Hideo Kojima isn’t afraid to try something new, even if the rest of the world isn’t quite behind his vision. Kojima’s latest game, Death Stranding, didn’t make an appearance at E3 this year, but the developer did share a little insight into the ongoing project.
Kojima attended an E3 Coliseum Q&A session hosted by Geoff Keighley where he talked about pitching Death Stranding to his team. Spoiler alert: Kojima was met with a lot of confusion and blank stares.
“Every time I come up with a plan, I explain what I'm thinking for the game mechanics,” Kojima told the E3 crowd. “The first people I explain this to is my team. For Death Stranding , I started explaining a year ago what I wanted to make. No one got it! Because I was trying to make something new and different. I personally think that if people are opposed to you, then you're on the right track. That's game making for me."
In all fairness, Kojima’s Metal Gear Solid franchise doesn’t make much sense either, but it’s a hit series. And the only information about the game Kojima has released is that it’s about the connections or “strands” people have in the world. The reaction Kojima got from his team sounds a lot like what happened to Mads Mikkelsen when he first heard about the project. Mikkelsen shared his take on Death Stranding during an interview with Birth.Movies.Death back in December 2016:
It's very intricate. I mean, you know (Kojima). He's a very brilliant man. I mean... the stuff he told me? I only understood some of it.
(Laughs)
There was a lot of (mimes being baffled) "What?" I have to see it before I understand. Because with Death Stranding , he's creating something completely new.
Still, Kojima works hard to make sure his team understands his vision for Death Stranding . He keeps trying to convey his message until he gets through to them. The people working on D eath Stranding are the same people who helped Kojima develop his Metal Gear Solid series. In the end, his team comes around and gets excited for what Kojima has planned.
"When you're trying to make something new, I need my team to get it,” Kojima said. “So, day in and day out I explain and I convey what I want to make. And while we move forward and make different experiments, little by little the team starts getting what I want to make. Right now, what I wanted to achieve is working. But my team, everyone is saying, 'We're geniuses!' But I'm just like, 'No, no, no, I thought of this!'"
Kojima is known to obsess about his work, combing through every little detail of his games before they’re released. Remember, this is the same guy who told a Tribeca Games festival crowd back in April he always wanted to show a naked Norman Reedus in his games. But hey, we’re down with whatever Kojima wants to do with Death Stranding . The PS4-exclusive title is currently in development. Sony has yet to confirm a release date.
