Hideo Kojima Wins New York Game Awards’ Legend Award

Iconic video game developer Hideo Kojima has won the Legend Award at The New York Game Awards this week [via GameSpot].

kojima death stranding
Credit: Kojima Productions/PlayStation

During Kojima’s acceptance speech the developer spoke about his most-recent release, 2019’s Death Stranding, and also called for world peace.

The world was becoming divided. People were becoming isolated. So we made Death Stranding,” Kojima said. “Then, after it was released, the coronavirus hit, Brexit became a reality, and there was another presidential election. The world is still very divided. But I hope that people can come together, like they do in the game. I hope the world comes together and that we can all live in peace.

Snake in MGS
Credit: Konami

While Kojima is best known as the creator of the Metal Gear Solid series, the developer’s debut in the industry came with a quite unknown game called Penguin Adventure in 1986 for Konami.

However it was the following year in 1987 where Kojima really started to make his name by developing Metal Gear for the NES.

Metal Gear was a game way ahead of its time, not only in terms of how the player used stealth mechanics to evade the enemy, but also in how enemies would actively investigate the suspicious player-controlled character.

Compilation image of Kojma games
Credit: Instagram/Kojima//Kojima Productions/Konami

In 1990 Metal Gear got a sequel for the NES with Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, offering a further taste of what’s to come in the future of the series.

Solid Snake would return once more in Metal Gear Solid in 1998 for the original PlayStation, a game that is considered to be one of the greatest video games of all time.

Over the years that followed, the Metal Gear Solid series would spawn many sequels and spin-offs, each bringing with it new innovation in gameplay.

Hideo Kojima would also develop other critically acclaimed video games such as Zone of Enders. In 2014 we got a taste of Kojima’s horror aspirations with P.T, but the less said about that the better [Editor’s note: thanks, crying now].

Lisa in P.T
Credit: Konami

Following a messy divorce with Konami, Kojima brought us the critically acclaimed Death Stranding starring Norman Reedus. The game is a unique story of the world’s end and highlights the importance of people coming together. 

Death Stranding also coincidentally shared elements similar to that of the current global pandemic, which resonated with fans.

It will be interesting to see what’s next for Hideo Kojima though I hope that he gets an opportunity to finish his horror vision that he was unable to complete following the premature end of P.T/Silent Hills.

Whatever’s next, a huge congratulation to Kojima on winning the Legend Award at The New York Game Awards.

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Featured Image Credit: Instagram/Kojima//Kojima Productions/Konami