Hideo Kojima is one of the most renowned auteurs in the video games industry. He founded Kojima Productions in 2015 after a nasty departure from Konami. The company has since put out Death Stranding, which is set to get a sequel in June, and a new project called OD has also been announced. Kojima Productions is also working on a new tactical espionage game with Sony called Physint, a callback to the Metal Gear series.
In a recent interview with Edge Magazine, Kojima talked about how his work and ideas will continue to live on even after he passes.
Speaking with Edge Magazine, Kojima said, “Turning 60 was less of a turning point in my life than my experiences during the pandemic. I fell seriously ill at that time, and also had an eye operations.” He continues, “Until then, I didn’t think I was old, you know? I just didn’t feel my age, and I assumed I would be able to create for as long as I live.”
After falling sick during the pandemic, however, this threw Kojima’s priorities into question. “I was confronted with death,” Kojima says. “Of course, I recovered, but now I was thinking, ‘Wait, how many years do I have left to make games or a film?’ Perhaps I have 10 years?”
After having this epiphany, Kojima went on to say that he had considered directing a film. However, directors Guillermo del Toro and Nicolas Winding Refn said he should stick to video games. Both del Toro and Winding Refn appeared in Death Stranding as key characters, and are known friends/associates of Kojima’s.
Faced with his own mortality and the idea that he had limited time to do what he wanted, Kojima said that he wanted to help better secure the future of Kojima Productions even after he passes away. “I gave a USB stick with all my ideas on it to my personal assistant, kind of like a will. Perhaps they could continue to make things after I’m gone at Kojima Productions,” he says. “This is a fear for me: what happens to Kojima Productions after I’m gone? I don’t want them to just manage our existing IP.”
I, for one, am relieved to hear that Kojima Productions will be in good hands even after Hideo Kojima himself passes on. While I’ve had my fair share of complaints about his work, you can’t deny that the man’s a creative genius who isn’t afraid to get weird with the video game medium. For someone like that to have such a big budget to work with is a rare sight in this industry, and I certainly hope his innovation and creativity will continue to live on via Kojima Productions.
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is set to be released for PS5 on June 24.
