Hideo Kojima says smooth skin of Asian actors keeps them out of his games

Legendary Japanese game developer Hideo Kojima says the reason so few Asian actors appear in his games is because their smooth skin is difficult to capture realistically using current technology.

“Women and young people in particular have such beautiful, smooth skin. Asians, and not just Japanese people, are known for their beautiful, smooth skin, so it ends up looking like CG,” Kojima told IGN Japan. He explained that it is easier to achieve realism with actors who have more textured features. “On the other hand, it’s easier to bring out the details in older people or people with lots of freckles.” Kojima said, “I’ve tried to use Japanese people in the past, but it’s hard to make them look like their real-life counterparts.”

Kojima, who said he hopes more Asian actors can be featured in his games in the future, noted improvements with new technology used for “Death Stranding 2: On the Beach,” his latest title. “However, this time I used new technology, and I’m quite satisfied with the results. Well, I’d like to do even better next time,” he said.