KOJI10, コジ10, S.01, Ep.01: Self Introduction

KOJI10 was announced during Tokyo Game Show, TGS 2024. 

Is similar to Hideo Kojima’s Brain Structure series on Spotify from a few years ago.

This one is on the Japanese Radio Show,  “ TBS, After 6 Junction 2 “

How it works:

A timer is set for 10 minutes, he talks about what he wants. 

THEN, the remainder is a ‘Podcast’ where the announcer leads.

KOJI10 : Season 1, Episode 1 (Jp)

** Based on popularity, it MAY be turned into English in the future. 

You can EMAIL KOJIMA to ask questions: koji10@tbs.co.jp 

As announced in this episode on Japanese TBS radio station, After 6, Junction 2.

https://youtu.be/ii3zFSUqghI?si=OQM_YFqRu96r4J5x

KOJI10: S1, ep.1: Transcript:

Air date: Oct. 02, 2024

First 10 Minutes : top half.

travel 10 work 10 like something 10 solo 10 awake for 10 listening for 10 what 10 minutes. Are you going to use use? How are you going to use your 10 minutes? 

Welcome to TBS after six Junction two program with announcer, Unai Issou.

Kojima: what can a person do in 10 minutes? Eat 3 cups of instant Ramen that would be pretty difficult. Ha ha.

Even after a forced termination, after 10 minutes. There’s still a recording podcast. And continuing after restrictions. TBS has set up an email address to ask questions. 

So how far have you come? 

In my school days, I used to write letters to radio stations. For example, I used to write to Hamaura Jun.  But these days it’s easy to set up Koji10 on X.

So today, I would like to do a self intro ~0~0~0~0….

How much time do we have left? Five minutes? 

Announcer; well as a radio station, we always do a self introduction, what we are thinking for the listener.

Well, at 61 years old without just 10 minutes what to say? When I left being employed. Why am I so happy? I’m trying really hard to be really focused. But actually, I am at massive misfortune. I’m not really into always being happy. My misfortune isn’t about food and housing or anything like that. It’s more about society and how I want society to be like this or like that. an Osaka type.

——- @ 5:30 —-

@5:30: 

KOJI10 : s1, ep1, bottom half

Kojima was born in 1963 in Tokyo. That’s the 20th century for all you young kids. Ha ha. In 1986 I was at Konami, in 1988 MGS, and 2015 Kojima productions. Now with a big hit such as DS….

Oh no, no no probably a medium hit. Next is on the beach. The theme has minor. Religion theme is running through it. 

And you’ve become a Hollywood top runner. 

Oh no, no no, I can barely run 200 m. I just keep moving forward. 

Many game creators ask why are you still doing this in your 60s? I want unique gameplay. I experienced the earthquake history and I the possibilities of changing the past. 

Do you like solo the books movies? How about movie production? Writing? 

Are used to draw pictures do sculpture movie, writing and manga. There were no PCs back in the day so we had to write stories by hand, which is really a pain in the ass. I wanted to do a movie. 

In middle school, my dad died, and I became a lunch student. A student who stays there for lunch. I wanted to art university, but my teacher encouraged economics getting a job and working at a bank.

Then FAMICON developed. It wasn’t mainstream. And there was pressure from the front and and back end in my 50s. 

Working in art didn’t want stories. They said it was a waste of time. I had 300 books sitting there rotten. Then I entered the game industry. Now I work on the small details. My generation was entering a company and taking camera photos, these days it’s an Internet world.

Huh? What do you mean 10 minutes is already up. And you’re going to record podcast for later.Can’t it be 30 minutes or 15 minutes even? just 10 years it might be Koji 99. Ha ha..

 —End 10 min —

— Start of Podcast segment—

So how did the gaming industry treat you?

I’m not a video guy or a programmer guy. Most startups need 5 to 6 people. A sound guy a programmer a designer to start. I was more about the structure. I’m not much of a shooting kind of guy. Most people were shooting octopus or squid and I’m not a scary guy either. 

I enjoy Text, the adventure and the  sims. But the economy was for a three minute vending machine shooter action game. 

The reason why I joined Konami was because they were into PC arcade games and family con. MSX had a PC work section. The manager liked me so he put me next-door in the graphics area. They had 16 colours with layers where you layered the colour to make new colors. It was for arcades.

Eventually, they asked me to do the arcade games and I found that very difficult I had to say no. They had a set up like with a player and two technicians. With a ball and combat type games. I had pressure to join the fight gaming.  My own style was rejected. 

I want a movie. I want to be the hero. They put me with MGS on fighting. For 20 years nobody wanted a planner. An architect style game. This was very difficult with MGS. 

I wanted a new style. Even with DS, nobody can comprehend. Many were opposed. Everybody thought I would fail once and get up and rejoin companies. In the 3 to 6 month bonus. I went to the work consultation centre and asked why did everybody say no? They said OK let’s make him tech input person. I explained to them and put an! Where the player would enter. They realize this and increase their cooperation.

I was on MSX with family. Not sales. But their point of view changed. Without any pay raise for me. My work from not making into making alternative. 

Was the industry fun? How about moviemaking? Where to go next? I wasn’t a student anymore. Others were big university grad. I was the bad manners guy produced one CD and manga. It wasn’t really my dream either. I wanted music and videos? They didn’t understand.

—— podcast middle s1, ep1—-

At this point, my friends were gone. I wasn’t a company man. And I wanted to make a good product. It was lots of arguing. And the dark world was around. And pulling me towards that direction. However, it was a good experience. 

Then I made Kojima productions. And it was above the line. Now at 61 years old, nobody ever works from early morning to late at night. It was working until 6 PM. But I need more time. I got to do it when I can. 

With Konami MGS #1-5. How was the company? 

Yeah, that was the 1995 Kobe earthquake. I ended up in Osaka. Someone wanted me to help KC Japan and Ebisu. I got invited to be on the board. I learned about electricity paying rent, bouncing budgets and how much things actually cost. Previously, I was always ignored ,  here I learned about output, sales and promotion things by myself and also wages.

There aren’t many producers. You need many connections. 

Yeah, I’m not really a businessman type. 

When I made a product, the flow goes away towards less sales, etc., and a specialty product. I need to protect my product. So I end up being my own producer, thinking about budget, timing, schedule, and TGS is like this too. It’s hard to imagine but some corporations want a balanced product sales with different products. For example, hiding MGS from people won’t increase sales.

With DS, the coronavirus hit, and the storyline is something that can’t be a major storyline of blue blue class. Working Porter.

Nowadays, there’s startups with immediate sales. It’s popular in America. I’d like to protect my product with good staff and in style. So I needed company. 

Also, nowadays, most people are making the same as they’ve always been making. I don’t like that either.

—— Podcast last segment. S1,ep1.

Re: Kojima Productions: 

So phase 1 is of new product, increase the volume, staff, IP, and its growth.

Phase 2 is a developed IP products. Such as DS, movie, anime, manga, and self produce them.

*** I’m not interested in a two hour DS movie. *** DS was made to be a game. I wanted it to be an indie product with a small staff. Turns out many of the needs and wants were not met. And with a small budget.

Phase 3 of my company would be to make movies. Bigger project. Crossover between movies and games. Well actually, it would end up being a game. If there is no game, the studio would go bankrupt. 

Phase 4 would be unemployment again. We are trying to plan some audio. There is thoughts of a movie with the famous content, not my idea, but I can’t really say no. 

So how about during this time? The movie would take two years. 

So in the meantime,Kojima Productions is a digital entertainment company. For movies, action, programmers.

My brain is 70% movie 70% books and probably 70% music equals 210% ha ha that’s a lie. 

Wow, I can’t imagine that you’ve gone from the ground up to a company a team casting it must take a lot of guts to do that. 

Well, basically it all starts with movies and books. Then almost guaranteed within the same day I get to SMS text with likes and responses. Then the conversation starts because you have each other‘s contact information. The conversation turns to let’s try this. Let’s try that and lots of zoom meetings then we connect. These are not typical gaming industry people.

—- End Koji 10, season 1, ep.1.—-