Metal Gear mastermind Hideo Kojima has revealed that he initially planned to have Snake meet his maker in MGS4: Guns of the Patriots, but ultimately caved in and allowed the aging hero to survive at the game’s climax.
Of course, Kojima has wanted to wrap up the series for a while now, but revealed the opinions of fans and his fellow work colleagues at Kojima Productions helped changed his mind.
"I wanted to end it at every step along the way," Kojima told OPM UK (via CVG). "In Guns of the Patriots [Snake] was supposed to die. Everyone on the staff really wanted to keep him alive, so I caved a little.
"I did have the feeling that I wanted to end the series, but looking back at it now as a producer, I think as long as people want to keep on playing it, I want to keep on meeting that demand. So I don’t think it’s a bad thing."
Elsewhere, the Kojima Productions boss admitted he sometimes finds it hard to strike a balance in his capacity as both a creative artist and a businessman.
"I’m a creator at heart, but at the same time I also have to manage the business aspect of it, figure out how to sell the game. I’m still trying to find that balance – it’s very delicate. How do you put in enough to make sure it sells, while remaining true to your vision?"