Hideo Kojima’s Japanese radio podcast KOJI10 has been giving listeners insight into how the Metal Gear Solid and Death Stranding creator thinks. In the most recent broadcast (Episode 17), Kojima shared his thoughts on how time passing in real life can be used in video games. Not only did Kojima comment on time-related mechanics he has implemented in past games, but he also revealed concepts that he hasn’t used yet. This includes an idea that he scrapped from the upcoming Death Stranding 2: On The Beach.
Kojima is no stranger to gameplay mechanics that make use of your console or PC’s internal clock as a timer.
He starts out by mentioning two examples from 2004’s Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater on the PS2. To add to the realism of surviving in the jungle, the fresh food you had acquired would go off after a few days had passed in real life. Eating rotten food could make Snake violently sick, or you could turn spoiled food into a novel weapon by throwing it at hungry enemy soldiers.
Kojima also made use of the system clock for MGS3’s cat-and-mouse boss battle against elderly sniper The End. “Although he is a really tough boss, if the player waits a week, The End will die of old age,” recalls Kojima. Indeed, if the player loads their in-battle save at least one week later, they will be treated to a cutscene in which Snake discovers that The End is dead.
“I’ve thought about having characters’ hair grow in games,” Kojima reveals. “Originally in Death Stranding 2, I was going to have Sam’s beard gradually grow out over time, and the player would have to shave it. If they didn’t, Sam would end up looking unkempt,” he explains. “However, as Norman Reedus is a big star, I didn’t want to make him look uncool!” Despite this, the director says it is still something he might add to another game one day.
Kojima also comes up with three game concepts that have the passing of time in real life as a major mechanic. The first is a kind of game of life: “It starts out with the player being born, you’re a child and then gradually over time you become an adult. In the game, you fight various enemies. Like with the previous example (MGS3’s The End), if you keep playing the game, you will become a 70 or 80 year old man. However, at this age you will be weaker, your eyesight will worsen. When you are a teenager you’ll be able to run faster but by the time you reach 60 you’ll slow down a bit,” Kojima explains, revealing that although your character will be in better physical condition when they are younger, they will have more knowledge and experience when they are older. This aging will affect your strategy as to how you deal with enemies. “But no-one would buy it!” Kojima adds, however the other people on the podcast expressed enthusiasm about playing such a “Kojima-like game.”
Another idea he mentions is a game where you are creating something that takes time to mature, such as wine or cheese. This requires the player to continue gradually playing it over a long period of time, and sounds like it would work as a background/idle game.
On the flip side, Kojima also proposes a “forgetting game” that the player would have to “play through quickly.” In this concept, the main character gradually forgets important information and abilities if you take too long a break from the game. For example, if you don’t play every day, the main character will gradually forget things such as “how to fire their gun or what their job is.” This forgetfulness builds up until finally the player is unable to move. “Players would have to take a week off work or school to play it,” Kojima laughs.
Speaking of taking time off, doubtless many Kojima fans will be doing just that when Death Stranding 2 releases on June 26. For more about the upcoming game, check out our interview with Kojima, and our impressions after playing through the first 30 hours.
Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images.
Verity Townsend is a Japan-based freelance writer who previously served as editor, contributor and translator for the game news site Automaton West. She has also written about Japanese culture and movies for various publications.
