Legacy is a word that often doesn’t get brought up in the video game world. After all, as we’ve seen many times over, there are plenty of video games that have an “enduring legacy” because the franchises they’re a part of continue to grow. Yet, we don’t talk about a true “legacy” of something within the industry unless we talk about a specific creator or team. For Hideo Kojima, he’s already gotten a reputation for making incredibly complex narratives and developing titles in certain ways that other people wouldn’t dare attempt. Yet, if you were to ask what he wanted his legacy to be, his answer to you would be truly…out there.
He talked with Anan News recently, and in the interview, multiple fan questions were asked of him. That led to him giving answers such as how he hopes to continue developing various video games for a long time, as he believes himself “lucky” to have encountered them in the first place. However, the main question that everyone will latch onto is how Kojima was basically asked about his legacy, and he cited that there are painters who are remembered even though the works they did are hundreds of years old. So:
“If I make something I’m satisfied with, centuries later aliens may come and say, “that’s awesome.””
Yes, he really said that, and it’s perfectly Kojima. Only he would wonder what his games would look like to the aliens that happen to stumble upon them later in our history. Bless you, Hideo Kojima.
Jokes aside, the true intent of his message is that he wants people to remember his video games long after he’s gone. The good news is that he’s already well on that path, as his saga with Solid Snake is already considered one of the best narrative runs in gaming history. Plus, now that he owns his own company and is making the games he wants to make, as proven by a certain “delivery simulator” that people are eagerly waiting on the sequel for, he can ensure that no matter what, he’s happy with the product that is being created.
For gaming legends, their legacy is truly tied to not only the titles they make, but the impact they made on the industry. We’ll forever remember not only men like Kojima but also ones like Shigeru Miyamoto, Satoru Iwata, Masahiro Sakurai, Kaz Hirai, and more because of what they imparted to the world of video games. Hopefully, the aliens will honor them as much as we do.
