How Death Stranding’s Director’s ‘Three Phase’ Plan Might Result In The Biggest Franchise Ever

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Director Hideo Kojima has been renowned as the auteur of video games. The Japanese director made it no secret that he is an avid movie-goer and applies his passion to every project he is working on. The gaming community grew up with the Metal Gear franchise during Kojima’s time with Konami, and the director revealed he was always fascinated by the idea of potentially dipping his toes into filmmaking; however, his obligations to the company were holding him back.

Director Hideo Kojima is expanding his horizons with the latest deal he signed with WME as his link to Hollywood. Image Credit: Kojima Productions

It was only a matter of time before the director could fully explore his interest in directing a film. Kojima considered the gaming community before making major moves and branching out. Through this new deal, Kojima’s vision of creating new stories and expanding an IP through different formats is no longer stillborn.

Kojima’s plans are now set in motion. Image Credit: Kojima Productions

Kojima has spent three decades working at Konami and finally decided it was time for him to develop his original stories without any oversight. The game director is no stranger to technology and innovation; however, Kojima revealed he was uncomfortable seeing popular influencers feature his older games after witnessing the youth having fun playing a game made 30 years ago, he had a change of heart.

The game director made the headlines after signing on to WME as his talent agency and his direct link to Hollywood. Kojima repeatedly stated his interest in filmmaking and partnered with A24 for the live-action adaptation of Death Stranding. This is an opportunity for Kojima to set his three-phase plan in motion and nothing is holding him back anymore, especially going independent.

I made games at Konami for 30 years. Though I was offered a lot of work outside of the company to film commercials or films or write scripts, I couldn’t do any of them because I was employed at Konami, and I was a board member as well. Also, the games that I made were not my IP; they belonged to the company. At the end of 2015, I went independent. 

Hideo Kojima disclosed that he had been presented with numerous opportunities and offers from various organizations to participate in commercial projects and scriptwriting for films. However, his obligations to Konami at the time held him back, which influenced his decision-making process.

Because I love movies, I could have gone on to shoot movies or commercials. But for the first phase, I thought about the video game fans all across the world who were waiting for my next new game, so I decided to create a video game first. 

Creating an original IP was the first part of Kojima’s plan and he required an office space. Fortunately, the previous owners were fans of Kojima and his Metal Gear series which paved the way for Death Stranding. Sony Interactive Entertainment did not hesitate to lend a helping hand, which also involved sharing the DECIMA engine from Guerrilla Games and helping Kojima get up on his feet in this new chapter of his career, which also speaks volumes of the director’s reputation and credibility.

In preparation of creating “Death Stranding,” we had to get an office space, gather staff, and find a game engine. But “Death Stranding” as a standalone title is not enough to spread and establish the IP, so we are currently making a sequel. So, this is the first phase: to establish “Death Stranding” within the games category and expand on global platforms, like Apple and PC and Sony. And from there, we are making a sequel. This part is not necessarily difficult.

Kojima explained the thought process for this decision. Being an independent game developer is risky, especially amidst the fierce competition. The director wanted to beyond Death Stranding with Sony and entered a partnership with Microsoft for a new project called OD in collaboration with director Jordan Peele.

And now, to strengthen our IP, we’re doing a sequel, and this is a game. And we’ll continue to add more to various platforms. What comes next are different forms of media: movies, anime, TV dramas, etc. Basically, expanding the game IP to other media. That’s the second phase. 

The second phase was to expand to different forms of media which is a bold move. Signing with WME will allow Kojima to pursue his dream of creating anything he desires under the sun.

That’s what we’re aiming for next. I created Kojima Productions under the scope of “digital entertainment,” but I don’t think it necessarily has to be a video game. We could create a new IP from a game, or an anime, or a film, or something totally different. Anything is possible, and that’s the third phase.

There is a reason why the director listed Kojima Productions as a digital entertainment company rather than a dedicated video game developer. Kojima’s plans and ambitions extend further beyond the reach of video games.

Hopefully, everything goes according to plan and Kojima can maintain the standard that he is renowned for. This three-phase plan is a risky venture and a testament to his creative vision.

The sky is the limit for director Hideo Kojima. Image Credit: Kojima Productions

Kojima wanted to blend movies and video games. Believing the two formats are neither superior nor inferior storytelling formats from each other and want to blur the lines between the two even further.

Death Stranding is the first of many great stories from Kojima Productions. The dream of integrating Hollywood-like storytelling in an interactive and immersive format like gaming is no longer a pipedream.

Are you excited to see director Hideo Kojima’s three-phase plan in motion? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!

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