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Kojima's first independent experience. 2015, Kojima left Konami after MGSV. They didn't even let him accept the award he very deserved so. For the first time in years, there was no work ahead of him. No office, workers, computers, or resources; the man lost everything. 30 years in the industry, but no chance. Banks? Didn't trust him. Publishers? They didn't understand. Even his own family was against his idea, but if he going to continue creating unique experiences, it has to be on his own terms. He already had an idea that he was compelled to.
A studio that produce AAA games doesn't come in cheap, and Kojima didn't wanted to settle for less. We know you're renowned, but you don't have actual results. It took him a little while to find a banker that's a fan and trust his vision for a loan. With the studio formed, with a logo that thrown on a paper - because they didn't had any computers - Kojima started to contact with western publishers. You are crazy. What they told to him, because there was no pitch.
You might think it's crazy too, I won't judge. But hear me out and be honest, Death Stranding is out for years and we know how the game is. If you were an investor, and some guy rushed in your office to pitch you a game where the main emphasis is connecting people together while delivering cargo, would you gave him the green light? I don't think so.
Despite all the circumstances, out of all game studios out there, there was one studio that was interested with the journey to independence of Kojima, despite being one of the largest game company out there. They understand he didn't want his creative vision to be touched with. A studio that known for getting smaller studios beneath them to create games that exclusive to their systems. But despite their authoritarian and strict policies, they didn't hesitate once when Kojima asked for help, and they basically gave him an empty check for him to pursue his dream.
On December 16th, 2015; a day after Kojima's contract with Konami has been officially ended, Kojima Productions has been officially announced alongside with a strong partnership from Sony.
He didn't had a studio to work with, because landlords didn't felt to settle with a company that didn't even produced anything yet. So he's settled for a room he was able to borrow from a friend and turned it into an office for himself and his three team members. He kept his independent endeavour a secret from his family, until the success that he was looking very forward to. But unfortunately, his mother passed away during development.
He was just 13 when his father passed away, so his mother was a single parent that struggled to see the end of the day. Hideo, being very protective of her, stopped pursuing his dreams after finishing high school, and studied economics to be safe - a choice that satisfied everyone except himself. But he never stopped dreaming. He satisfied his active imagination through other forms of entertainment, His parents, encouraged his interest in movies; they would sit Hideo down to watch a movie together, and discuss the themes and direction with him. He was lonely and isolated and he still carries it to this day, and television was only thing to let him cope out of this.
What helped me get through that period were movies and books. This was when I discovered the power contained in entertainment and stories. I decided that when I grew up, I wanted to work in a job that would allow me to create these kinds of stories. He was determined to become either a film director or a novelist. Unfortunately, at that time, these seen as significant risk. After his father's passing, financial concerns became unavoidable, adding to the mental burden his mother carried as a single parent.
When he first encountered video games, he realized they could offer a new way to create film-like experiences. The potential of this emerging medium was undeniable to him, ultimately steering him toward a career in the gaming industry rather than filmmaking. However, with the market oversaturated, publishers losing control, and competition among home consoles intensifying, the video game industry crash of 1983 unfolded. His friends and professors thought he was out of his mind and urged him to reconsider.
It was only my mother who told me that I could do whatever I wanted to in life. She was the only one. The ghosts in the game — maybe my parents are one of them, seeing me in this world. I wanted  to have that kind of metaphor, that within you, you’re connected to the people that passed away.
Hideo opted for an existing engine to avoid extending development by months or years. Seeking the right fit, after visiting several studios, they arrived at Guerrilla Games to assess the Decima Engine. Impressed by the team, Hideo was deeply moved when managing director gifted him a wooden box containing Decima’s full source code—no contract, just pure support.
I always feel lonely in society. There are so many people who play games feeling like that, like they  don’t belong in this society. They don’t really feel comfortable. You’re all alone playing the game. And you’re trying to connect this fractured society by yourself. The world is beautiful, but you’re small, just a tiny speck. You feel hopeless and helpless and powerless.
That deep sense of loneliness ties back to his childhood. Leaving Konami brought those memories rushing back, finding comfort in knowing others, even fictional ones, felt the same. He wanted players to experience that feeling, inspiring Death Stranding’s online features, where they can see footprints, hear echoes, and leave helpful tools for others. Hideo’s childhood also inspired oceanic environments and massive sea creatures. His father pushed him out to sea in a boat—a terrifying memory that stayed with him. Another key influence came in 1970 when he attended the Osaka World Expo. For the first time, he saw people from different countries and witnessed a blend of ancient cultures and cutting-edge technology under the slogan Progress and Harmony for Mankind. This vision of a future where technology unites humanity left a lasting impact on him.
While the internet had connected people like never before, he saw increasing fragmentation and isolation. He wanted to offer a more positive way to connect people—without competition or co-op combat. Instead, the game’s online component would focus on helping unseen players work toward a shared goal, a concept that became the Social Strand System.
His team was skeptical. They pushed back. But no one plays games to help others. Players want to stand out, to be the strongest. He wasn’t surprised. A new concept is always hard to explain. Even with stealth games, my first opponents were my own team. Their doubts grew when they learned the gameplay centred on delivering packages and reconnecting a desolate world. Traversal mechanics would add depth, but no one grasped his vision. Frustration mounted as they kept asking, Where are the guns? Where’s the combat?
No. This is about something different. It’s about walking and experiencing the world.