With Death Stranding just days away from arrival, we're already getting a good picture of what Kojima Productions plans to work on next. Game director Hideo Kojima said at a BAFTA panel last week that his next project could be fusion of games and movies and that it would capitalize on the way streaming is uniting many forms of entertainment. In a new mini-documentary published by the BBC over the weekend, Kojima expands on that concept - and he also explicitly confirms what people who are familiar with his previous work may have already expected.
"In the future, Kojima Productions will start making films. If you can do one thing well then you can do everything well," Kojima said, starting to laugh. He was probably poking fun at his ambitions with the second part, but it sounds like he is serious about working on film projects as well as games.
Ever since making the original Metal Gear, Kojima's games have been heavily inspired by cinema. That is both in the sense of their extended, movie-style cutscenes and their overall themes and vibes. I mean, Snatcher was an adventure game version of Blade Runner with Terminators instead of replicants, and Metal Gear Solid starts with pretty much the same premise as The Rock. Despite finally pursuing his cinematic ambitions outright, Kojima isn't leaving the world of games behind.
"I think within the next few years, gaming will move on to streaming," Kojima said. "Movies, dramas, and games will all be streamed, and you'll enjoy them on your iPad or iPhone or a screen anytime, anywhere. When that happens, games, films, and dramas will have to compete in the same space. I'm very interested in the new format of game that will appear on there, and that's what I want to take on."
In the same documentary, Kojima confirmed that Death Stranding is a reaction to Trump and Brexit. You'll be able to play it yourself and see how well it addresses those issues this Friday.
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