The late 1990s produced a lot of groundbreaking entertainment, including films like The Matrix and video games like Metal Gear Solid for the original PlayStation. Interestingly, the filmmakers behind The Matrix, the Wachowskis, once approached Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima about leading the development of a video game based on their film.
Christopher Bergstresser, a former Konami executive, told Time Extension that the filmmakers behind the original Matrix movie contacted Konami because they were fans of Hideo Kojima’s games. However, Konami executives, including Kazumi Kitaue, rejected their request for a partnership in 1999, shortly before the film premiered in Japan.
According to Bergstresser, the Wachowskis greatly admired Kojima’s work. As a result, when the Wachowskis expressed interest in meeting him, a meeting was arranged at Konami headquarters. Present at the meeting were Kojima, Aki Saito (who continues to collaborate with Kojima), Bergstresser, and Konami’s Kazumi Kitaue.
A pair of executives came to Kojima with an artist, and essentially asked him if he’d be interested in making a game based on The Matrix. Aki translated this request into Japanese for Kitaue, who immediately and directly told them, ‘No.’ Despite not getting the project, we were still able to attend the Japanese premiere and afterparty for The Matrix.
Interestingly, this all happened around the time Hideo Kojima and his team were developing Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty for the PlayStation 2, which came out in 2001. While we don’t know exactly why Konami turned down the Wachowskis’ pitch, it’s likely they were focused on launching new console hardware and weren’t interested in adapting someone else’s story.
I’ve always noticed how much the Wachowskis love Japanese media, and it really shines through in their films! You can see the influence of Ghost in the Shell all over The Matrix, and of course, they even created The Animatrix to explore that world further. Then there’s Speed Racer, which has such a distinct, anime-inspired visual style. It’s clear they’re huge fans! And it wasn’t just film either – the fact that The Matrix got three video games – Enter The Matrix, The Matrix Online, and Path of Neo – shows they really understood how gaming could expand on a story and create new experiences. They clearly saw the potential in all kinds of storytelling mediums.
According to a former Konami employee highlighted by Time Extension, Hideo Kojima was keen on collaborating with the Wachowskis, even though Konami rejected the idea. This employee recalls Kojima being very enthusiastic about a potential partnership, and those on the creative teams were deeply disappointed when it didn’t materialize.
I noticed a big influence of The Matrix in Hideo Kojima’s games, especially the Metal Gear series. He really started diving into some pretty deep themes with Sons of Liberty, and you can definitely see that *Matrixlike vibe when he explores those heavier topics. It’s cool to see how he took inspiration from that movie!
Recently, a tech demo called The Matrix Awakens was released to show off the power of Unreal Engine 5. Though it’s no longer available for download, you can find more information in our article about it.
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2025-10-28 14:11