Kojima: Gamers Aren't Demanding Original Ideas

Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima is the latest high-profile Japanese developer to speak candidly about the state of the global games industry. In a recent interview, the Konami producer said that the landscape is such that only a small number of games can sell big numbers - and that consumers are perfectly happy with that fact.

"It's much more competitive now," Kojima said. "If you look at triple-A titles on a worldwide scale there's maybe only ten really big games that can get gamers' attention, and I'm not sure how Japan can compete on that level."

Kojima's concerns don't reach the point of doom-and-gloom - in fact, the producer seems really quite relaxed about it. "I think it's more consumer demand - right now, consumers are happy with what they have. First-person shooters sell like crazy, so there's not really a strong demand for anything else, and that's why [original ideas] stop being made.

"People are satisfied with making minor upgrades and tweaking things here and there - as long as that's the landscape, it will keep on happening. I don't see a problem necessarily, but at the same time it is nice to see new things come."

Source: OPM