author: Danuta Repelowicz
Hideo Kojima Used LEGO Bricks to Design Metal Gear Solid Locations. Old Footage Shows Behind The Scenes of His Work
Kojima shows an unusual response to game design challenges. If you still have LEGO bricks in your closet, they might come in handy.
Video games are a wonderful way to showcase imagination and aesthetic sense. What to do when we come across a spatial challenge - especially if architecture and geometry aren't our thing? It appears that you can also find a way out of this, as long as you have a sufficiently open mind. Hideo Kojima is a prime example - recently, gamers have been drawn to an old video in which the developer demonstrates that there are no bad ideas in game development.
A way to limit imagination
The video concerns the first game in the Metal Gear Solid series and shows how Kojima skillfully handled the design of maps and placement of cameras at the Shadow Moses Island level. The dev used LEGO bricks to better visualize the space in the game and create a makeshift level design, which helped him imagine the arrangement of elements within it.
MGS is still considered one of the best stealth games in the world, which is largely due to its brilliant space design. While Kojima is unparalleled when it comes to obscure and unconventional solutions, the way he designed the levels in the game remained a mystery for a long time and only recently came to light, providing fans with inspiration for discussion.
God that's insanely clever. I do think there is a bit of over reliance on digital tools these days. Sometimes you just really get a better feel (figuratively and literally) for something when you can touch it.
-- RJ Palmer
Spirit of nostalgia
In the era of powerful graphics and even more powerful simulation and visual processing software, it's easy to lose the spirit of fun - add to that the infamous crunch and we have a bleak picture of contemporary gamedev, compared to which old habits and methods seem decidedly more interesting (and certainly more fun).
Many gamers started their journey with video games thanks to Kojima and his wild ideas, which further stirs up a sense of nostalgia and recalls childhood times for fans.
Now THAT's creative genius right there. That, making clay dioramas, or hand drawn video game maps are things I miss about game development from back then.
-- Derek T.
Although Kojima is controversial, it cannot be denied that he has left his mark on the history of video games and continues to shape it by implementing his unconventional and, for many, incomprehensible ideas. Despite being crazy, there is a method to it - it is these kinds of solutions that are most likely to withstand the test of time and even define an entire genre. Kojima's unpredictability is also his greatest strength. If you are a fan of his ideas, don't miss the upcoming remake of one of his most famous games - Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater.