go?
Hideo Kojima:
Hideo Kojima:
I always said that it would be the last Metal Gear in which I would be deeply involved, however when we started the PSP version there was a lot of confusion within the team and it didn't proceed as I wanted it to. Therefore I thought that I needed to jump in and do Peace Walker.
To give you a little more detail, what's happening in the team is that the next Metal Gear - or the next new series that Kojima Productions is going to create – we wanted to go one step ahead, therefore we need to actually restructure the engines, the tools and things like that. This process is taking one to two years; however, within that timeframe we could do something, and we thought that because of this preparation period we just can't wait and do the preparation – we thought that within that timeframe we could do a PSP version.
To give you a little more detail, what's happening in the team is that the next Metal Gear - or the next new series that Kojima Productions is going to create – we wanted to go one step ahead, therefore we need to actually restructure the engines, the tools and things like that. This process is taking one to two years; however, within that timeframe we could do something, and we thought that because of this preparation period we just can't wait and do the preparation – we thought that within that timeframe we could do a PSP version.
IGN: What games is this engine being prepared for?
Hideo Kojima: First of all I can name Metal Gear Solid Rising – that's going to be on the preparation list. Also there's a new title that we haven't announced that I've wanted to make for a long time – that's on the list as well. And also a couple of other new titles we're preparing now.
IGN: Are these new titles related to anything that's gone before, or is it an all-new game?
Hideo Kojima: The one that I said that I've been wanting to make – this is a new franchise and a new title. For the other couple of titles, it could be something that you always wanted to have. It could be, or it could be something else. It's a matter of the timing of when we can get it out.
Hideo Kojima: First of all I can name Metal Gear Solid Rising – that's going to be on the preparation list. Also there's a new title that we haven't announced that I've wanted to make for a long time – that's on the list as well. And also a couple of other new titles we're preparing now.
IGN: Are these new titles related to anything that's gone before, or is it an all-new game?
Hideo Kojima: The one that I said that I've been wanting to make – this is a new franchise and a new title. For the other couple of titles, it could be something that you always wanted to have. It could be, or it could be something else. It's a matter of the timing of when we can get it out.
IGN: Going back to Peace Walker – it's obviously not the first time Metal Gear Solid has come to the PSP, but how similar will it be to Portable Ops, and what lessons have been learned from that game?
Hideo Kojima: Actually, I don't look back on Portable Ops, almost deliberately because the staff that worked on that game, some of them are working on Peace Walker as well. However, we have a different thinking – we're thinking of a whole new start, almost continuous of Metal Gear Solid 4 - how can we make a continuous version of Metal Gear Solid 4 on the PSP? So I deliberately don't look back to the resemblance or the mistakes made on Portable Ops, it's more the mindset is totally different; we create a new Metal Gear series, just on the PSP. It's a whole new approach.
My aim is, game-wise, story-wise and the whole world of Peace Walker is probably very easily ported to PS3 or 360 or the next-gen – and that's one of our goals that we're trying to achieve with Peace Walker.
Hideo Kojima: Actually, I don't look back on Portable Ops, almost deliberately because the staff that worked on that game, some of them are working on Peace Walker as well. However, we have a different thinking – we're thinking of a whole new start, almost continuous of Metal Gear Solid 4 - how can we make a continuous version of Metal Gear Solid 4 on the PSP? So I deliberately don't look back to the resemblance or the mistakes made on Portable Ops, it's more the mindset is totally different; we create a new Metal Gear series, just on the PSP. It's a whole new approach.
My aim is, game-wise, story-wise and the whole world of Peace Walker is probably very easily ported to PS3 or 360 or the next-gen – and that's one of our goals that we're trying to achieve with Peace Walker.