Career Timeline of Hideo Kojima: Major Achievements and Milestones

Discover the career path of Hideo Kojima, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.

Hideo Kojima is a celebrated Japanese video game designer and auteur. His childhood passion for film and literature significantly shaped his game development style. Joining Konami in 1986, he created Metal Gear (1987) for the MSX2, a groundbreaking title that established the stealth genre and launched the acclaimed Metal Gear franchise. At Konami, Kojima also produced the Zone of the Enders series and designed cinematic graphic adventure games like Snatcher (1988) and Policenauts (1994), further cementing his reputation for innovative storytelling and presentation in video games.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

1983: The Portopia Serial Murder Case Inspiration

In 1983, Yuji Horii's 'The Portopia Serial Murder Case' inspired Hideo Kojima to enter the video game industry, with its mystery, 3D dungeon, humor, and explanation of the crime expanding Kojima's view of video games' potential.

1985: Inspiration From Super Mario Bros.

In 1985, Shigeru Miyamoto's 'Super Mario Bros.' served as an inspiration to Hideo Kojima to enter the video game industry.

1986: Kojima Joined Konami's MSX Division

In 1986, Hideo Kojima joined Konami's MSX home computer division as his introduction to the video game industry, after seeking out the company due to its presence on the Japanese stock exchange.

1986: Kojima Joined Konami

In 1986, Hideo Kojima joined Konami, a video game company. This marked the beginning of his career in the gaming industry, where he would later create the acclaimed Metal Gear franchise.

1987: Release of Metal Gear

In 1987, Hideo Kojima directed, designed, and wrote "Metal Gear" for the MSX2. This game became the foundation for the stealth genre and the Metal Gear franchise, establishing Kojima as a prominent figure in the gaming world.

1988: Design and Writing of Snatcher

In 1988, Hideo Kojima designed and wrote "Snatcher", a graphic adventure game. The game is known for its cinematic presentation, showcasing Kojima's unique storytelling approach.

1990: Exploration of Policenauts Concepts

In 1990, Kojima began exploring concepts for Policenauts after memory limitation issues during Snatcher's development, leading to the creation of a scripting engine for greater creative control.

1990: Work on Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake Begins

In 1990, after learning about Konami's development of "Snake's Revenge" without his involvement, Kojima began working on his own sequel, "Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake".

1994: Design and Writing of Policenauts

In 1994, Hideo Kojima designed and wrote "Policenauts", a graphic adventure game. Like "Snatcher", "Policenauts" is regarded for its cinematic presentation, further solidifying Kojima's reputation for blending film techniques with video games.

1994: Planning Metal Gear Solid

In 1994, Hideo Kojima started planning a 3D sequel to Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, initially titled Metal Gear Solid and intended for the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer.

2001: Inspiration From 2001: A Space Odyssey

Hideo Kojima took inspiration from the film '2001: A Space Odyssey' for Snake's real name, Dave.

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2005: Foundation of Kojima Productions

In 2005, Hideo Kojima founded Kojima Productions within Konami, marking a significant step in his career by establishing his own studio.

2009: Return to Metal Gear Series

In 2009, despite previously announcing his departure, Hideo Kojima announced at E3 2009 that he would return to work on two Metal Gear games: 'Metal Gear Solid: Rising' as a producer and 'Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker' as writer, director, and producer. At Gamescom 2009, he explained that he got more involved with 'Peace Walker' due to confusion within the team.

2010: E3 2010: Showcasing Metal Gear Solid: Rising and 3DS Interest

At E3 2010, Hideo Kojima showcased his team's project, 'Metal Gear Solid: Rising'. He also expressed interest in creating a 'Metal Gear Solid' game for the Nintendo 3DS and exploring its 3D capabilities during an interview in 2010.

April 1, 2011: Promotion to Executive Vice President at Konami

On April 1, 2011, Hideo Kojima was promoted to Executive Vice President and Corporate Officer in Konami Digital Entertainment. He also revealed "transfarring" at E3 2011, allowing gamers to transfer data between the PlayStation 3 and PSP.

July 8, 2011: Announcing Project S: Sdatcher

On July 8, 2011, Hideo Kojima announced that Project S was a radio-show sequel to Snatcher, titled Sdatcher. The show was set to air on Fridays on Kojima's bi-weekly Internet radio show, starting with episode No. 300.

August 2011: Sdatcher Radio Show Debut

In August 2011, Hideo Kojima's radio show sequel to Snatcher, titled Sdatcher, started airing with episode No. 300 on Kojima's bi-weekly Internet radio show.

2011: Appointment as Vice President

In 2011, Hideo Kojima was appointed Vice President of Konami Digital Entertainment, demonstrating his increased role and influence within the company.

2011: Metal Gear Solid: Rising Renamed

In late 2011, 'Metal Gear Solid: Rising' was renamed 'Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance', with PlatinumGames joining Kojima Productions in development. Kojima is the game's executive producer and showed interest in working in the game's demo. Kojima was satisfied with the final product and expressed the possibility of a sequel if Platinum were to develop it in 2011.

August 18, 2012: Interest in Silent Hill Game

On August 18, 2012, Hideo Kojima indicated his interest in making a 'Silent Hill' game, expressing excitement about using the Fox Engine on eighth-generation platforms via a tweet of the 'Silent Hill' film DVD image.

2013: Unveiling Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

At the 2013 Game Developers Conference, Hideo Kojima unveiled 'Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain', planned as his final 'Metal Gear' game, preceded by 'Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes'.

August 2014: PT Release and Silent Hills Announcement

In August 2014, the playable teaser 'PT' was released on the PlayStation Store, revealing that a new 'Silent Hill' game titled 'Silent Hills' was being directed by Kojima for the PlayStation 4, in collaboration with Guillermo del Toro.

2014: Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes Release

In 2014, 'Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes' was released as a shorter game serving as a prologue to 'The Phantom Pain'.

March 2015: Reports of Parting Ways with Konami

In March 2015, reports surfaced indicating that Kojima would leave Konami after releasing 'The Phantom Pain'. Konami announced auditioning for new staff and removed Kojima's name from marketing materials.

April 2015: Silent Hills Cancellation

In April 2015, 'PT' was removed from the PlayStation Store, and the game 'Silent Hills' was officially cancelled, ending Kojima's involvement in the project.

July 10, 2015: Closure of Kojima Productions

On July 10, 2015, Akio Ōtsuka, Kojima's collaborative voice actor, revealed that Konami had closed Kojima Productions, signaling a significant shift in Kojima's career.

October 2015: Reports of Kojima's Departure and Konami's Statement

Despite reports that Kojima left the company in October 2015, a Konami spokesman stated he was "taking a long time off from work."

December 16, 2015: Re-establishment of Kojima Productions and Partnership with Sony

On December 16, 2015, Kojima announced that Kojima Productions would be re-established as an independent studio, partnered with Sony Computer Entertainment, and that his first game would be exclusive to PlayStation 4, marking a new chapter in his career.

2015: Departure from Konami and Reformation of Kojima Productions

In 2015, Hideo Kojima departed from Konami and refounded Kojima Productions as an independent studio. This move allowed him greater creative freedom.

2016: Death Stranding Announcement at E3

At E3 2016, Kojima personally announced the game's title as 'Death Stranding' in a trailer. The trailer featured Norman Reedus, whom Kojima had previously worked with on the cancelled 'Silent Hills'.

2016: Launch of YouTube Channel

In 2016, Hideo Kojima launched his own YouTube channel, where he and film critic Kenji Yano discuss their favorite films and matters pertaining to Kojima's studio.

2017: Regular Contributor to Rolling Stone

Starting in 2017, Kojima became a regular contributor to Rolling Stone, often discussing recent film releases and drawing comparisons to his own works.

November 8, 2019: Death Stranding Release

On November 8, 2019, 'Death Stranding' was released. It received generally positive reviews and was a commercial success. It also won a number of awards.

November 2019: Future Film Production Plans

In November 2019, Hideo Kojima told BBC Newsbeat that Kojima Productions will start making films, foreseeing movies, TV shows, and games competing in the same space due to streaming technology.

2019: Large-Scale Wolbachia Deployments

As of 2019, large-scale deployments of the Wolbachia bacteria became the most effective way to control and eradicate mosquito-related epidemics, with successful deployments in Malaysia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Brazil.

2019: Publication of The Gifted Gene and My Lovable Memes in Japan

In 2019, Hideo Kojima published a collection of essays in Japan discussing the influence of pop culture on his work under the title 'The Gifted Gene and My Lovable Memes'.

2019: Release of Death Stranding

In 2019, Kojima Productions, now independent, released its first game, "Death Stranding". This release marked a new chapter in Kojima's career outside of Konami.

2020: Venice International Film Festival Jury Member

In 2020, Hideo Kojima was a member of the international Jury of the 77th Venice International Film Festival, Virtual Reality section.

October 2021: Publication of The Creative Gene in English

In October 2021, Hideo Kojima's collection of essays was published in English by Viz Media under the title 'The Creative Gene: How Books, Movies, and Music Inspired the Creator of Death Stranding and Metal Gear Solid'.

June 2022: Collaboration with Xbox Game Studios and Podcast Launch

In June 2022, Kojima and Microsoft revealed that Kojima Productions would be working on a game with Xbox Game Studios using Microsoft's cloud-based technology. Also in 2022, Kojima launched a podcast for Spotify called 'Hideo Kojima presents Brain Structure'.

2022: Teasing New Game and Casting Announcements

Throughout 2022, Kojima cryptically teased the casting of an upcoming game being developed by Kojima Productions, with Elle Fanning and Shioli Kutsuna confirmed to star.

December 14, 2023: Death Stranding Film Adaptation Announcement

On December 14, 2023, Kojima and film studio A24 announced that a live-action feature film adaptation of 'Death Stranding' is being produced, expanding the franchise to cinema.

2023: Announcement of OD at The Game Awards

At The Game Awards 2023, Kojima and Jordan Peele announced a new game, titled 'OD', published by Xbox Game Studios, starring Sophia Lillis, Hunter Schafer, and Udo Kier.

January 31, 2024: New Action-Espionage Game Announcement

On January 31, 2024, during the PlayStation State of Play event, Kojima announced that he is working a new action-espionage genre game after 'Death Stranding 2'.

2024: Death Stranding 2 Title Reveal

During the 2024 Playstation State of Play event, the final title for Death Stranding 2 was confirmed to be Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, with returning and new cast members announced.