Aspects of the book also elaborate on themes explored in Kojima's games, such as genes, memes and scenes; all three ideas were explored in the Metal Gear Solid games. Barsanti noted that The Creative Gene extensively focuses on the idea of memes, with Kojima's discussions on the media he enjoys conveying how information influences the upbringing of individuals. Kunzelman referred to Kojima's emphasis on memes as "Dawkinsian," while also describing Kojima's views on memes as coming from a more individualized standpoint that involves the spread of ideas amongst people. Writing for GamesHub, indie game developer Naphtali Faulkner analyzed Kojima's relationships with media in the context of creation, namely how ideas that develop beyond various generations inspire works of art. Faulkner states that through the exploration of media, the book "shows how we can start to think about memes as more than just homage – how we can start to cut away the surface of the things we like, and dig down into the spirit of the ideas that resonate with us."
