Kojima Productions’ Hideo Kojima (Metal Gear Solid) posted a meaty Twitter rant about Japanese youth and their role in the future of game development. He’s very candid with his feelings that motivation and passion are lacking in Japan. Check it out:
Lately I have come to conclusion that, with highly motivated foreigners… it doesn’t matter where they are from, working with highly motivated indiviuals is the only way to move forward. I am tired of taking care of people who do not have the passion.
The Game Industry is very similar. The West is very motivated. The younger generation of Japan is losing. The designers and to-be-designers in the West have the focus, ambition, and ability to make their dream become true. So it is not the Japanese technology or culture that is losing, we are lacking the motivation.
In contrast, the number of students that study abroad from Japan has decreased. There are very few Japanese students at the prestigious Harvard University, and in MIT…zero. The engineering population in Japan may be in jeopardy. We should first review our education system here in Japan.
That’s pretty scathing stuff from a Japanese developer. I’m actually shocked that it came out of his mouth and not Tomonobu Itagaki’s. The rant reminds me of those silly Arakawa Group sketches on Saturday Night Live where fake Japanese people referred to Americans as “fat and lazy”.
Seriously though, over the last decade Japan has become less important to gaming than it once was. I wonder if the trend will continue. Perhaps the Japanese development community needs a kick in the pants. It’s one thing for Kojima to rant about it, but will he make an effort to make sure Japanese kids get the proper education and follow the right path to become a successful developer?
@ Topic
Every adult has a problem with the youth (OF THE NATION, WE ARE, WE ARE) at some point in one way or another. He has pointed out a trend that I wasn't paying attention to (in terms of Japan not being the gaming giants like in the 90' and early 2000's) and I think he is right. The most anticipated games of recent memory have came out of the West like COD, GOW, WoW, and Halo with the exception of a few of the East's most prized franchises like Final Fantasies, and the MGSs (can't think of too many right now) so I think he has a valid point. Hopefully he does something to change that.
I agree with Big Blak, every adult generation always has a problem with the younger generations.
But it seems like Hideo is in agreement with the quote that never was from Cliffy B about how engineering and tech are on the downhill in Japan within the past decade.
Not me. I'm like Whitney and Sexual Chocolate. I believe the children are our future.
He's not ranting about ALL youth, he's ranting about youth in Japan.
The only difference… our kids have more Ritalin and a crappier diet.
@ RPAD
LMAO!!!
@ Ray
You forgot about George Benson (who is from Pittsburgh, I might add).
Maybe the kids in Japan dislike all the hard work it takes to make a great game. Maybe they just want to be chefs or bus drivers.
@ N8;
Good point.
-M