Hideo Kojima is one of the few developers in the game industry who carries enough name recognition that his mere presence on stage, barely speaking a word, will send an entire auditorium into a frenzy. I know, because I was there when it happened a few months ago during Sony’s E3 2016 PlayStation press conference.
Late last year, after leaving Konami in spectacular fashion, Kojima established a partnership with Sony. Then at E3 this year, he was onstage to debut the announcement trailer for his perplexing, yet strangely intriguing upcoming project, Death Stranding. It’s unclear whether or not that project or any others he is working on will include VR support, but he is certainly a fan of the immersive technology.
Putting an exclamation mark on that interest this week, Prologue Immersive has officially announced that Kojima is joining their Advisory Board. According to a press release, “together with Kimberly Cooper, co-founder and CEO of Prologue Immersive, and partner Kyle Cooper, Hideo is applying his experience in gaming to shape the future of VR.”
It’s unclear what his role entails at Prologue, whether he is assisting on any actual game projects, or how exactly he intends to leverage his experience, but this is certainly big news for VR. Kojima has one of the strongest portfolios in the entire gaming industry, with major credits on franchises such as Metal Gear Solid, Zone of the Enders, and P.T., which was a precursor to the since-canceled Silent Hills.
“I’m very excited to hear that masters of the visual arts such as Kyle Cooper and his team are taking on yet another challenge in this digital interactive media that is VR,” Kojima said, in a prepared statement regarding the news. “Through VR, I am certain they will strive to connect films and video games and take us on to that bridge to the future that lies ahead. It would be my absolute pleasure to assist the Coopers on this new adventure they are embarking on. We can expect a whole new world of entertainment. 2016 will surely be remembered as Year One for VR.”
h/t: VRDB
