Hideo Kojima: ‘I feel extremely free right now. I’m doing exactly what I want to do’

LAS VEGAS — Two of the rock stars of entertainment, Metal Gear Solid video game creator Hideo Kojima and Pacific Rim film director Guillermo Del Toro, talked about being a creative person in a conversation at one of gaming’s elite events today. Kojima, who spoke onstage for the first time since leaving Konami and his beloved Metal Gear Solid series behind, said he feels “extremely free” in his new studio.

Del Toro and Kojima sat onstage for an interview with game broadcaster Geoff Keighley, president of Gameslice, at the DICE Summit game event in Las Vegas today. The two entertainment creators became fast friends over the years, and they said they have tried to inspire each other to create great things. They said that mattered a lot as Kojima struggled with Konami and tried to finish Metal Gear Solid V while he was exiting his long relationship with the Japanese video game publisher.