Hideo Kojima, the auteur formerly behind Konami's Metal Gear Solid series, was today named the twenty-first member of the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame.
The 2015 Hall of Fame award will be presented to Kojima by film director and writer Guillermo del Toro during next month's DICE Summit.
The news comes after a tumultuous year for Kojima. The well-known developer left Konami last year during a corporate restructuring. His departure seemingly led to the mothballing of a new Silent Hill game that was to be co-directed by Kojima and del Toro.
In December, Kojima was meant to attend The Game Awards, but according to host Geoff Keighley, was blocked from the show by Konami. On Dec. 15, Kojima officially ended his career at the company and formed an independent studio called Kojima Productions. Its first game will be a console exclusive for the PlayStation 4.
Next month's award comes as recognition for Kojima's work on Metal Gear and his innovative story-telling and cinematic presentation, according to the press release.
"Hideo Kojima's career-defining works have shaped much of how the video game industry approaches cinematic storytelling and player engagement," said Martin Rae, president, Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences. "As one of the most well-loved and well-respected designers of our time, it is a great honor for the Academy to induct him into our Hall of Fame. Hideo is a game creator whose eyes have always looked towards the future, and we look forward to his thoughts on the D.I.C.E. Summit stage."
Past recipients include Leslie Benzies, Dan and Sam Houser and Dr. Greg Zeschuk and Dr. Ray Muzyka.