Death Stranding — Hideo Kojima Gives Update on the Development of His Mysterious Game [Translated]
The Grand Master
Program "TRUME TIME AND TIDE" being broadcasted at J-WAVE (navigator: Ichikawa Shara). On the air on March 2nd (Sat), game creator Kojima Hideo appears in the guests. I asked about the story of the new game "DEATH STRANDING" and the future of the game.
■ What is the most important thing in game creation?
Kojima who has fans all over the world as a creator of the big hit game "Metal Gear" series. It is said that the precise story design is "beyond the movie", and attention is also gaining attention from Hollywood creators.
The fans all over the world are looking forward to the release of a new game "DEATH STRANDING" that Mr. Kojima is handling. How far is the production going?
Kojima : With the story and design from the beginning to the end, as it is an open world game, it is not in the level of adjustment stage yet it is assembled. Currently I'm doing a "doing this this way", "I will change the directing here" while holding the controller everyday.
Regarding the release date that Mr. Kojima says, "Many studios lag behind the planned release date," DEATH STRANDING "has been slightly out of the initial plan, but not much delayed," he reported progress.
Ichikawa : Because there is a release date, will you compromise what you wanted to do?
Kojima : There are a few compromises. If you are an amateur artistic work you can make it satisfactory. However, because there is a delivery date, it is possible to set goals and prioritize them. Because I've been making for a long time without a delivery date, I can do my best because I have a delivery date and I can do what I can do so. However, I can not put out when I fall below my passing line.
In game production, what does Mr. Kojima cherish the most?
Kojima : Naturally graphics, sounds, directing, quality of gameplay etc are also important, but when planning for the first time, I can only see inside of me. So, even if you make a presentation, new games are hardly understood. Among them the most important thing is whether things that only visible inside me are actually being expressed. Making an unformed one is to make something you have never seen, so if you mistake the right or left choice it will result in a different game. The new game is high risk.
Furthermore, when a general person got a monitor of a new game, "I was not interesting because it did not express well what I wanted to do" or "I made it, but the game itself is not interesting in the first place" I will tell you that it will be important to judge.
Kojima : If we do not make sure of that, we will break down what we first wanted to do according to customers. If the customer wishes to add elements that he wants and creates something that is different from the vision he saw first, even if that game were to be sold, there was no such thing to do from the beginning. I definitely want to avoid it.
■ "Stream" of the future game and AI are key
With technology evolving, Kojima's attention in future entertainment is "stream".
Kojima : You can watch movies, drama, comedy etc with video distribution service.Until a while ago it was a coarse image that was compressed, but now it has become more common to see high resolution. I think that entertainment will change in around 5 years because the game also has a flow that follows this service. Although movies and games are 180 degrees different, I will think that the future will be a movie and game as one entertainment since this time will be buried. I think that I want to advance as fast as this future.
Ichikawa : How will the maker change when that future comes?
Kojima : Since choices are not a movie or a game, choices will increase. Just watching movies, playing games only, but different aspects come out with technology, so the makers are amazed and the players are changing too.
And Mr. Kojima continues that AI (artificial intelligence) is what is ahead.
Kojima : After about ten years, the AI that is in the refrigerator, mobile phone, clock is linked to become a big AI, and it will control various services. I am learning AI, so now we are making games among human staff, but now we will have an era where AI can make games. Then, not only myself but also ordinary people will be able to make games. For example, if Mr. A creates a part and Mr. B makes a different part, AI connects it to make it a lump. AI will also search for a place for that announcement so that the creator and the players will be able to provide services while playing together.
Ichikawa : What is it that only human beings can do when they become so?
Kojima : AI learns that there is a database. For example, letting AI learn a picture of Leonardo da Vinci, the more you have the picture data, the more you can draw a new work based on that data. However, you can not create new ones without database at all. On the other hand, even if there is no database, human beings can create new ideas and thinking. When it creates and diffuses it, it becomes a database to some extent, so AI makes a new work. And, humans also go to different places. I think that the time will come when the AI will run away pursuing it.
On the program, Mr. Kojima selected "I'll Keep Coming" of Iceland's band · Low Roar on air . "I happened to be in a CD shop when I went to Iceland and bought it, I bought it because it was so good that I contacted them and offered it to the music of" DEATH STRANDING ".
【 Listen to the broadcast times of this article on radiko 】
If you have PC · smartphone app "radiko.jp premium" (charged), you can enjoy J-WAVE anywhere in Japan. One week after program broadcasting, you can listen with "radiko.jp time free" function.
■ What is the most important thing in game creation?
Kojima who has fans all over the world as a creator of the big hit game "Metal Gear" series. It is said that the precise story design is "beyond the movie", and attention is also gaining attention from Hollywood creators.
The fans all over the world are looking forward to the release of a new game "DEATH STRANDING" that Mr. Kojima is handling. How far is the production going?
Kojima : With the story and design from the beginning to the end, as it is an open world game, it is not in the level of adjustment stage yet it is assembled. Currently I'm doing a "doing this this way", "I will change the directing here" while holding the controller everyday.
Regarding the release date that Mr. Kojima says, "Many studios lag behind the planned release date," DEATH STRANDING "has been slightly out of the initial plan, but not much delayed," he reported progress.
Ichikawa : Because there is a release date, will you compromise what you wanted to do?
Kojima : There are a few compromises. If you are an amateur artistic work you can make it satisfactory. However, because there is a delivery date, it is possible to set goals and prioritize them. Because I've been making for a long time without a delivery date, I can do my best because I have a delivery date and I can do what I can do so. However, I can not put out when I fall below my passing line.
In game production, what does Mr. Kojima cherish the most?
Kojima : Naturally graphics, sounds, directing, quality of gameplay etc are also important, but when planning for the first time, I can only see inside of me. So, even if you make a presentation, new games are hardly understood. Among them the most important thing is whether things that only visible inside me are actually being expressed. Making an unformed one is to make something you have never seen, so if you mistake the right or left choice it will result in a different game. The new game is high risk.
Furthermore, when a general person got a monitor of a new game, "I was not interesting because it did not express well what I wanted to do" or "I made it, but the game itself is not interesting in the first place" I will tell you that it will be important to judge.
Kojima : If we do not make sure of that, we will break down what we first wanted to do according to customers. If the customer wishes to add elements that he wants and creates something that is different from the vision he saw first, even if that game were to be sold, there was no such thing to do from the beginning. I definitely want to avoid it.
■ "Stream" of the future game and AI are key
With technology evolving, Kojima's attention in future entertainment is "stream".
Kojima : You can watch movies, drama, comedy etc with video distribution service.Until a while ago it was a coarse image that was compressed, but now it has become more common to see high resolution. I think that entertainment will change in around 5 years because the game also has a flow that follows this service. Although movies and games are 180 degrees different, I will think that the future will be a movie and game as one entertainment since this time will be buried. I think that I want to advance as fast as this future.
Ichikawa : How will the maker change when that future comes?
Kojima : Since choices are not a movie or a game, choices will increase. Just watching movies, playing games only, but different aspects come out with technology, so the makers are amazed and the players are changing too.
And Mr. Kojima continues that AI (artificial intelligence) is what is ahead.
Kojima : After about ten years, the AI that is in the refrigerator, mobile phone, clock is linked to become a big AI, and it will control various services. I am learning AI, so now we are making games among human staff, but now we will have an era where AI can make games. Then, not only myself but also ordinary people will be able to make games. For example, if Mr. A creates a part and Mr. B makes a different part, AI connects it to make it a lump. AI will also search for a place for that announcement so that the creator and the players will be able to provide services while playing together.
Ichikawa : What is it that only human beings can do when they become so?
Kojima : AI learns that there is a database. For example, letting AI learn a picture of Leonardo da Vinci, the more you have the picture data, the more you can draw a new work based on that data. However, you can not create new ones without database at all. On the other hand, even if there is no database, human beings can create new ideas and thinking. When it creates and diffuses it, it becomes a database to some extent, so AI makes a new work. And, humans also go to different places. I think that the time will come when the AI will run away pursuing it.
On the program, Mr. Kojima selected "I'll Keep Coming" of Iceland's band · Low Roar on air . "I happened to be in a CD shop when I went to Iceland and bought it, I bought it because it was so good that I contacted them and offered it to the music of" DEATH STRANDING ".
【 Listen to the broadcast times of this article on radiko 】
If you have PC · smartphone app "radiko.jp premium" (charged), you can enjoy J-WAVE anywhere in Japan. One week after program broadcasting, you can listen with "radiko.jp time free" function.
