The Matrix entered pop culture in 1999 just as Hollywood and gaming were starting to overlap creatively, especially in storytelling.
That’s around the time the Wachowskis, still riding the breakout success of their cyber-philosophical action film, reached out to Hideo Kojima.
They admired his work on Metal Gear Solid. They reportedly felt his taste for cinematic direction and complex themes made him the ideal person to create a video-game version of their universe.
What Was Discussed in the Pitch?
According to former Konami licensing executive Christopher Bergstresser, the filmmakers travelled to Konami’s headquarters in Japan, accompanied by their concept artist.
During the discussion, they expressed genuine enthusiasm and directly asked Kojima if he’d take charge of a Matrix adaptation.
The request was translated for senior Konami executive Kazumi Kitaue, who gave a straightforward answer: the studio could not commit.
As the studio was transitioning into full production on Metal Gear Solid 2, Konami decided against having Kojima take on a second project.
Was There Any Bad Blood?
Although the meeting ended in refusal, the mood stayed cordial.
The Wachowskis invited Kojima and the Konami group to the Japanese premiere of The Matrix later that evening, and the two sides seemingly maintained professional goodwill.
For years, fans had only bits and rumours hinting that this meeting ever took place, but Bergstresser’s recollection finally laid out what happened behind closed doors.
Not everyone at Konami agreed with how things played out. Another former staffer recalled that Kojima remained interested in the idea even after the official “no,” and his team felt deflated that the collaboration slipped away.
Considering their excitement, the opportunity felt like a rare chance for Japanese and Western creatives with similar storytelling sensibilities to merge visions at a historic pop-culture moment.
How Close Was His Vision to The Matrix?
Although the project never moved forward, Kojima said The Matrix felt familiar when he first saw it, pointing out that his team had already been tinkering with concepts like stylized wall-running.
The parallels made him smile, as if he and the Wachowskis arrived at the same idea from opposite directions.
Although nothing came of it, their talks stuck with Kojima, who later referenced those similarities publicly.
The rights eventually landed with Shiny Entertainment, which later launched Enter the Matrix in 2003 and The Path of Neo in 2005.
Though both games made efforts to extend the film universe, neither ever achieved the kind of industry-shaping legacy fans believe Kojima might have brought to the franchise.
Some still imagine a Matrix game built as a daring narrative project instead of a standard licensed title.
Following MGS2, Kojima continued refining ideas that would later be present in Death Stranding.
It’s hard not to think those concepts would have perfectly matched The Matrix’s questions about consciousness, identity, and simulation.
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