Kojima talks about Death Stranding progress

Last month, Kojima was at the Brasil Game Show, where he was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award. During his visit he also appeared on a television show called The Noite com Danilo Gentili, where he answered some questions about his next game, Death Stranding. User Gonicalized on the Death Stranding subreddit has taken the time to translate what was said during the interview.

Responding to a question about how far he was into development, Kojima said the game-plan has all the characters, and he is currently in the process of adding details and testing. The planning phase is done. The host then asked if he’s very meticulous about these details, and Kojima said he’s ‘VERY meticulous’. At the same time he can’t just get lost in the details, he has to keep and eye on the full picture as well. But everything is going according to plan in terms of schedule, so he says he’ll be able to launch in time.

Lastly, the host read a description of the game he read in a magazine: “An action adventure, dark and surreal, in the near or alternative future, with ecological touches.” He asked whether Kojima would agree with these words. Kojima responded that he does agree with this description. “Yes, It has ecological subjects in it.” he answered. He continued talking about how most games just focus on attacking opponents (a stick), and he wants to do something else (a rope). You can still use weapons but the game will be different from all those he’s made until now.

Below you can read the full transcript of the section of the interview that focuses on Death Stranding (as translated by the reddit user). Or, if you know Portuguese, there’s also a video available of the interview. Update: we now have a more loyal translation by Thiago Tolentino.

Interviewer: The first game of your company is already one of the most awaited games of the industry. It’s Death Stranding. For how long are you producing this game?

Kojima: So, when I founded my company, only one and a half year ago, I joined the creators, made the company, searched for the platform. So, one year and a bit.

Interviewer: In what stage of development is the game currently in? Without giving much spoiler, because it’s mega secret. Everyone wants to know about it, everyone is like “For God’s sake tell us what it is gonna be like”. So what can you say about the game to us?

Kojima: I can’t say how much percent, right!? But, there is a planning, right? It is all done/ready already. It has all the characters and I have to test it, right!? The game needs to be tested. You have to make it on the computer to see if the game will pleases or not. You need to be keeping an eye on this, but you will also be putting details to fix what’s not. So, I’m still putting these details yet. It is not like a movie where you take out and cut and paste and it`s over. Everyday you have something that you add, something that you take out. And I’m in that stage of adding, taking out, making some changes here and there.

Interviewer: You are talking about details, are you a very meticulous person?

Kojima: short laughs Yes, I’m VERY meticulous. But if you only focus on the details it will not work. You need to be that kind of person that goes for it, but you also go for details. You need to take a step behind and go for it, but you always need to be positive thinking (wishful thinking), otherwise the game doesn’t launch. I think it a bit difficult. So, for me, a game creator is always a bit displaced from society, so to say.

Interviewer: That is why I asked, you said that you are very meticulous and as you are working on details right now, so I though “It’s going to take very long”!

Kojima: No, no, no. It’s not like this. It is going according to the plans.

Interviewer: Let’s see a teaser of DS.

Interviewer: One of the many cool stuffs about the project is that there are well known and famous actors involved. That one for example is the one who plays Hannibal; the villain from 007: Casino Royale. His name is Mads Mikkelsen. What type of game is it gonna be? Do you have the notion of the anxiety you cause on fans when you make a teaser of that quality and the fans stay like “Oh my God, I want to play it soon!” What will it be like?

Kojima: You watch the teaser and you don’t know what type of game it is gonna be, right!? It is an action game on an open world. So to say, that`s it. You can go to a lot of places, do whatever you want, but it is an action game.

Interviewer: I’ve read on a magazine a description for the game. Can you tell me if they got it right? They described it like this: Open quotation marks, “An action adventure, dark and surreal, in a near or alternative future, with ecological touches” End quotes. Do you agree with that magazine description?

Kojima: It has ecological subjects in it too. But what I want to do, I’ve been making games for 31 years, stuff like you shot, take a stick and go hitting, even online, you go and take a sword or a pistol and shoot. That’s not this, so, something that is not a sword, some kind of strings, interlacement, and I wanted to do this. So, this time, I am trying to do something like this. Of course you can also use the pistol, but it will be very different from all the games I’ve being doing until today.

Interviewer: Very cool! Thank you Hideo. It was a pleasure to meet you and talking to you. Wait here, I’m gonna talk to Hideo in particular…

Interview ends

Source: Reddit, translation by Thiago Tolentino