Often when a celebrity, politician, musician, artist, etc. speaks in public a line of dialog is sensationalized by the media. Celebrity video game designers are not immune from such treatment. Reuters
reported yesterday on Hideo Kojima's comments made during a speech at a launch event for
Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker. Echoing an ever popular opinion (one that
I subscribe to) , Mr. Kojima spoke on a video game future not limited to living rooms and video game consoles, but one in which gaming is experienced anywhere and everywhere.
"In the near future, we'll have games that don't depend on any platform...Gamers should be able to take the experience with them in their living rooms, on the go, when they travel -- wherever they are and whenever they want to play. It should be the same software and the same experience..."
Rather a beautiful and ideal vision for video games, in my opinion. Reuters was not satisfied in taking Mr. Kojima's comments as a forward looking and hopeful vision of things to come, and went to get a comment from Sony Computer Entertainment Japan President Hiroshi Kawano. Under the circumstances Mr. Kawano's response was very appropriate.
"It's a bold prediction...We hope he continues to develop for platforms, but we deeply respect his sense of taking on a challenge."
Neither confirming or denying what Sony may have for its vision on the future of video games and how we play them, I can just picture the slight smile on Mr. Kawano's face. Here's hoping Hideo Kojima's vision isn't too far off the mark, and the executives at Sony take his comments to heart.
