Hideo Kojima, the mastermind behind the Metal Gear series, has expressed “mixed feelings” about the 26th anniversary of Metal Gear Solid, as its remake Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater continues to receive mixed fanfare and negative criticism.
Metal Gear Solid Creator Hideo Kojima Has “Mixed Feelings” About 26th Anniversary
Mixed Feelings Amid Mixed Fanfare for MGS Delta: Snake Eater
Metal Gear series creator Hideo Kojima recently took to Twitter (X) and expressed his “mixed feelings” about the 26th anniversary of Metal Gear Solid (MGS). MGS is the 1998 entry in the highly acclaimed stealth game franchise that revolutionized gaming. In his post, Kojima acknowledged the game's milestone while reflecting on how times have changed. "Yesterday marked the 9th anniversary of MGSV, and today is the 26th anniversary of MGS. Kinda have mixed feelings. September 3, 1998—it was the 20th century. We even had an in-store event on the day of release," he wrote.
MGS is highly lauded among the gaming community, ushering in groundbreaking gameplay and visuals that took the gaming world by storm upon its release. Its blend of cinematic storytelling and gameplay, a signature of Hideo Kojima's game design, set a new standard and left a lasting impact on the video game genre. The sentiment was echoed by Akio Otsuka, the Japanese voice actor for Snake, who retweeted Kojima’s tweet (xeet?), commenting that the release of Metal Gear Solid "feels like a long time ago."
MGS' 26th anniversary comes at a time when the Metal Gear series is experiencing a resurgence—albeit one that has sparked mixed reactions from fans. Konami, the publisher of the series, has been working on Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater (MGS Delta: Snake Eater), a remake of 2004’s Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. However, the revival efforts have not been without drama and negative fanfare, particularly due to Hideo Kojima’s non-involvement in the project, as well as his controversial departure from Konami.
Konami addressed fan criticism claiming that the MGS franchise is "dead," with some fans directly blaming the company for its perceived decline. Fans of the franchise maintain their skepticism towards Konami's undertaking. In a June presentation, Konami shared feedback that revealed only 24% of the responses were positive towards the upcoming game. The majority of the feedback (64%) was neutral, while 11% was negative.
This mixed fanfare is also likely rooted in the circumstances surrounding Kojima's controversial departure from Konami, which was reportedly not amicable. There were reports indicating that during The Game Awards in 2015, Konami's legal department allegedly barred Kojima from attending the event, despite his last Metal Gear game, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (MGSV), bagging several awards.
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Hideo Kojima has “mixed feelings” about Metal Gear Solid’s 26th anniversary
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