Acclaimed game developer Hideo Kojima has announced that there are possible plans for his development studio Kojima Productions to branch out into the creation of films as well as video games. Kojima has often been cited as a pioneer in advancing video game storytelling, taking risks with games such as the upcoming Death Stranding and the Metal Gear Solid franchise, so perhaps this should come as no big surprise.
In a BBC documentary on the development of Death Stranding, Kojima made the statement that he believes that gaming as a medium is moving towards streaming – such as with the upcoming Google Stadia – which is a belief that pushed him towards the idea of making films. He believes that once games are taking up space in the streaming sector, they will more directly have to compete with film and television, as the two things will be less separated and barring for the same limited time, attention and money that consumers have. It’s an understandable stand to take on the matter, but whether or not these beliefs will pan out to anything has yet to be seen, and whatever film projects Kojima might have in mind have yet to surface in any significant way.
Kojima’s upcoming game Death Stranding has been said by some critics to be blurring the line between games and movies in a way that only Kojima could manage, which the public will be able to decide on for themselves when the game is soon released. The production already starts prominent film figures such as Norman Reedus of The Walking Dead, acclaimed director of Pan’s Labyrinth and The Shape of Water Guillermo Del Toro, and famed night-time TV host Conan O’Brien. Kojima clearly likes many actors and creators out there, and he is a known fan of many films and TV, so it might make sense that it’s only a matter of time before this appreciation of his spills out of games and onto the big screen,
Kojima Productions’ first game Death Stranding will release for PS4 on November 8th, 2019. You can watch an extensive trailer for the game below:
