LogInTechnical limitations, huh.
Konami
Solid Snake is the iconic character from the Metal Gear series. However, in the first game that was released back in 1987, he wasn't anything of a yapper and, instead, remained silent throughout the game.
In a recent interview with An An magazine (via Automaton), Hideo Kojima, the renowned director and the franchise's creator, explained how this happened. Basically, it was limited by the time's technical capability.
"In 1986, when I entered the game industry, games still couldn't speak. Characters didn't have voices. There was no kanji font, and katakana was displayed one character at a time. Solid Snake, the protagonist of my debut game, Metal Gear (1987), was born as a tough guy who didn't speak because of this." (via Google Translation)
A key technological achievement was reached the following year. With NEC releasing the console CD-RO M2, voice dialogue was finally made possible. So with 1998's Metal Gear Solid, Snake got his voice. "Now the Silent Snake can speak, delivering snappy lines like those of 007 or Lupin III, making his character stand out through his voice alone," Kojima said.
The Japanese director continued to recall the happy times spent with his favorite voice actors from MGS2 to MGSV and shared that many of them, who were like "family" members, also joined the recording of Death Stranding, Kojima Productions' debut title.
"Why do I continue to use the same voice actors? Because there is a strong relationship of trust. We are now in the same boat, just like "family." From now on, if possible, I would like to spend my favorite time with my favorite people," he said.
Last July, Hideo Kojima talked about one of the original Metal Gear's features that positioned it "ahead of its time".
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