Soon after The Matrix hit theaters in 1999, Hideo Kojima was approached to develop a game based on the film, but Konami declined. The Matrix was a game-changing movie, introducing the concept of “bullet time” that would go on to influence action filmmakers throughout the early 21st century. That mechanic alone was reason enough to produce a game. Despite strong motivation to develop a title, Konami declined the license not long after the movie was released in the States and shortly before its release in Japan. Eventually, two titles hit the market, but Konami produced none of them, and Kojima wasn’t involved.
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According to Time Extension, the Wachowskis approached Hideo Kojima about developing a game in late 1999, and, according to rumors that followed, he was interested. The Wachowskis loved his work and thought that the creator of Metal Gear Solid was the perfect choice to produce a game based on their hit movie. This was before Shiny Entertainment created Enter the Matrix in 2003 and its sequel, The Path of Neo, in 2005. Christopher Bergstresser, who was VP of licensing at Konami Digital Entertainment at the time the talks took place, revealed that Kasumi Kitaue, the CEO of Konami Digital Entertainment, heard the Wachowskis’ pitch and responded simply with “No.”
UPDATE: Hideo Kojima took to X to respond to the report that he turned down a Matrix video game, refuting the claims made by Time Extension that he was offered the game. Original article continues after the embed below.
Hideo Kojima Was Prohibited From Developing a Matrix Video Game by His Bosses At Konami
Kitaue had a good reason to say no to the Wachowskis. Kojima reinvigorated the Metal Gear franchise with Metal Gear Solid, which dropped in 1998. Konami had some of the industry’s most sought-after talent and didn’t want to overload Kojima and his team. They were already busy developing Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, which arrived in 2001 and was followed by three Metal Gear Solid sequels. According to Bergstresser, “The Wachowskis were big fans of Kojima. The two of them came in with their concept artist, and effectively they said to Kojima, ‘We really want you to do the Matrix game. Can you do that?’,” eliciting Kitaue’s one syllable response.
While it’s understandable why Konami didn’t want to develop the Matrix video game franchise, it’s frustrating to learn that one of the best game designers working in the industry at the time was denied the opportunity to make it. Metal Gear Solid was a massive hit, leaving Konami little choice, as the company understood the financial repercussions if the sequel faltered due to overworking Kojima and his team. Still, while Shiny Entertainment’s two titles were incredibly popular, it’s a shame the world missed out on Kojima’s interpretation because there’s little doubt it would have been another game-changer for the industry.
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