Hideo Kojima, the creator behind the highly popular franchise Metal Gear Solid, has been a strong proponent of virtual reality (VR) for some time now. When asked about videogames and the future of VR he’s previously stated: “I think VR holds the key to game development.” At the Develop: Brighton conference today Kojima took to the stage with Mark Cerny – lead system architect for PlayStation 4 – for the keynote address where the conversation turned to VR.
Reported by IBTimes, Cerny asked Kojima: “This year VR is definitely something that’s on everyone’s minds. Do you feel that VR will change games? Do you have any interest in it as a game creator?” To which Kojima responded: “More than one hundred years ago movies appeared and changed many things. We still have movies, on smartphones now, but we’re still tied to this square frame.
“With VR we’re able to get rid of that frame and you can look 360 degrees. That alone makes it something completely new that will make a huge difference; that will allow many, many things to change.
“With VR I see a lot of these mini-games, maybe people are a little overwhelmed by – maybe you could call it VR shock – but this tech will make it into people’s houses, into everyone’s lives, and they will stay there.
“As long as there are people thinking up new ideas with this technology will come up, and this will change so many aspects of life, and from all these changes I want to focus on the changes we can make in entertainment.”
He also thinks videogames could get to the point where emotions are far easier to replicate: “As we get nearer to the ability to add through technology the ability to portray more expression and things such as temperature, it will soon be easier to reach out through games online than actual interaction between human beings. We’re really close to the point when it will be easier to get emotions through games than actual people,” reports Gamasutra.
While Kojima has formed his own studio Kojima Productions since leaving Konami, he’s still made no mention of actually developing a VR title. At E3 2016 last month the studio revealed its next project Death Stranding staring The Walking Dead’s Norman Reedus.
If and when Hideo Kojima decides to make a VR videogame VRFocus will bring you the details.
