Kojima’s Financial Focus Creates Shoddy Characters

"With Corporal Wonderbra being shoved in your face, it’s difficult to notice pretty much anything else accompanying the awfulness. One thing seems to have been overlooked, though: Kojima said he designs characters with the primary intent “to make u [sic] want to do cosplay or its figurine to sell well”."

Jack Bromley points out that, sexism issues aside, Kojima's defense of his latest character shows a sterile, money-driven approach to writing and visual design.

"If Metal Gear Solid V is to be remembered on its own merits, creating characters around the idea that people should want to put them on display isn’t the way to go. I never got into the Metal Gear series, but I know that the best way to create a character is to create a character. Not to create something you can sell. This kind of paint-by-numbers design is off-putting."

[ABeastNamedTariq]

Is "you" honestly spelled "u" in that description? 0_o

Anyway, whoooo cares? Good googly moogly. It's a friggin game.

[NYC_Gamer]

Kojima said he designs characters with the primary intent “to make u want to do cosplay or its figurine to sell well”."

That part is a direct from Kojima..

[ABeastNamedTariq]

Gots you, gots you. A [sic] would've helped on the submitter's part haha. Well, maybe.

[JackBrommers]

Updated with a '[sic]', thanks for the suggestion and apologies for the confusion!

[DanielForth]

YEAH! how how are is is to spell a three letter word lol.

[Heisenburger]

*jaw drops*

;D lol

[NarooN]

LOL!

[CryofSilence]

We know practically nothing about her. Let's reserve judgment for when it's due. Pseudo-journalism.

[AznGaara]

Not to mention the game isn't even out yet so how in the world is the character "shoddy." Just because you expose skin doesn't mean you're worse of a character. Geez remember the whole "don't judge a book by its cover"?

[camel_toad]

Considering the game isn't even out yet this whole statement is pure horse$hit. Let Kojima design them however he wants.

The MGS series imo has the some of the best characters ever, especially the bosses. Their stories are always so fleshed out before you even fight them that it adds so much more impact to the fights.

The people that make these kinds of statements are just speaking out of ignorance.

[_LarZen_]

World problems....

[the_espresso_kid]

As games become more and more "AAA" expect more licensing and other gimmicks to help cover or reimburse development costs.

[Remy_S]

Game journalists are so bitch whipped.

[EdoubleD]

Man, so many topics about this. Talk about beating a dead horse.

Seriously, it's like everyone forgot the E3 trailer even existed.

[Heisenburger]

A sexy, dead horse in a bikini.

Because we've never seen a woman in a bikini. My fragile mind cannot handle covered breasts!!

I agree, it is a bit much. The amount of articles I mean.

Though they are all from different people. It's not like all of these articles are from ign. ;)

[EdoubleD]

True that. It's just a little exhausting seeing the same thing over and over.

[NatureOfLogic]

This is what's killing gaming. All kojima has to do is be himself and mgs will sell well. He's proven talent. Bad decisions from Kojima lately from va to character designs. I hope MGS5 will be a great and fun game so I'm proven wrong about doubting Kojima. But It's becoming hard to be excited for MGS5.

[GenericNameHere]

Lol why so much focus on what Kojima said? He's just outright saying what everybody's already doing. Take the Halo guy for example. Calls out Kojima on Twitter for Quiet's design, and says "Industry full of man babies. Ugh", forgets that fact that Halo's Cortana has been sexualized over the years.

I hope he does get in trouble for being such a hypocrite. I guess when he said man babies, I guess he was talking about himself lol

Don't know why I can't attach images. But here's the link of Cortana from Halo 1-4
http://imgdex.com/i/507c3ea...

[Snookies12]

Yes, because you can automatically know the character is going to be "shoddy" because of how they look/dress. /s

[Sketchy_Galore]

Oh be quiet. Kojima's quote is clearly him explaining that he seeks an immediately striking visual design for his characters that will make people want to dress up as them and display images of them in their home. It's the same principle that has guided the design of every popular cult character from The Simpsons to Batman to Darth Vader. People love these characters for more than their looks but people would probably not collect lunch boxes adorned in their images or dress as them at conventions if they didnt have an immediately striking and memorable visual impact.

This sick Victorian fear of female sexuality and the controversy hounds trying to make a quick buck by repackaging it as social concern need to stop. The young healthy sexually attractive girls who will be cosplaying as this character at next year's Comic-con may upset those who can't pull the look off or those of us who couldn't hope to score a girl that attractive but I doubt the young girl enjoying her youth and beauty will care much, being unencumbered by the bitterness and fear that fuels this kind of controversy.

[NarooN]

I agree that society today is too politically correct and the fear of open sexuality/natural nudity while simultaneously embracing gratuitous extreme violence is ridiculous.

However, my beef isn't so much with her body or anything, just the fact that her attire is pretty retarded considering she's a covert sniper. I mean, maybe there will be a plot explanation for it, but I'm not really too miffed about it because she probably won't have a crazy deal of screen time anyway.

When it comes to her body, she actually has a pretty realistic slender build -- her proportions aren't ridiculous or anything. I've seen tons of cosplayers with bodies like hers who take pride in cosplaying characters like her, so this isn't anything new, really. It's just weird how suddenly Kojima is designing characters specifically for that purpose now. The figurine thing, no idea why he said that because people have been collecting MG-related figurines for over a decade now, lol.

[SSJBen]

Lol.. you western people are funny. You're fine with looking at hookers in GTA5 dressed in skimpy ass outfits but you're not fine with it when an "overly" sexy character hails from a game made in the east?

Like, really? *shakes head*

[KonsoruMasuta]

Yeah, I don't get it. Women can be sexualized in Dude Nuke'em and GTA. But when a Japanese developer does it, the whole world goes to hell.

[NarooN]

Western Logic:

Blood, gore, death 24/7 = No problem, bring the kids!

Natural nudity, showing skin, sex = FORBIDDEN, WORST THING EVER BAN IT NOW

[Aceman18]

Well here's one westerner who loves her design. Kojima has always had sexy chicks in his games so why should he stop now?

The halo guy is a damn hypocrite and should shut his trap. As for the media making a big deal out of nothing shove it where the sun don't shine you big whiny a$$e$.

Oh one more thing I'll take character designs from eastern devs any damn day of the week over the mostly uninspired western design ones.

[bigboss1990]

Well I think the only shoddy thing kojima has done is created a shoddy snake in my opinion with the new voice actor bring back David hayter I say!

[KonsoruMasuta]

What?..........

Oh.. sorry, I was lost in that picture submitted with the article.

[KillrateOmega]

Apparently you can't intentionally make a sexy and/or unrealistic character in a ****ing video game without white knights from across the gaming industry throwing a temper tantrum...

[Shadonic]

If its done in Movies, the internet, TV, in public ( as long as your not nude) its viewed as OK with most of the people whining but do it to metal gear solid but with the addition of backstory backing up why the character dresses like that outside of the basic just to look sexy that we see EVERYDAY!!!! people just go nuts.

[guiltl3ss]

It helps to understand Japanese culture a bit in regards to scantily clad women in games. They have distinct views of reality and fantasy and are able to differentiate between the two. It's not a view of sexism for them at all, which I think is a good thing; we should be able to enjoy the beautiful models without fear of being criticized. If people don't like it, they do not have to partake. I personally think this new character is beautiful and I look forward to interacting with her as part of my video game "fantasy." Yes, she is not wearing "proper" battle attire, but this is till a game, right? For all the naysayers, please just allow the rest of us to enjoy everything has to offer. Thanks!

[Aleithian]

No...I'd say it creates sexy and interesting characters.

[CocoWolfie]

well what has metal gear been about? theres always been something like this, pretty much most females charcters showed cleavage or there would be some sexual easter egg, thats not to say naked raiden, or shirtless guys dont counter that too!

[Scatpants]

I like the character design itll make it easy to wank while I play

[breakpad]

why all the western stupid f... rs (first 343 ,bf4 dev, now him) start to react over Kojima's art ?? why?? because is so superior to western stupid untalented teams?? what you wanted to be a bland hard boiled semi ugly female to be realistic ...this is a game for f..sake WE NEED some imagination...the other thing that bothers me is that these people (the developers, not the idiot uneducated journalists)have the half or 1/3 of experience that Kojima has in developing good games

[mochachino]

The sniper looks cool and non generic.

[Tapani]

I think I get where Kojima is coming from with this design. I'm not sure if I agree, but I'm pretty sure the sexuality he uses in his works, is more or less functional and meaningful gameplay or story-wise.

I do not judge, until I see the final product.

[2pacalypsenow]

those are nice i wish all of them would be like that

[quenomamen]

Like i said before those who have skill and talent make kick ass games for a living, those who don't talk about games for a living.