In a recent discussion, renowned game designer Hideo Kojima reflected on why Solid Snake, the iconic protagonist of the Metal Gear series, was depicted as a silent tough guy during his first appearance in 1987. This decision has shaped the character’s legacy and continues to intrigue fans today.
Kojima elaborated on this topic during an interview with An An, and it provides helpful insight into the technical limitations of that era. He stated:
In 1986, when I entered the game industry, games still couldn’t speak. The characters didn’t have voices. There wasn’t even a kanji font, and the characters were just displayed one by one. Solid Snake, the protagonist of my debut game, Metal Gear (1987), was born as a silent tough guy because of this.
The landscape changed rapidly after the launch of Metal Gear. Just a year later, technology changed significantly with NEC introducing CD-ROM2—a console equipped with a disc drive that allowed for voice dialogue:
Because the media was CD, it was possible to use voice dialogue, which had not been possible until then. I was one of the first to step forward and remake it.
It was my first time doing voice recordings. I did the casting myself, but since I was a complete outsider, I left the management to an agency. I took the first bullet train from Kobe and arrived at the studio in Tokyo. The gorgeous voice actors were already standing by in front of the microphone.
There was no time to greet or even have a meeting. It was an outrageous schedule, with everything recorded in almost half a day. There was no way I could build relationships. The regret and regret of this first experience would greatly change my subsequent voice recordings.
This experience laid down foundational principles for Kojima’s future projects, where he prioritized quality storytelling through interesting character voices. Today’s games under his direction feature performances from Hollywood stars alongside intricate narrative arcs, demonstrating how far gaming has come since those early days.
