While some may wonder if Kojima is a genius or not, others know well of his prowess not merely in storytelling but in creative production and design. For his achievements and talents in the video game industry and beyond, Hideo Kojima has been awarded with the first-ever Cologne Creative Award at the Film Festival Cologne in Germany. Alongside the well-regarded Nicholas Winding Refn, who appears in Kojima's upcoming project as an in-game character called Hartman, Kojima stands with glee and conviction.
This isn't the first time he's been showered with praise, as exemplified by his 2016 Industry Icon Award at The Game Awards, and it most assuredly won't be his last.
With Death Stranding no less than a month away from release and review copies already shipped, the clock winds down ever-slowly to the point of no return. Yet, Kojima still seems as excited and motivated to push the bounds with his newest game as he had for the many others he helped create. For Kojima, storytelling goes beyond a simple protagonist, antagonist, conflict and well-developed dialogue. There are bits and pieces of himself found within every title with his name attached and only proves he is most deserving of this award, to say the least.
The Cologne Creative Award reads:
"Hideo Kojima could always easily transcend borders – and he has changed the gaming industry that way. As far back as in the 80s, when Mario was still hopping on turtles, the Japanese game designer experimented with narrative elements in his cyberpunk detective adventure SNATCHER and in his long-lived masterpiece, the nine-part secret agent epos METAL GEAR SOLID. Is it a game? Or is it a film? There’s no difference to Kojima."
It's certainly a feat worth recognizing. Kojima has evolved the industry in many ways, specifically in the creation of the stealth-action genre. Without Metal Gear Solid, there may never have been such games like The Last of Us, Dishonored, or even Assassin's Creed. His relationship with the industry may have hit a rocky point in his fallout with Konami, but in the long run, much like the very essence of his canceled horror survival P.T., Kojima will haunt the industry for millennia with an unrivaled imagination and creativity.
Kojima has gone above and beyond with Death Stranding, weaving genres, reshaping narrative, broadening multiplayer components, infusing designer collaborations and even alluding to sequels before its eventual release. Death Stranding is even getting its own world tour, which starts in Paris on October 30, two days before the game's review embargo gets lifted. It's unclear how the game will be received initially, given the fact there are as many anticipated fans as there are wary first-time Kojima gamers.
It's clear, though, that Kojima has put his soul into this game, something not many of his counterparts can emulate as well, alone proving that he isn't lauded as one of the best for nothing.