Hideo Kojima Leaves USB Stick of Ideas for Staff After His Death, Calls It 'A Will'

Hideo Kojima, the visionary behind numerous acclaimed video games, has recently shared a series of intriguing ideas and a poignant plan for the future of Kojima Productions. In a candid interview with Edge magazine, as reported by VGC, Kojima discussed how the pandemic and his own health struggles prompted a significant shift in his perspective on life and work. "Turning 60 was less of a turning point in my life than my experiences during the pandemic," he reflected. "I fell seriously ill at that time, and also had an eye operation. 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."

However, facing his own mortality, Kojima began to ponder the limited time he might have left. "But then I became sick, and I couldn’t create anything. And I saw lots of people around me passing away at that time. I was confronted with death. Of course, I recovered, but now I was thinking, ‘Wait, how many years do I have left to make a game or a film?’ Perhaps I have 10 years?" This introspection led him to not only embark on new projects but also to prepare for the future of his studio. He has left a USB stick filled with game ideas to his personal assistant, describing it as "kind of like a will." His hope is that these ideas will help secure the future of Kojima Productions and allow it to continue innovating beyond his lifetime.

Kojima's creative mind continues to explore unique game mechanics, particularly those involving the passage of time in real life. In a recent broadcast of his Japanese radio podcast KOJI10, he revealed concepts he has considered but not yet implemented. One such idea was for Death Stranding 2: On The Beach, where protagonist Sam's beard would grow over time, requiring players to shave it to prevent him from looking unkempt. "However, as Norman Reedus is a big star, I didn’t want to make him look uncool!" Kojima explained, although he hinted at possibly using this mechanic in a future game.

Kojima also shared three innovative game concepts centered around time mechanics. The first is a game where players experience a full life cycle, starting as a child and aging to an elderly person, with gameplay mechanics reflecting the physical and cognitive changes that come with age. "But no-one would buy it!" Kojima humorously remarked, although the concept intrigued others on the podcast. Another idea involves players nurturing something that matures over time, like wine or cheese, suggesting a game that could function as a background or idle game. Finally, Kojima proposed a "forgetting game" where the protagonist's abilities and memories degrade if the player takes long breaks, challenging players to complete the game swiftly.

Amidst these revelations, Kojima and his studio remain incredibly busy. In addition to working on Death Stranding 2, Kojima is collaborating with A24 on a live-action Death Stranding film, developing OD for Xbox Game Studios, and creating a video game and movie hybrid, Physint, for Sony. Unfortunately, the ongoing video game actors strike has delayed the release of OD and Physint, leaving fans eagerly awaiting further updates.

Kojima has been thinking about what happens once he's gone. Photo by John Phillips/[ttpp]Getty Images for Warner Bros. Pictures[ttpp].