Hideo Kojima says he'll become an AI after death

Hideo Kojima’s studio Kojima Productions just turned six years old, or more accurately, the registration for the studio just turned six, as Kojima couldn’t afford a studio and had few staff when he first launched his solo venture. The Death Stranding creator recently spoke with IGN to mark the production company’s anniversary and growth, and while Kojima is mainly concerned with his present projects, he’s given some thought to the studio’s future in 50 years or more, once he’s gone.

“I’ll keep leading so long as I’m around, and all that matters to me is that our roots when it comes to creation are kept intact,” he said “But you know, I’ll probably become an AI and stick around. You need to be stimulated in lots of different ways if you want to keep creating new things, so I imagine I’ll keep collaborating with others and taking in new things even if I’m an AI.”

Kojima said he gets bored easily, and even though he’s not interested in growing his studio to go public and attract potential investors, he’s always eager to investigate new technology and experiment with his craft.

“Part of why I’ve been able to make games for 30 years is because new technology replaces the old so quickly,” he said “The tech you use today may not be applicable tomorrow, and I’m interested in figuring out ways to incorporate the new.  

“Making the wrong choice can result in failure, of course. It’s a bit like a space program in that way. The project we’re working on with Microsoft is one I have been thinking about for five or six years already. “

Kojima naturally didn’t say what the Microsoft project would be, but meanwhile, we’ve got Death Stranding 2 in production and the Death Stranding movie adaptation underway, the latter of which Kojima said he’s keen to avoid making into a blockbuster, as he wants it to retain the franchise’s identity.

Written by Josh Broadwell on behalf of GLHF