The New Yorker Kojima interview #1
Now that his employment contract has expired, Kojima is able to speak freely about what he describes as a “new start”—a relaunched, independent Kojima Productions. (He remains, however, contractually forbidden from talking about the prior split.)
If you’re only focussed on the profits immediately in front of you, the times will leave you behind,” he said. “It becomes impossible to catch up again.”
For Kojima, the future involves ridding himself of distracting responsibilities. “When working in big companies, especially Japanese companies, every little thing has to be approved beforehand, and you need paperwork to do anything,” he said. “Now that I’m independent, I can do what I want with much more speed. I don’t need to invest time in unnecessary presentations. I shoulder the risk.” He also relishes the chance to speak his mind. “When I was in a company, my personal statements could be taken as the over-all direction of the company. As such, I couldn’t say just anything.”
In the weeks following his departure from Konami, Kojima considered taking a mind-cleansing trip to a deserted island for a year. When he explained the plan to “a Hollywood friend,” he was cautioned against it. Kojima owed it to his own talent, the friend said, to keep up the pace. “Hearing that affirmed to me that my role in this world is to keep on making big games for as long as I can,” Kojima said. “That is the mission I’ve been given in life.”
http://www.newyorker.com/tech/elements/hideo-kojimas-mission-unlocked
