Ben-DutkaWhen Hideo Kojima speaks, people generally listen. And as a well-known perfectionist, he's just sick and tired of working with game makers who have "no motivation."
While some publishers and developers have been vocal about the declining state of the Japanese gaming industry, Kojima hasn't said much on the subject…until now. He has been talking a lot about the pressing topic at his Twitter account (as summarized at GamerZines ), and the Metal Gear Solid creator says these days, the problem is that Japanese devs are "lacking the motivation" to succeed. On the flip side, he believes Western studios have the "focus, ambition and ability" to realize their visions. He was actually inspired to talk about the subject after watching a TV show about foreign exchange students studying Manga at Kyoto Seika University. He refers to one US girl who is clearly into Manga and wants to learn everything about it, apparently in contrast to those around her; this led Kojima to say:
"The Game Industry is very similar. The West is very motivated. The younger generation of Japan is losing. The designers and to-be-designers in the West have the focus, ambition, and ability to make their dream become true. So it is not the Japanese technology or culture that is losing, we are lacking the motivation."
Kojima also notes that fewer Japanese students are seeking to expand their studies abroad, with less and less attending prestigious institutions like Harvard or MIT. "The engineering population in Japan may be in jeopardy," he says. He says that lately, he's come to believe that "highly motivated foreigners" working with "highly motivated individuals is the only way to move forward." And in the end, he's "tired of taking care of people who do not have the passion."
"Time is used differently between people who have and don't have motivation. They are willing to learn and study on their own. Saying you don't have time because of work, using work as an excuse, will not help you grow. Creating abilities, at it's core, is reliant on your love for the creation."
Well, the master has spoken. Now what say you?
All developers are lazy anymore.
LOL, This storyline is getting old… see my older posts on this topic. Sums it up, and looks as though Kojima (whom I referenced in the original) may feel the same way!
I had time to kill… Here is my original post:
(pulled from Thursday, May 20, 2010 @ 11:02:43 PM Capcom story)
I'm calling BS on this guy…
1st: Nintendo still based in Japan?
2nd: Perhaps Capcom doesn't understand that a lot of great games the "West" has come to love were MIJ.
3rd: 2 words… TEAM ICO
Maybe this moron doesn't know how he and his company will make the future games from Japan for any audience… but I seriously doubt the rest of the Japanese devs share his anxiety… is Kojima up at night worrying? Doesn't Street Fighter sell a ton of games?
RE5 was a flop compared to the brilliance of RE4… the customer is becoming more educated and discerning… games are not as cheap as they once were so shovelware BEWARE! He sounds as though he wants a "bailout" instead of buckling down and making a good game! If he doesn't have the desire or drive that Naughty Dog had for UC1&2 then he should be looking for a new career. Boo effin' hoo! Shut up and get to work… get an idea, hire the talent to bring it to life… problem solved. What a chump! Who put a microphone in his hand?
<steps down off of soapbox>
It needed to be said… I apologize If I offended anyone.