“So we game creators are not "artists". [...] the interactive experience of the user comes first. Games are also tools—something to be used. They don't gain acceptance until they are used; artistic self-indulgence won't do. [...] it's important to realize that a game isn't a painting. No one wants a knife that won't cut, right?”
In 1999 Kojima said that, although he is a director, he considers himself a craftsman: games are things to be used, and a player’s impression and evaluation come from using them, so game creators are not "artists". He said the interactive experience of the user comes first, games are also tools and do not gain acceptance until they are used, and artistic self-indulgence will not do — it would be like tea no one can drink. He added that both things can be done, a playable game imbued with individuality and artistic spirit, but that it is important to realize a game is not a painting: no one wants a knife that will not cut.
“It would be like tea no one can drink. An attractive aesthetic alone isn't enough either. So in that sense, we are craftsmen.”