Metal Gear Solid 5 might be Kojima's 'next project'

In April, Kojima Productions head and Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima teased through his Japanese-language Twitter feed that his "next project will challenge a certain type of taboo." Unfortunately, Kojima has been less than forthcoming with more details about this mysterious work.

This week, though, Kojima sat down with Hirokazu Hamamura, CEO of Famitsu publisher Enterbrain, and offered a host of cryptic comments concerning one, or more, of the designer's upcoming projects. As relayed by Andria Sang, Kojima began by talking up his "next project," saying that details have been largely firmed up, though "recently, it has wavered a bit."

Kojima told Hamamura that after returning from the Electronic Entertainment Expo in June, he experienced a change of heart. "I'm not sure myself, but I began to want to do something different from what I'd wanted to do originally," he said.

Delving deeper into the specific nature of this project, Kojima said that the game will either be entirely new or Metal Gear Solid 5. "For the next game I make, it's either MGS5 or an original game. I only have these two choices," he said. His indecision notwithstanding, Kojima noted that the game's engine is already up and running, and that he has allocated his key personnel to the project.

It seems clear that the game will not be a new installment in the Zone of the Enders franchise, a speculated frontrunner following interest expressed by Kojima in October. "Regarding [Zone of the Enders] and so-forth, sorry--those will be pushed a bit into the future. I'm 47 this year, and I don't know when something might happen."

As for when the game would release and on which platforms, Kojima said, "It can't take three years," calling out the accelerated pace of game development in the West. He went on to say that the game is being created for unspecified consoles.