Hideo Kojima will receive this year’s Development Legend prize at the Develop Industry Excellence Awards on Wednesday, July 13th.
The award recognises his decades of visionary game design – most notably through his flagship Metal Gear Solid series, but also on Zone of the Enders, Boktai and his early titles such as Snatcher and Policenauts.
Famous for nearly 30 years of work at Japanese publisher Konami, Kojima joined the firm in 1986 – just one year before the debut of Metal Gear. While he contributed to countless other franchises, it was the adventures of Solid Snake that truly put Kojima on the map, particularly with the the seminal Metal Gear Solid in 1998.
Last year, Kojima and Konami parted ways after reported disagreements between the two that led to his name being removed from the marketing material for Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain and the dissolution of his Kojima Productions studio.
In December, he re-emerged at the head of a revitalised and independent Kojima Productions and is currently working on an exclusive game for PlayStation 4 as part of a new partnership with Sony.
Kojima will collect the award in person at The Develop Awards 2016 on Wednesday, July 13th, presented by fellow Development Legend and long time friend Mark Cerny.
He joins the list of elite developers who have been awarded this prestigious accolade over the years, with previous recipients including Tim and Chris Stamper, Mark Cerny, Tim Sweeney, Mark Rein, David Perry, Peter Molyneux, David Braben, Charles Cecil, Phil Harrison and Ian Livingstone.
“Hideo Kojima is the epitome of a Development Legend – few developers reach the stage where their own name becomes as famous as their franchise,” said Develop editor James Batchelor.
“While hundreds of people have contributed to the success of Metal Gear Solid, it is Kojima’s vision that has driven the series and established him as one of the most ambitious games developers in the world.
“His ongoing work to push the boundaries of game design is inspiring. We are truly honoured to have him attending the awards, and look forward to celebrating his legacy this July.”
Kojima will also keynote the Develop: Brighton conference, organised by Tandem Events, in a fireside chat with Cerny.
To book your place at the event, email gblake@nbmedia.com. Contact jlane@nbmedia.com or cnangle@nbmedia.com to find out about the sponsorship opportunities available, both at the event and in editorial coverage before, during and after the Awards.
This year's awards are supported by headline partner CV Bay, gold partners MoGI Group, Amiqus, Epic Games, Sumo Digital, Crytek, King, table gift partner OPM Jobs, exclusive drinks reception partner Keywords Studios, and event partner Tandem Events. Epic Games are also an award partner, as are Aardvark Swift.
There is only one week to go if you want to nominate a fellow developer – or even your own team – for this year’s Develop Awards. You can read our full guide on how to nominate here.
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