Legendary video game creator Hideo Kojima posted on social media where he talked about video game "crunch time" and wondered how much longer he could stay creative.
The situation comes as he is currently hard at work with "Death Stranding 2: On The Beach," "Physint," and "OD." The developer told fans that he wants to stay creative for the rest of his life but wondered exactly how long he can keep it up as he grows older.
Hideo Kojima Talks "Crunch Time"
The developer said that all of the work associated with producing a particular video game together with "an inevitable pile of other tasks" can take a severe physical and mental toll on an individual.
Kojima then compared himself to Hollywood director Ridley Scott, who is still active in making big-budget movies, including the "Gladiator" sequel released last year. He noted how the director was already 87 years old and still working hard.
He also noted how Scott created the first "Gladiator" film when he was about 60 years old, which is roughly how old Kojima is right now, according to Game Spot.
Fans of the legendary video game creator know that this is not the first time that Kojima has opened up about his own physical health.
In 2021, when he turned 58 years old, the developer promised fans that he would stay creative for as long as he is physically able to do so.
Staying Creative
He added that while his body was starting to fail him, his creativity has not yet waned whatsoever. At the time, Kojima said that he will continue to create things until his brain loses its creative power.
Kojima wondered if he could still stay creative for 10 or 20 years, adding that he felt every day was like "racing against the clock." He noted that crunch time is the most demanding period of game development, both mentally and physically, VG247 said.
He noted that he is working on mixing and Japanese voice recording, as well as other tasks. The latter includes writing comments, explanations, essays, interviews, discussions, and non-game-related work that would be incredibly tough for anyone.
Kojima's post comes as developers have been crusading against the controversially demanding industry practice.
"Dragon Age" writer David Gaider said last year that if crunch was actually a necessary part of making video games, then maybe the "industry deserves to die," according to Games Radar.
