Hideo Kojima Reflects on Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker on Its 14th Anniversary

Hideo Kojima Reflects on Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker on Its 14th Anniversary

As a seasoned gamer who has traversed the dense jungles of Naked Snake, sneaked through the shadows as Solid Snake, and battled rogue AI with Big Boss, I can’t help but feel a sense of nostalgia reading Hideo Kojima’s recent reminisces on Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker. It seems like just yesterday I was navigating the tropical landscape of Costa Rica, wrestling with my trusty walkie-talkie and outwitting enemy soldiers as I unraveled another layer in the complex tapestry that is the Metal Gear universe.


During its 14th birthday, game director Hideo Kojima recently posted an extensive update, shedding fresh light on the creation of ‘Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker’. This game, being a sequel to ‘Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater’, sometimes gets overshadowed because it’s not part of the main numbered series. However, Kojima has revealed that initially, ‘Peace Walker’ was intended to be named ‘Metal Gear Solid 5’, but the plan was altered later on.

In a fresh update on X, Kojima shared insights into the development and launch of Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker back in 2010. He revealed that after wrapping up Metal Gear Solid 4, he chose to design a brand-new game engine that would ultimately power Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. Whilst this new engine was being built, the concept for Peace Walker emerged as a means to further innovate the Metal Gear series in an unprecedented manner.

It’s interesting to note that Kojima disclosed that the game, Peace Walker, was initially intended to be called Metal Gear Solid 5: Peace Walker. However, this title received significant opposition from non-Japanese sources during testing. Consequently, the numbered title was removed and later utilized in what became The Phantom Pain.

14 years have passed since the debut of “Peace Walker,” and at that time, Kojima was in his mid-forties. As many game companies were focusing on creating apps for feature phones, he had a strong desire for a unique engine after developing “Metal Gear Solid 4.” He believed that significant advancements in gaming could only be achieved once the engine was finished. Meanwhile, he suggested “Peace Walker” as a method to expand the Metal Gear Solid series horizontally while we were working on perfecting the engine.

Originally known as “Metal Gear Solid 5: Peace Walker,” the title underwent strong resistance from international marketing. Therefore, we decided to remove the numbered label. Given that it was designed for the PSP, our goal was to attract a younger audience and foster a multi-generational fanbase. By doing so, we aimed to discover new young fans and create shared enjoyment between parents and their children.

Although he no longer works for Konami, it’s evident that Kojima cherishes his time working on the Metal Gear Solid franchise, frequently discussing it on social media. Looking ahead, Kojima intends to return to this genre with a future project called Physint, which is being positioned as a spiritual successor to the Metal Gear series by Kojima Productions. In the meantime, Kojima’s primary focus lies on Death Stranding 2, which is scheduled for release sometime next year.

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2024-10-06 20:09