Hideo Kojima in conversation with Wired Japan He has once again made it clear why he remains an exceptional figure in the industry. While major studios rely on established genres, market analyses, and trend forecasts, Kojima continues to think from the opposite perspective.
His goal is not to perfect existing game styles, but to create something new – even if that means deliberately moving outside of clear genre boundaries. A rare glimpse into the working methods of one of the industry's most influential game developers.
Creative freedom instead of genre boundaries
This attitude is reflected in almost all of the creator's statements. For Hideo Kojima A "good game" isn't a neatly executed set of features, but an interactive space that encourages players to discover things for themselves. Mechanics shouldn't just function, but also surprise. An item with an obvious function only becomes interesting to him when players start repurposing it – and the game reacts to that. This freedom, this playful "What happens if I do it differently?“ is, for Kojima, the core of the medium.
Immersion is therefore central to his philosophy. Games must be worlds you want to return to, not because there's a quest marker left unfinished, but because the place itself is captivating. Kojima describes games as a counterpoint to everyday life: places where you can be someone else and do things that are impossible in real life. That's precisely why he doesn't consider story, gameplay, world, and design separately, but rather as a cohesive whole that emerges simultaneously.
Why Kojima finishes his games himself
His approach to work in the final development phase is also interesting. While many creatives withdraw at this stage, Kojima personally handles the fine-tuning. He plays his games himself – again and again. Camera, controls, sound, effects, animations, story pacing, difficulty level: everything is tested and adjusted. He always balances the normal mode himself. For Kojima, this phase is crucial, and something that, in his opinion, too few developers take seriously.
It's hardly surprising that he always considers his latest work his personal masterpiece. Currently, it's... Death Stranding 2Even in the first installment, the unusual Delivery gameplay didn't arise from a design whim, but from the thematic idea of an isolated world, which then connects to the main storyline. For Kojima, mechanics always follow the theme, and not the other way around.
He rules out little for the future, but includes many possibilities. Hard science fiction, space settings, Western elements, or historical subjects appeal to him, but only if something original emerges from them. Replicating existing genres clearly doesn't interest him. Kojima also looks further ahead regarding technological development: only VR and AR, in his estimation, will truly dissolve the rigid screen frame and enable new forms of presentation.
Ultimately, Kojima wants to remain consistent above all else. For him, creativity isn't a job, but a way of life. Those who think of games merely as products won't understand this approach. However, those who see the medium as a form of expression will recognize precisely why Kojima's games generate discussion even when people don't like them.
