Hideo Kojima, the 60-year-old Japanese game creator, recently revealed in an interview with Edge magazine that he suffered a serious illness and underwent eye surgery during the pandemic. This brush with mortality completely reshaped his views on life and creation.
He not only re-evaluated his future work priorities but also compiled all his unrealized game ideas into a USB drive, treating it as a "will" and entrusting it to his personal assistant. His hope is that after his passing, the Kojima Productions team will carry on his spirit and continue to develop innovative new works.
Kojima confessed that it wasn't turning 60 that brought this epiphany, but rather the illness that forced him to confront life's finite nature. He once believed he could create until his last breath, but being sick prevented him from working, and witnessing many acquaintances pass away, these shocks made him ponder: "How much time do I have left to make games or movies? Maybe only ten years?"
Facing this limited timeframe, Kojima decided against focusing on just one project. Instead, he's now juggling multiple development plans, including the action-espionage game "Physint" with Sony, the mysterious Xbox-backed title "OD," and the highly anticipated "Death Stranding 2: On The Beach." The concept for "Physint," in particular, stems from fans' longing for his past "Metal Gear Solid" series.
While he once considered venturing into filmmaking, Kojima revealed he discussed it with directors Guillermo del Toro and Nicolas Winding Refn ("Drive"). Both, however, urged him to remain deeply rooted in the gaming world. He believes games are his strongest medium for expression and will continue to create in diverse forms, laying a long-term foundation for Kojima Productions.
"I don't want Kojima Productions to just be a company that manages old IPs after I'm gone," Kojima stated. "I want them to continue creating new works." This is precisely why he compiled all his unrealized ideas into files and stored them on a USB, serving as a blueprint for future endeavors.