One of the greatest developers in the history of video games is Hideo Kojima, the creator of the Metal Gear Solid franchise, as well as the upcoming Death Stranding. He has been responsible for some of the greatest video games ever made, as well as for some legitimate advancements in the medium.
The question is- how does he do it? How does he approach the game making process? Speaking today on Twitter, Kojima pondered a bit on how he approaches his creative process, noting that game making is fundamentally different from something like film making. He said that unlike in a movie, every element in could have multiple purposes- storytelling, mechanics related, atmosphere building, pacing, and more. He said that these things need to be kept in mind, as well as the nitty gritty details of the specifics of each elements.
Unlike in a game, he pointed out, there need to be constant revisions made to details, based not just on plot considerations, but also considerations based on gameplay, interactivity, the larger game design, pacing, mechanical rhythm, and more. He noted that you can’t just do things in an assembly line process- everything has to be meticulously crafted so it makes sense within the context of the game.
It all sounds obvious- but I have a feeling these practices are less common in the industry than you might think. In the end, I imagine that is what separates the good games and creators from the great ones.