Hideo Kojima and Konami have released a short documentary in which the acclaimed series designer discusses the hardship and challenges he faced creating Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain.
The ten-minute "MGS 5 Debriefing" video was published on Konami's official website late on Tuesday as the game launched worldwide, and it shows Kojima meeting with key people involved in the production of The Phantom Pain.
Later in the video, Kojima also pays a visit to the family of Sean Gillespie, a fan of the series who was suffering from cancer during the production of The Phantom Pain.
Gillespie died on February 8, but had written a letter to Kojima when the MGS V project had entered a brutal crunch period. The Metal Gear creator said the letter served as inspiration to the team to push on with development.
Problems between Kojima Productions and Konami have been extensively documented by the press. In March, GameSpot revealed that power struggles between the two parties had reached the stage where most senior staff were ready to leave the company after MGS V shipped. It is unclear if their working relationship has restored since.
Kojima embraces Troy Baker, a voice actor who plays Revolver Ocelot in MGS5
Some in the press have commented that Kojima's debriefing video is, in fact, a farewell message. It is not clear if this is accurate.
In the video, Kojima says "my energy comes from the players. My mission is to exceed their expectations. It's all that matters to me."
Kojima's final words in the video: "I've been working on making MGS V the best it can possibly be, balancing and tweaking right up until the very end. Players will not be disappointed. I'm sorry it took so long, but I feel we've created something very special and I hope everyone will enjoy it. Thank you all."
Elsewhere in the short documentary, Kojima discusses the unique responsibility and challenges involved in working on the same game series for 28 years.
It also pays a tribute to Gillespie, describing him as "a Metal Gear fan and honorary member of the team whose messages of support and love for the series gave us strength during our toughest hour."
Further Reading:
