In a new interview, Death Stranding and Metal Gear series creator Hideo Kojima dropped some new hints about his upcoming horror project known as OD. Kojima expressed disappointment with the state of the studios and the gaming industry, saying his new game will be “something totally different,” which people will either love or hate. Now that Death Stranding 2 has been released, development for OD will be more of a focus going forward for Kojima Studios.
Videos by ComicBook.com
Speaking to Ssence, Kojima emphasized that a problem with the current industry is that recent trailers he watched were too similar.
“Even the visuals and the systems are pretty much the same,” Kojima said, “and a lot of people enjoy this, I understand, but it is important to put something really new in there for the industry.”
Kojima also seemed unimpressed by games that he had seen in pre-production from well-known studios, criticizing one unnamed developer for working on a military-style shooter without knowing how to dismantle a gun. According to Kojima, taking risks like he does is the only way to make a satisfying product.
“I always knew [Death Stranding] would be controversial. People would love it or people would not like it. It would be like zero points or 10 points,” said Kojima. “If there is no risk, there won’t be any good things that would be born.”
This philosophy appears to underpin the development of mysterious horror title OD, which released a striking trailer in 2023.
Fans of Kojima’s work were unsure of what the game was advertising itself to be. Still, they trusted in the vision of Kojima Productions, which also delivered an unlikely premise in Death Stranding that managed to capture players’ attention.
“As per usual with a teased Kojima production, I have no idea wtf is going on… And I’m 100% here for it,” wrote YouTube user Frankenmuppet.
In the Ssence interview, Kojima said that he would be curious about player feedback expressed in tweets, YouTube videos, and reviews, but thinks that initial reception isn’t worth worrying about. To him, only the long passage of time can define the true perception of his efforts.
“The real evaluations come after—10 or 20 years from now,” Kojima said.
Published by Xbox Game Studios, OD has been building lofty expectations with the way Kojima has described the game as a “new form of media” and that the game’s concept will revolve around testing the concept of fear itself.
In addition to teaming up with Xbox Game Studios, Kojima is also working with award-winning filmmaker Jordan Peele to help tell a story that “blends the boundaries of gaming and film.” Actors Sophia Lillis, Hunter Schafer, and Udo Kier also star in the trailer as rendered talking heads that build tension through repetitious lines.
With his stated philosophy of taking risks when developing games, his prediction that OD will divide gamers might turn out to be true. Is OD something on your project radar in the coming years? Will Kojima deliver on his promise of a brand new type of experience with this game?
Most Viewed
-
South Park Studios -
20th Century Studios -
Image Courtesy of Ufotable -
Image Courtesy of DC Comics -
Image Courtesy of HBO
