Hideo Kojima, the 62-year-old creator of Metal Gear Solid and Death Stranding, offered candid reflections on his career, mortality, and the state of the gaming industry during a recent appearance at the 12th edition of the Il Cinema in Piazza festival in Rome.
Reflections on Mortality and Creativity
During a panel discussion at the festival, Kojima shared a personal sentiment regarding his own mortality. “I’ve always thought that when I die, I would like to die in a movie theater,” he stated. Describing his love for the anticipation of the cinema experience, he noted, “I love the bit before the movie starts the most. Enter the movie theater, the lights go off and commercials and trailers play, yeah? I’d like to die just before the movie starts.”
Kojima’s outlook on his career has shifted significantly following personal health challenges during the pandemic, including a serious illness and an eye operation. He explained that these events changed his perspective on his longevity as a creator. “I was confronted with death. Of course, I recovered, but now I was thinking, ‘Wait, how many years do I have left to make a game or a film?’ Perhaps I have 10 years?”
Previously, Kojima disclosed that he has left a USB stick for his staff containing game ideas to be developed after his passing, comparing it to a will. He has also expressed ongoing fears regarding aging, specifically the potential for dementia and the loss of memories.
The Future of Physical Media
Beyond his personal outlook, Kojima addressed the industry-wide transition away from physical media. Following Sony's announcement that it will stop producing game discs by 2028, Kojima voiced his disapproval of a digital-only future.
“Since production is ending in 2028, this is about video games, but I grew up with physical media, so I find it really sad,” he said during the event. Kojima continues to actively collect physical media, including CDs, vinyl records, and Blu-rays, as a way to preserve the formats he values.
Cinematic Influences on Game Design
Kojima’s deep ties to cinema—he often claims that 70% of his body is made of movies—were on display throughout the festival as he introduced several classic films. He highlighted the influence of the Female Prisoner Scorpion series on his creative approach, as well as the impact of Dario Argento’s Profondo Rosso, noting that he attempts to recreate the simultaneous realization of truth between character and viewer in his own games.
His work on Metal Gear Solid, which debuted in 1998, famously utilized cinematic lighting and long, film-like cutscenes to bridge the gap between video games and movies. These influences remain central to his current projects, including OD, an experimental horror game he is developing with Jordan Peele for Xbox Game Studios.