DICE just got a lot more interesting.
The Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences announced today that Hideo Kojima, director of the Metal Gear series and recently departed from publisher Konami, and Guillermo del Toro, director of films like Pacific Rim and Hellboy, will appear together as keynote speakers at the DICE summit, an exclusive, high-level conference for digital entertainment taking place February 16 to 18 in Las Vegas. Kojima and del Toro will speak on Thursday, February 18, with Geoff Keighley acting as the moderator.
The two artists were originally working on a survival horror game, Silent Hills, but publisher Konami cancelled the project as it scaled back development on triple-A gaming. Late last year, Kojima left Konami (with his last game for the company, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, coming out in September) and started an independent studio working on a new project for PlayStation 4. It is possible that we could learn more about this title at the DICE talk and maybe even discover if del Toro will involve himself with the new game.
Here is how DICE describes the keynote:
“In a session titled ‘A Conversation with Hideo Kojima and Guillermo del Toro,’ these master storytellers will offer insight into their creative vision and the driving forces behind their artistic pursuits. Moderated by longtime video game host and producer Geoff Keighley, this conversation will revisit some of their fondest memories from their own individual careers as well as some of the pivotal moments from each other’s work that remain a constant source of inspiration.”
Whatever they talk about, it’ll likely be an interesting conversation with two creative geniuses sharing the stage together.