Kojima unveiling Fox Engine August 30 Metal Gear creator says he's finally ready to take the wraps off the tech he's been working on since Metal Gear Solid 4.
While Kojima didn't say how the unveiling would take place or if he'd be showing off the first game built on Fox Engine, he did specify that the event would be held in Japan. After recognizing problems with the Japanese style of makes games, Kojima said he spent a year and a half visiting studios worldwide to refine the development process.
"The Fox Engine is nearly finished, but the only way to be sure it works is to create a game at the same time and improve the engine with our tools as we go along," Kojima said, adding, "Production studios in Japan are nearly extinct, a fact that we have recognized for nearly 10 years, and although the Fox Engine is not finished we are ready to show what it can do."
The first game built on Fox Engine is being developed under the name Project Ogre. Kojima first talked about the project last year, saying the development team was still in the planning phase, experimenting with ideas and conducting research. He has since said players would be able to explore the game's world freely, and should still be able to find new things to keep them playing even 100 hours into the game.
Kojima is also planning a new Zone of Enders game, and is confirmed to be building Metal Gear Solid 5 on the Fox Engine.
One of the worst ways to realize you’re getting old is when something you hold dear reaches a certain age. That being said, Metal Gear celebrates its 25th anniversary this month.
The Metal Gear series, although not originally created for PlayStation consoles, began to reach its current level of popularity in 1998 when Metal Gear Solid was released on the original PlayStation.
We met with Hideo Kojima to talk about his thoughts on the series’ landmark games, and to discuss what’s in store for the future’s franchise.
Metal Gear — 1987 (MSX2)
Hideo Kojima: This is the year I began working in the video game industry, as a game designer and planner. I was very young — among the first generation in the industry in Japan. I had already built up a certain reputation when I started as an employee, but the first game on which I worked for half a year was cancelled. We didn’t know when we were going to finish it, and one day my superiors called me to inform me they we cancelling it.
I thought about leaving the company and looking for other work, but they offered me the chance to develop a combat game for the MSX. The result of this offer was the first Metal Gear. It was launched exactly 25 years ago. It is well known that the MSX had many technical limitations, and I didn’t want to make war games. So I decided to create something similar to The Great Escape — something involving an escape — and in the end I made an espionage game.
Metal Gear received good reviews, and as the planner I had to create some drawings for the game. I didn’t have many tools, so I had to go to the programmers and tell them exactly what I had in mind and what I wanted them to do.
Back then, programmers made the final decisions, rather than the planners, which bothered me a lot. I wanted to have the final say on the games I was creating, so I asked for a script system to be made so I could input sounds and animations whenever I liked. This is how Snatcher was born.
Metal Gear Solid — 1998 (PlayStation)
Metal Gear 25th AnniversaryHideo Kojima: I was making games like Policenauts, and I heard rumors about a console on which polygons could be created in real time. This really grabbed my attention, since one of the major attractions of games is the sensation of action, and I was intrigued to see what I could achieve with those polygons. Metal Gear is a hide-and-seek game, and the thought of doing this while adding a camera that could change position really excited me. So I stopped making script-based games and went back to asking for favors from programmers for this 3D world.
I was a designer for Metal Gear Solid, but I was not a producer, so I had no say in the budget, release date, or promotion of the game. I remember when they told me what the release date would be and I had no say in the matter… these are bitter memories for me.
At Kojima Productions I’m a director, producer, and designer of video games; I have control over the budget, and more say in what to do or what not to do, especially regarding hiring. In fact, the people who worked on the first Metal Gear Solid are still the core of Kojima Productions.
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty — 2001 (PlayStation 2)
Hideo Kojima: Metal Gear Solid sold well throughout the world; it was a great success. When I heard about the hardware for the PlayStation 2, I wanted to try something new. Up to that point, all cutscenes had focused more on details like facial expressions, but I wanted to pay more attention to the surroundings, to see how much I could change them in real time. Current games like Call of Duty have followed this trend of making your surroundings more realistic.
Since Metal Gear Solid sold very well, I had a bigger budget for MGS2, so I was able to work with people like Harry Gregson-Williams, with whom I had wanted to work for some time, but had always been told the funds weren’t available. We were under a lot of pressure, but at the same time I enjoyed the creative freedom I had in making the game.
We were also able to promote the game in parallel to its production. I remember at E3 2000 we received a standing ovation, which I really enjoyed. Looking back, I have fond memories of the development of Metal Gear Solid 2.
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater — 2004 (PlayStation 2)
Hideo Kojima: While MGS2 sold well, many fans of Snake were upset that Raiden was the main protagonist; we received a lot of complaints about that. There were also comments about the story unfolding too quickly; it created quite a stir. With this in mind, we created Snake Eater.
At the time, I was not just a designer but also a manager, in charge of the studio. We were therefore able to develop several projects at once, such as Boktai, Zone of the Enders, and The Twin Snakes. I thought it would be very hard for me to develop Snake Eater as the lead creator, so I tried to delegate responsibilities to younger employees in the studio. In the end it couldn’t be done, but it was my first attempt in doing it.
After MGS3 was finished, in order to make it clear that the next Metal Gear would not be directed by me, while on tour in Europe we announced that the next director would be Alan Smith, an alias.
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots — 2008 (PlayStation 3)
Hideo Kojima: The PlayStation 3 was quite a complex system; games had to be developed in three levels. By the end of the Metal Gear Solid 4 project we had nearly 200 people working on it, with three directors (although often they were directors in name only, and I ended up doing a lot). This is why the game was delayed.
We made MGS4 according to a very Japanese method. At the time, the trend was for open-world games, but we decided to pay no attention to this and take another path. I already felt the need to create something similar to what we are doing with the Fox Engine.
In order to develop the Fox Engine, I had to understand how things worked elsewhere, so for a year and a half I visited studios around the world, and since we are Japanese people we were able to see the way others worked and recognize that in many respects their methods were better than ours.
Since the Fox Engine was going to take a lot of time to create, at the same time we began working on Peace Walker.
Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker — 2010 (PlayStation Portable)
Hideo Kojima: We did not only develop Peace Walker for the PSP because it was a popular console in Japan, but also because we had the concept of Transfarring in mind, so as a test we developed it on the PSP. Transfarring is now up and running, but it was something we had planned since the very beginning.
I think Peace Walker was a success. We were able to accomplish much of what I wanted, for example the whole social aspect which we had not achieved on the PS3. With simpler hardware, we were able to focus on doing things we had been wanting to try. Fox Engine
Hideo Kojima: The Fox Engine is nearly finished, but the only way to be sure it works is to create a game at the same time and improve the engine with our tools as we go along. Originally we were going to do this for Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, but a lot happened along the way and instead it is being made with the engine they have at Platinum Games.
Production studios in Japan are nearly extinct, a fact that we have recognized for nearly 10 years, and although the Fox Engine is not finished we are ready to show what it can do… on August 30th in Japan to be more specific.
‘Metal Gear Solid is like the Olympics’ – Kojima talks development Metal Gear Solid 5 may be hiding under a cardboard box right now, but Kojima has laid another teasing tweet over at his official Twitter feed, comparing development of each new MGS game to the Olympics.
Translated by OPM, Kojima’s tweet commented on development of the Metal Gear series, “When asked what the MGS series is to you, I once responded, ‘It’s like the Olympics.’ A big event held every three or four years.” “You devote your life to the major goal of a fight on the world stage, “Kojima continued, “You think of nothing beyond that. The latter half becomes difficult, and you think that you’ll retire after this. But after release, you think about the next tournament.”
“The next tournament” could be Metal Gear Solid 5, Project Ogre or something else.
Either way, Kojima is to present a Metal Gear Solid 25th anniversary session in Tokyo on August 30th, and is expected to shed more light on his next project. We’ll have more nearer the time.
1860, γεννιέται ο The End 1880s-1890s, οι πρόγονοι του McDonnel Miller μεταναστεύουν από την Ιαπωνία στις Η.Π.Α. 190Χ, γεννιέται ο Old Boy 1909, γεννιέται ο Major Zero 28 Ιουλίου 1914, ξεσπά ο πρώτος Παγκόσμιος Πόλεμος 11 Νοεμβρίου 1918, το τέλος του Α’ ΠΠ. Ισχυρές προσωπικότητας από τις Η.Π.Α. την Ε.Σ.Σ.Δ. και την Κίνα συγκεντρώνονται και σχηματίζουν τους Philosophers. Οι Philosophers διοικούνται από την Wisemen’s Committee. 1922, γεννιέται η Boss. O πατέρας της ανήκει στους Philosophers. 193X, τα τελευταία από τα αρχικά μέλη της Wisemen’s Committee πεθαίνουν. 1935, γεννιέται ο Big Boss. 1936, γεννιέται η EVA. 1936, γεννιέται η Para-Medic (Dr Clark). 1 Σεπτεμβρίου 1939, ξεσπά ο δεύτερος Παγκόσμιος Πόλεμος με την εισβολή της Γερμανίας στην Πολωνία. 1941 Ιούλιος, ιδρύεται η SAS. 1942 Αύγουστος, ο παππούς του Otacon συμμετέχει στο Manhattan Project. 1942 Δεκέμβριος, η Boss ιδρύει την Cobra Unit. 1942 Οκτώβριος, η Boss πριν την αποστολή δολοφονίας του John Von Neumann μαθαίνει πως είναι έγκυος. Στην αποστολή τραυματίζεται στο κεφάλι και είναι σε κώμα για τρεις μήνες. 1944 6 Ιουνίου, απόβαση των συμμάχων στην Νορμανδία. Η Cobra Unit αναλαμβάνει αποστολή καταστροφής γερμανικών πυραύλων V-2. Η Boss γεννά. Το παιδί ονομάζεται Adamska (Ocelot) και απαγάγετε από τους Philosophers. 1945 6 Αυγούστου, γεννιέται ο πατέρας του Otacon, Huey Emmerich. Πέφτει ατομική βόμβα στην Χιροσίμα της Ιαπωνίας. 1945 15 Αυγούστου, η Ιαπωνία παραδίδεται άνευ όρων, τέλος του B’ΠΠ. Αρχές του Ψυχρού Πολέμου. 1947 Οκτώβριος, η Boss διαλύει την Cobra Unit. 1950 25 Ιουνίου, ο Big Boss συμμετέχει στον πόλεμο της Κορέας. Λίγο αργότερα γίνεται μαθητής της Boss. 1951 1 Νοεμβρίου, γίνονται πυρηνικές δοκιμές στην Area 7 στην Νεβάδα με την παρουσία και στρατευμάτων. Η Boss εκτίθεται σε υψηλά ποσά ραδιενέργειας. 1952 19 Ιουνίου, δημιουργούνται οι Green Berets. 1953 27 Ιουνίου, το τέλος του πολέμου της Κορέας. 1954 1 Μαρτίου, οι Η.Π.Α. πυροδοτούν την πρώτη βόμβα υδρογόνου στην ατόλη Bikini. O Big Boss εκτίθεται σε υψηλά ποσά ραδιενέργειας. 1954 13 Μαρτίου, ιδρύεται η KGB. 1960 Σεπτέμβριος, δύο πρώην πράκτορες της NSA, ο Adamska και η EVA πάνε με το μέρος των Σοβιετικών. 1961 15-19 Απριλίου, αμερικανική εισβολή στον κόλπο των χοίρων (Κούβα). Συμμετοχή της Boss. 1962 τέλη Σεπτεμβρίου – αρχές Οκτωβρίου, ο Zero (Major Zero) βοηθάει τον Sokolov και την οικογένεια του να διαφύγουν από την Ε.Σ.Σ.Δ. και να βρουν άσυλο στην δύση. Τελικά ο Sokolov καταφθάνει στο δυτικό Βερολίνο. 1962 14 Δεκεμβρίου, Η Boss στο Tselinoyarsk της Ε.Σ.Σ.Δ. σκοτώνει τον πρώην αγαπημένο της The Sorrow. 1964 24 Αυγούστου, ο Big Boss (τότε Naked Snake) αναλαμβάνει την αποστολή Virtuous Mission με στόχο να διασώσει τον Sokolov που βρίσκονταν στην περιοχή Tselinoyarsk της Ε.Σ.Σ.Δ.
1964 30 Αυγούστου, ο Big Boss αναλαμβάνει την αποστολή Snake Eater και σκοτώνει την Boss. 1964 Σεπτέμβριος, στον Naked Snake απονέμεται ο τίτλος Big Boss αλλά δεν το αποδέχεται. 1966, ο Big Boss υιοθετεί τον Frank Jaeger (Gray Fox). 1968, εξαφάνιση της EVA κατά την παραμονή της στο Ανόι. 1970, o Βig Boss στα γεγονότα της San Hieronymo Peninsula (MGS: Portable Ops). Ο Major Zero ιδρύει τους Patriots. Τον ακολουθούν οι Big Boss, Ocelot, Para-Medic (Dr Clark) και ο Sigint. O Zero προωθεί τον Big Boss ως πρότυπο ήρωα. Διαλύεται η ομάδα FOX. 1971, o Big Boss διασώζει την EVA από το Ανόι και την μυεί στους Patriots. O Big Boss ιδρύει την FOXHOUND στην οποία λίγο αργότερα εισέρχεται και ο Frank Jaeger. 1972, οι σχέσεις μεταξύ Big Boss και Major Zero όλο και χειροτερεύουν. Ο Big Boss τραυματίζεται στον πόλεμο του Βιετνάμ και πέφτει σε κώμα. Ο Major Zero δεν χάνει την ευκαιρία και ‘’παίρνει’’γενετικό υλικό από τον Big Boss με την βοήθεια της Para-Medic Dr. Clark. To πρόγραμμα Les Enfants Terribles ήταν γεγονός. Γέννηση των κλώνων του Big Boss, Solid Snake και Liquid Snake. 1974 Νοέμβριος, ο Big Boss στα γεγονότα του MGS: Peace Walker. Τελικά αποδέχεται τον τίτλο ‘’Big Boss’’. 198X, ο Big Boss συμμετέχει σε εμφύλιους πολέμους στην αφρικανική ήπειρο. Αρχές μέσα δεκαετίας 1980, γεννιέται ο Raiden. Τέλη δεκαετίας 1980, ο Solidus Snake σκοτώνει τους γονείς του Raiden και τον εκπαιδεύει στα όπλα. Ο Big Boss ιδρύει την Outer Heaven στην νότια Αφρική. 1988, η οικογένεια της Sniper Wolf δηλητηριάζεται από τα χημικά αέρια των Ιρακινών. 199X, οι Solidus Snake και Raiden συμμετέχουν στον εμφύλιο πόλεμο της Λιβερίας. 1990, o Frank Jaeger λαμβάνει τον βαθμό FOX, ο μεγαλύτερος βαθμός στην FOXHOUND. O Solid Snake με τους Green Berets και ο Liquid Snake με την SAS συμμετέχουν στον πόλεμο του κόλπου. 1993, ο Vulcan Raven εγκαταλείπει την Ρωσία και μισθοφόρος γίνεται μέλος της Outer Heaven. 1995, o Solid Snake προσχωρεί στην FOXHOUND. Το Metal Gear TX-55 κατασκευάζεται από τον Petrovich Madnar στην Outer Heaven. O Solid Snake στα γεγονότα της Outer Heaven στην νότια Αφρική. 1997, ο πατέρας του Otacon, Huey Emmerich, αυτοκτονεί όταν μαθαίνει πως ο γιος του έχει ερωτικές σχέσεις με την μνηστή του. 1999, ο Solid Snake στα γεγονότα της Zanzibarland στην κεντρική Ασία. 200X, O George Sears (Solidus Snake) εκλέγεται ως ο 43ος πρόεδρος των Η.Π.Α. 2000, ξεκινάει η κατασκευή του Arsenal Gear. O Liquid Snake γίνεται μέλος της FOXHOUND όπως και ο Ocelot. 2002, η Naomi Hunter γίνεται μέλος της FOXHOUND προσφέροντας τις ιατρικές της γνώσεις. 2003, η Dr. Clark (Para-medic) σκοτώνεται στο εργαστήριο της από έκρηξη που προκάλεσε ο Gray Fox (πρώην Frank Jaeger) κατά την προσπάθεια του να αποδράσει. Το όλο συμβάν σχεδιάστηκε από την EVA και Ocelot ώστε να περιοριστούν τα μέλη των Patriots. 2005, o Solid Snake στα γεγονότα των νησιών Shadow Moses στην Αλάσκα. Γνωρίζει τον Otacon και την Meryl, καταστρέφει το Metal Gear REX ενώ ο Liquid Snake πεθαίνει από τη δράση του FOXDIE. 2006, o Solid Snake μαζί με τον Otacon ιδρύουν την Philanthropy. 2006-2007, o Raiden εκπαιδεύεται στο VR training. 2007, ο Solid Snake στα γεγονότα του tanker Discovery. 2008, γεννιέται η Sunny Gurlukovich. H Dead Cell χάνει τους Chinaman και Old Boy. 2009, οι Raiden και Solid Snake στα γεγονότα του Big Shell Plant. Ο Solidus Snake σκοτώνεται από τον Raiden στην οροφή του Federal Hall. Τέλη 2009 – αρχές 2010, γεννιέται ο γιος του Raiden και της Rosemary. 2011, o Raiden διεισδύει στην Area 51 απελευθερώνει την Sunny από τα χέρια των Patriots και την αφήνει στους Otacon και Solid Snake. Oι πέντε μεγαλύτερες PMCs του κόσμου ενώνονται υπό την ‘’Outer Heaven’ με αρχηγό τον Liquid Ocelot. 2012, o Raiden αιχμαλωτίζεται από τους Patriots και μετατρέπεται σε cyborg ninja. H Big Mama (EVA) και ο Lost Paradise Army τελικά των διασώζουν. 2014, ο Solid Snake (ή Old Snake) στα γεγονότα του MGS4: Guns of the Patriots. O Liquid Ocelot σκοτώνεται σε μάχη με τον Snake. Oι Snake και Big Boss συναντιούνται πάνω από τον τάφο της Boss. O Big Boss πεθαίνει από την δράση του FOXDIE.
