Metal Gear designer and producer Hideo Kojima has revealed that his studio, Kojima Productions, will ‘start from zero’ from 2009 in order to better complete globally.
"We’re currently reviewing everything – from the team structure to tools and our staff – in order to make Kojima Productions a team that can challenge foreign creators and software houses," he told Famitsu as part of their 2009 preview. "So, because of that, 2009 is going to be a very important year for us.
"I’ve come to understand that the way we’ve made games up until now won’t translate globally, and I’ve come to think that I need to make Kojima Productions a team that can compete alongside the rest of the world," he said.
"I’ve thought a lot about how Western games have been winning, looking it from a global perspective, and there are things that I’ve noticed. So 2009 will be a year of change, a year where we start from zero again."
Likening games developed in the West to Hollywood’s output in terms of worldwide appeal, he said: "With games, you’ve got to use cutting-edge techniques, and doing so costs money – so I don’t think you can make games that just appeal to the Japanese market. So, 2009 will see us continuing to think how to create a team that can take on the world."