Hideo Kojima Talks Death Stranding Theories, Says Sony Partnership Gave Him “A Lot of Freedom”

Hideo Kojima won’t go into detail about the Death Stranding teaser trailer, but he was able to debunk one fan theory in an interview with Eurogamer.

Asked if the baby is a clone of Norman Reedus’ character, Kojima replied, “I read that one! That one is off!”

As for the scientific equations on the tags around Norman’s character’s neck and whether they indicate he fell through a black hole, Kojima says he “wanted people to find those,” but didn’t offer any further explanation.

There’s also a theory that the trailer is a metaphor for Metal Gear Solid V and Konami. “Part of the trailer is based on the song I’ll Keep Coming,” he explained. “I will keep coming; Norman Reedus and [long-time design collaborator] Kyle Cooper will keep coming back; waves are a big theme. As for Konami? I thought people might link it but there’s no connection in there.”

While Death Stranding won’t enter full production until Kojima Productions decides on an engine, Kojima says the trailer is representative of the final game. “What you see will be in the game,” he adds, mentioning that Norman Reedus’ character and dead fish will be in the final game, but, he notes, “it is a teaser.”

Kojima’s explained his decision to sign with Sony in the past, and in a new interview with Gameblog France, he said their relationship has allowed him to “concentrate on the creative part. Working with another partner, [they] would surely ask for more time on ancillary tasks.”

He also suspects those other partners would have taken a long to draw up contracts, but with Sony, it “brought me a lot of freedom, and support has been exceptional.”

Kojima adds that, while other companies would have required a presentation, Sony just turned him loose:

With Sony, of course I explained to them my approach, but they immediately said: ‘Go ahead, do what you gotta do.’ They offer me their trust. All the energy you need to put in the preparation of a project, I was able to focus on creating. This makes a real difference.

Over the weekend, the Kojima Productions Twitter account reflected on E3, saying the reaction to Death Stranding has been motivating:

E3 is over this year. It’s clear why Hideo Kojima loves so much this event. It made sure we don’t forget how awesome videogames are. E3 proves games can bring people together. Every year Homo Ludens from all over the world get together beyond nationality, gender, age, etc.

Having announced Death Stranding here, and receiving such wonderful reactions from so many people is rewarding and motivating beyond words.

Kojima mentioned to Eurogamer that his family told him to retire last year, but all the fans around the world kept him going. “And seeing the reaction of the people – most people seemed to like it – made me feel really good that I made the right choice,” he added. “My decision was correct.”

[Source: Kojima Productions (Twitter 1, 2, 3), Eurogamer, Gameblog France via VG247]

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