Hideo Kojima Is as Surprised as We Are That Konami Reportedly Turned Down a Matrix Video Game: 'There Could've Been a Way to Make It Work'

Metal Gear Solid and Death Stranding developer Hideo Kojima says helium was "surprised" to work that the creators of The Matrix wanted him to make a crippled based connected the franchise, insisting: "no 1 ever told maine specified a speech had taken place."

Yesterday, IGN reported that The Wachowskis, the writers and directors down the Matrix movies, erstwhile asked Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima to plan a Matrix video game, but steadfast Konami reportedly turned it down. "The Wachowskis were large fans of Kojima," Konami Digital Entertainment VP of licensing, Christopher Bergstresser, said. "So Kazumi Kitaue, Kojima, Aki Saito (who inactive works with Kojima), and I were astatine the Konami HQ, and we got a telephone from the Wachowskis, who wanted to travel successful and conscionable with Kojima. So they did!

Hideo Kojima said helium had nary thought helium had been offered a Matrix crippled project. Photo by Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for Kojima Productions.

"The 2 of them came successful with their conception artist, and efficaciously they said to Kojima, ‘We truly privation you to bash the Matrix game. Can you bash that?’ Aki translated this into Japanese for Mr. Kitaue, and Kitaue conscionable looked astatine them and told them plainly, ‘No.' We did inactive get to bask the Matrix Japanese premiere and afterparty, though."

However, successful a connection posted to societal media successful English, Kojima said that portion helium and The Wachowskis were "mutual fans and exchanged emails," helium didn't cognize they were hoping he'd instrumentality connected a crippled adaptation of the movie, and "there could've been a mode to marque it work" contempt his committedness to Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty.

I was amazed to spot connected societal media that the Wachowski sisters had “offered maine a Matrix crippled project!” backmost successful 1999. In each these 26 years, nary 1 ever told maine specified a speech had taken place. At the time, we were communal fans and exchanged emails. The Matrix hadn’t been… pic.twitter.com/4P10P9eEfT

"I was amazed to spot connected societal media that the Wachowski sisters had 'offered maine a Matrix crippled project!' backmost successful 1999," helium wrote. "In each these 26 years, nary 1 ever told maine specified a speech had taken place. At the time, we were communal fans and exchanged emails. The Matrix hadn’t been released successful Japan yet, but I had already seen it successful theaters successful the U.S. and astatine a preview screening.

"When the Wachowskis came to Japan for promotion, I judge I met them 3 times. In the morning, we had a Famitsu interrogation successful Shinjuku — that time, Geof Darrow joined america for the speech session. In the afternoon, they were invited to the office of Konami's CS Division. Back then, I was vice-president of KCE Japan, a wholly-owned subsidiary. When I arrived astatine the headquarters, their gathering with Mr. Kitaue, the caput of the CS Division, had conscionable ended.

"I joined them afterward, and we chatted for astir an hr without an interpreter (Aki wasn’t adjacent there)," helium added. "I deliberation John Gaeta, the ocular effects supervisor, was besides present. That evening, I attended the premiere screening and party, wherever I besides met Joel Silver. Even then, determination was nary notation of an offer.

"At that time, I was already highly engaged with [Metal Gear Solid 2] and astir apt couldn’t person accepted the connection close away. But if idiosyncratic had told me, possibly determination could’ve been a mode to marque it work."

Kojima is moving connected a fig of caller projects, including fearfulness crippled OD for Xbox Game Studios. He revealed the archetypal trailer for it past month, sparking speculation that it is connected to P.T. successful immoderate way. The mysterious crippled volition prima Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves' Sophia Lillis, Hunters' Udo Kier, and Euphoria's Hunter Schafer, with the trailer showcasing Lillis' quality successful a spooky house, lighting candles earlier gathering a malevolent figure.

The Matrix franchise was yet adapted into a bid of games, of course, starting with Shiny Entertainment's Enter the Matrix successful 2003, travel up The Matrix: Path of Neo successful 2005, and Monolith Production's The Matrix Online successful the aforesaid year. We were besides treated to a Matrix-themed tech demo successful 2021, The Matrix Awakens: An Unreal Engine 5 Experience, successful which Epic Games showed america what Unreal Engine 5 was susceptible of.

Photo by Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for Kojima Productions.

Vikki Blake is simply a newsman for IGN, arsenic good arsenic a critic, columnist, and advisor with 15+ years acquisition moving with immoderate of the world's biggest gaming sites and publications. She's besides a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her astatine BlueSky.