The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) is presenting legendary game designer Hideo Kojima with its highest honor, the Fellowship.
The BAFTA Fellowship is a lifetime achievement award. It recognizes an individual’s outstanding contributions to film, games, or television. Previous recipients within the gaming industry include John Carmack, Shigeru Miyamoto, Peter Molyneux, Tim Schafer, and Will Wright.
The Fellowship will be presented at the BAFTA Games Awards on Thursday, April 2. The awards ceremony takes place at Queen Elizabeth Hall in London. The event is part of the London Games Festival, which runs from March 26 until April 6.
“Thank you very much for this precious BAFTA Fellowship award. I am very honored,” Hideo Kojima said. “[I] would like to take this moment to reflect on the many predecessors that came before me, as I deeply respect their contributions to entertainment, whether in movies, television, or games. I would also like to thank those who have supported me over the years and I will continue my commitment to creating new and innovative ways that will push the world of ‘play’ entertainment forward.”
Kojima is, of course, best known for his work on the Metal Gear series where he helped pioneer the stealth genre. Kojima designed and wrote the original game, which was released in 1987 on the MSX2 computer in Japan. An NES version was later released without Kojima’s involvement.
Metal Gear largely defined Kojima’s career. In 1998, using the more advanced hardware afforded to him with the original PlayStation, Kojima fleshed out the concept with Metal Gear Solid. The game proved revolutionary at the time for its advanced storytelling and cinematics.
In addition, Kojima was a producer for the Zone of the Enders series. Although once synonymous with Konami, Kojima Productions broke ties in 2015. Most recently, he is known for his work on Death Stranding, which he developed through his independently-owned game studio.
