Not much was the same after the attacks on the United States on September 11, and the effects were felt by most people in one way or another. Even the gaming world didn’t escape the subsequent tidal waves, and for Hideo Kojima and his team, it came to represent a huge and seemingly insurmountable obstacle. In a recently published interview now tells Kojima how close he actually came to handing in his resignation and giving up, but how he was persuaded at the last moment by the then Konami boss who gave him his full support.
Because as some of you may know, there were large scenes that were cut from Metal Gear Solid 2. Both the World Trade Center as well as the Pentagon were included and also plans to crash a large ship straight into Manhattan Island.
“9/11 took place in 2001 right before the release of Metal Gear Solid 2. We’d just sent off the master, but the game featured both the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. It seemed impossible to release the game. I was called to the board of directors and they all turned pale when I explained the situation. Nobody would tell me what to do, with the exception of Mr. Kozuki, who tackled the issue.
“As I thought about what to do, I went to speak with Mr. Kozuki about possibly quitting the company. That’s when he told me: ‘When this game comes out and society has their say about it, they’ll be talking about you , its creator, and me, the person who sold it. I doubt they’ll say anything about anyone else. What will you do? I’m ready for whatever happens.’
When I heard how far he was willing to go, I made the firm decision that we’d release it together. The rest is history.”
Do you think they made the right decision to cut out the sensitive material?
