Hideo Kojima Says He Almost Didn’t Release ‘Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty’
Director Hideo Kojima has opened up about the difficult decision to release 2001’s Konami stealth game Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty.
While the game was generally praised for its detailed graphics, some critics took issue with a scene featuring a ship crashing into the island of Manhattan. In a new interview for IGN, Kojima spoke about the complex situation of releasing the game in a post 9/11 world.
The situation was so stressful that Kojima even debated quitting Konami for a time but ultimately decided to stay on with the company following a conversation with chairman Kagemasa Kozuki.
“9/11 took place in 2001 right before the release of Metal Gear Solid 2. We’d just sent off the master, but the game featured both the World Trade Center and the Pentagon,” Kojima said. “It seemed impossible to release the game. I was called to the board of directors and they all turned pale when I explained the situation. Nobody would tell me what to do, with the exception of Mr. Kozuki, who tackled the issue.”
Kojima recalled that when he talked to Kozuki about the pending release of Metal Gear Solid 2, the chairman told him: “When this game comes out and society has their say about it, they’ll be talking about you, its creator, and me, the person who sold it. I doubt they’ll say anything about anyone else. What will you do? I’m ready for whatever happens.”
“When I heard how far he was willing to go, I made the firm decision that we’d release it together,” Kojima continued. “The rest is history.”
Metal Gear Solid 2 went on to land as a massive success, selling 400,000 units in its first day in Japan.
In other gaming news, Death Stranding 2 may not release until 2024.
