Shortly after unveiling a series of abandoned video game concepts, including a ‘Forgetting Game’ where the protagonist gradually loses key information and abilities if the player takes long breaks, Kojima has now disclosed that he left his team a USB drive containing game ideas to be developed after his death.
As VGC reported, Kojima shared this somber revelation with Edge magazine, reflecting on how his perspective shifted during the pandemic.
“Reaching 60 wasn’t as pivotal as the experiences I had during the pandemic,” he remarked. “I became seriously ill during that period and also underwent eye surgery. Up until then, I never really felt my age—I always believed I could keep creating for as long as I lived.
“But falling ill meant I couldn’t create anything. Witnessing the loss of many around me made me confront my own mortality. I did recover, but it left me wondering, ‘How many years do I have left to make a game or a film? Maybe just ten?'”
This reflection not only motivated Kojima to pursue multiple new projects but also led him to create the USB drive, which he described as "a kind of will," intended to ensure Kojima Productions continues to thrive after he's gone.
“I gave my personal assistant a USB stick with all my ideas on it, almost like a will,” he stated. “Maybe Kojima Productions can keep creating after I’m gone… I worry about what happens to the studio then. I don’t want them to simply manage our existing intellectual property.”
This week, IGN covered Kojima's thoughts on integrating real-time mechanics into games. Beyond discussing time-related features he included in past works, he revealed unused concepts, including one cut from the upcoming Death Stranding 2: On The Beach.
“I've considered having characters' hair grow within games,” Kojima mentioned in a recent episode of his Japanese radio show KOJI10. “In Death Stranding 2’s original plan, Sam’s beard was supposed to grow gradually, and players would need to shave it. If neglected, he would look unkempt. But Norman Reedus is such a big star—I didn’t want him to appear uncool!” Even so, the director hasn't ruled out using this idea in a future title.
Kojima also shared three concepts that center on the passage of real-world time. The first is a life simulation: “You begin as a newborn, grow into childhood, then gradually age into adulthood. Throughout the game, you face different enemies. Similar to the mechanic in MGS3's The End, if you keep playing, your character will grow into a 70- or 80-year-old. At that age, your physical condition declines—eyesight worsens, and movement slows. In your youth, you’re faster and stronger, but as an elder, your knowledge and strategic insight improve.” This aging process would influence your approach to adversaries. “But I'm not sure gamers would buy it!” Kojima admitted, though others on the podcast were enthusiastic about what they called “a truly Kojima-style game.”
Another idea he described is a game focused on crafting items that mature over long periods, like wine or cheese. This would encourage players to check in regularly, functioning almost like an idle or background game.
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Finally, Kojima proposed a “forgetting game” that players must complete quickly. The core mechanic involves the protagonist gradually forgetting essential knowledge and skills if gameplay sessions are spaced too far apart. For example, skipping daily play could cause the character to forget how to shoot a weapon or even their mission. This forgetfulness would accumulate until the character becomes immobilized. “You’d practically need to take a week off work or school to beat it,” Kojima joked.
It’s an incredibly busy period for Kojima and his studio, Kojima Productions (and now we understand why). Alongside Death Stranding 2, Kojima is collaborating with A24 on a live-action Death Stranding film. He’s also developing OD for Xbox Game Studios, alongside the hybrid video game and cinematic experience Physint for Sony.
Release dates for OD and Physint remain unannounced. In fact, Kojima noted in January that the ongoing video game voice actors strike impacted development on both titles, so further updates might take some time.
