Watching the Metal Gear Solid Documentary was an unexpected experience than I thought it would be. As a pure non gamer, I used to have a hard time understanding what the fuss is about video games. The documentaries guided me to know the aspiring new interactive media through the creation and production perspective, casting highlight on the mastermind behind the MGS games, Hideo Kojima.
Perhaps it is better that I watched the documentaries with barely any previous knowledge of the specific MGS series or the development of video games of today in general. Given that sense, I was completely amazed by the depth of the character and the symbolic meaning of the storyline in the MGS2. Compared with the focus on the detail polishing in the MGS4 documentary, the former showcases thoroughly the originality of the creators and the reflection of their thoughts on the game characters. What the MGS2 documentary helped me realize is that personal interpretation of a certain product could be achieved with creative work. When Kojima talked about the major theme of the MGS2, I wouldn’t have imagined he was talking about a video game if not for the context given. Kojima expressed his aspiration in the MGS2 to pass the knowledge to the next generation of game designers, which is delicately conveyed through the transformation of the genetic symbols in the opening scene, and the concept of which is later on extended to culture, traditions, and human nature in the diverse dialogues during the game. This made me reflect on how I constantly attribute things only to their surface characteristics. When I thought of video games, entertainment and time consuming were the first two words that popped off my mind. But the easiest associations to a given object or work cannot and should not be the only features it could possibly accomplish. Essentially, it would be more interesting and fulfilling to make something happen in an unconventional space/area/industry, which also appears crucial to this everything is a hybrid age that we are living in.
When it comes to the MGS4 documentary, one word would be the best fit to grasp the essence: craftsmanship. The documentary portraits the constant efforts the whole Kojima team has put to attend to the details, polish the game till the last minute, and improve the quality of the product. The documentary itself formed a vivid contrast to the MGS2 documentary, but together they composed the entire chapter of the creative process. The MGS2 documentary speaks more of passion, ideas, and ambition, whereas the MGS4 one tackles with the “boring” aspect, the everyday practice of a perfectionist, the patience, and perseverance. While I can’t deny watching the former one was more exciting, I am aware the latter part is equally significant. As a matter of fact, I think a lot of the times inspiration and passion are overrated, especially in this ever accelerating society. Here I quote Chuck Close, “ Inspiration is for amateurs; the rest of us just show up and get to work.” Although it is a little bit exaggerating, the truth remains that we always lose patience and quit an idea half way through (or not even half way yet). The mindset is either we encountered some sort of difficulties and consoled ourselves that there will always be something better coming along the way, or we found it was not good enough, hence not worth investing our time and energy in anymore. However, what matters in these cases is really about the persistence and pressuring ourselves to finish it. Because it is in the process that we would always learn something, gain something, and improve something. The world is replete with appealing ideas, and "geniuses" seem to be everywhere, yet sometimes what distinguishes the successful from the others is mainly the consistence; they kept pushing themselves until they see the light at the end of the tunnel.