Iconic video game designer Hideo Kojima said he will never retire. He recently posted on X (formerly Twitter) that for him, “creating things” isn't just a job anymore. And that's why there's no retirement for him.

In his post, he wrote, “The reason why I am independent and advocate a life-long career is because for me, “creating things” is no longer a job. That's why there is no retirement. Creating things is living. One more thing. In the game industry, there are very few people who have succeeded in becoming independent from a major game production studio, whether in Japan or abroad. Even eight years ago, when I started my own company, I was opposed by everyone, including my peers, colleagues, and relatives, who said, “It will never work!”. They said it was impossible without the financial and organizational strength of a company. However, someone must prove that that is an old-fashioned way of thinking. Young creators must be given freedom of choice. This is one of the reasons why I continue to “create things”.”

Hideo Kojima: video game auteur

Kojima is widely regarded as the video game industry's first “auteur.” Even his documentary, which will be released in the spring of 2024 on Disney+, acknowledges it.

He got his start working for Konami in 1986. He designed and wrote Metal Gear in 1987 for the MSX2 unit. Metal Gear is said to have laid the foundations for all stealth games that followed and Metal Gear franchise as well. He also produced the 2001 game series Zone of the Enders for the PlayStation 2. Other games he wrote, produced and/or designed for Konami are 1988's Snatcher for the PC-8801 and and MSX2, and 1994 game Policenauts for the PC-9821.

He established Kojima Productions inside Konami in 2005 and became Konami Digital Entertainment's vice president in 2011. In 2015, he and Kojima Production broke away from Konami. His studio's first game, after becoming independent, was 2019's Death Stranding. A movie adaptation for the game is currently in the works.

Kojima's plans of not retiring may have a lot to do with the fact that he still wants to see where the video game as an art form can go. He has said that he will play an active role in the making of the movie. He also stated that his next project, possibly the one with Elle Fanning, will be “like a new medium” which could revolutionize the movie and game industries.

And even though he may change his mind one day, he could pull a Hayao Miyazaki and pull of an amazing comeback. Then he could do it again and again.