Ah, interesting points, and fair enough. :) I'm not really much of an MGS fan (as I mentioned
earlier in the thread), but even so, I would probably change what I wrote in another thread yesterday (the instance of "Kojima's" in
this post might change to something like "Kojima/KojiPro's"), given what you've noted above. Though, I do still think you might be slightly off on
the "anti-America" question, which you introduced earlier in the thread.
I highly recommend Ghost Babel for GBC so you get a taste of Fukushima's writing structure versus Kojima's writing structure on Metal Gear 2 Solid Snake. You will notice that Ghost Babel has similar structure to MGS trilogy than MGS4. Kojima's heavy work didn't started until MGS4.
MGS1 was the first installment in the franchise to go 3D so it was important how it was built.
Tomokazu Fukushima:
Story written by: Hideo Kojima, Tomokazu Fukushima
Setting design assistant (alone)
Fukushima's own tasks:
Script, radio system script (alone), hazard setting, camera setting, mission log script (alone), scenario demo script, flag management (script unit)
Takashi Mizutani:
Polygon demo authoring, scene direction, chief polygon demo director (polygon demo unit) <------ Cinematics
Scenery modeling, texture artist, scenery graphics filtering, character modeling, skeleton models created by Mizutani, machines modeling, special effects, director of CG design (graphics unit)
So Toyota:
Storyboard artist, polygon demo authoring, motion adjustment (alone), scenery direction (polygon demo unit)
Key animator (alone), animator, ninja motion animator (alone), data conversion, motion director (motion unit)
If we go to MGS2 Sons of Liberty.
Tomokazu Fukushima:
Written by Kojima, Fukushima
Setting research/justification
Script, codec script (alone), "The New York Mirror" by Fukushima (script unit)
Takashi Mizutani:
According to May 1999 Mizutani was in the setting research team when they visited New York. For unknown reason he wasn't credited for it. Something happened between Kojima and Mizutani.
Background part, director of 3DCG design (3D design unit)
Storyboard, real time demo production, real time demo director (real time demo unit) <----- Cinematics
So Toyota:
Key animator, facial expression animator, director of motion design (motion unit)
We move on to MGS3 Snake Eater.
Tomokazu Fukushima:
Written by Kojima, Fukushima, Murata
Setting research/justification by Kojima and Fukushima
Scripter, radio scripter (alone) (script unit)
Takashi Mizutani:
Left during the beta phase of MGS3 in 2004 which all heavy work by him was uncredited by Konami's policies for leaving the company. Because MGS3's direction was similar to MGS1 and MGS2 on cinematics it's safe to say it was his work. Masaya Kobayashi got credit for it as real time demo director. When Kojima had that position for MGS4 it was Konami who took out Mizutani's credits for MGS3.
Background modeling unit was without a director which was Mizutani's space.
So Toyota:
Guns research/justification by So Toyota, Satoshi Hirano, Yoji Shinkawa
Animation director (animation unit)
Technical advisor (motion capture unit)
MGS4 changed for the worse and paved the way for Kojima's writing structure went back to old days of Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2 Solid Snake. Kojima was full of cliches you see in movies. Who name special force unit members like Black Ninja, Running Man, Jungle Evil, Night Fright. They are awfully bad.
Kojima and Fukushima have different style of storytelling. Fukushima wants personal characters and long background story about science and special force unit. We didn't have much of that in MGS4.
So I'm curious on Fukushima's future for a new IP.
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