Today Hideo Kojima was on stage at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York with Death Stranding Protagonist Norman Reedus to talk about their relationship and their work on the game.
While the panel was not livestreamed, Michelle Jaworski (via Resetera) posted on Twitter a handy recap of what was said and shown on stage.
We hear how the two met, and quite a lot of (at times rather cryptic, but this his Kojima-san, so you shouldn’t be surprised) details about the game and the philosophy behind it.
For instance, we hear that protagonist Sam has “lots of cool toys,” and some more about the open nature of the game, on top of how Kojima-san wants to invest players emotionally and provide them with the freedom to make choices.
Unfortunately, the years-old question on whether the game is coming to PC was not answered, but Kojima-san teased a new reveal in about a month (maybe.)
Here for the Hideo Kojima and Norman Reedus talk at #Tribeca2019 pic.twitter.com/C6qqFpD57t
— Michelle Jaworski (@michejaw) April 25, 2019
Norman Reedus says he first heard of Hideo Kojima because of Guillermo del Toro (who will also have a talk here later tonight).
“He said, do whatever he says,” Reedus said.#Tribeca2019
— Michelle Jaworski (@michejaw) April 25, 2019
“I started asking around and people were like, oh my god oh my god” – Reedus #Tribeca2019
— Michelle Jaworski (@michejaw) April 25, 2019
“I need this special life from this actor, that’s why I needed Norman,” Hideo Kojima says of casting Reedus… “So I contacted Guillermo…and Norman responded right away and said I’m in.” #Tribeca2019
— Michelle Jaworski (@michejaw) April 25, 2019
Reedus noted that del Toro gave him his first role. Added that he was from the “waka waka waka” generation #Tribeca2019
— Michelle Jaworski (@michejaw) April 25, 2019
Reedus said he’d only been in TWD games before joining #DeathStranding. “They’re good but they’re not *that* good.” He added that he might get fired for saying that. #Tribeca2019
— Michelle Jaworski (@michejaw) April 25, 2019
Kojima is a fan of Reedus from BOONDOCK SAINTS. 1, he adds. #Tribeca2019
— Michelle Jaworski (@michejaw) April 25, 2019
“In #DeathStranding I’m trying to put every aspect of Norman in there. You’ll be playing as Norman but you’ll be seeing his everything.” Kojima also says that there will be lots of cut scenes where you’ll see Reedus acting. #Tribeca2019
— Michelle Jaworski (@michejaw) April 25, 2019
“I can’t say where, but if you go somewhere in the game you will be controlling Norman or Sam, you’ll just be controlling a camera. And you’ll see Sam/Norman and you’ll be able to see him now. And when you see him, he might do something like wink at you.” Kojima says #Tribeca2019
— Michelle Jaworski (@michejaw) April 25, 2019
“You’re actually playing as Norman Reedus as Sam,” Kojima adds. “And when the drama part arrives, Sam will act to get your emotions. But when you go into some special area, you’ll definitely love Norman. You’ll be a very big Norman fan.” #Tribeca2019
— Michelle Jaworski (@michejaw) April 25, 2019
Kojima emphasizes that if he was able to go independent, he would include Norman Reedus in his game #Tribeca2019
— Michelle Jaworski (@michejaw) April 25, 2019
Reedus says that he would follow Hideo Kojima anywhere #Tribeca2019
— Michelle Jaworski (@michejaw) April 25, 2019
Kojima: “I was creating games for 30 years. I was very confident about treating games but…I started form scratch…I thought I’d lost everything but I found out that I had a lot of connections…I had so many personal connections and wanted to connect with people.” #Tribeca2019
— Michelle Jaworski (@michejaw) April 25, 2019
Reedus: It started to piece itself together. It’s inspirational. I don’t want to say anything to give anything away, but it’s a different way of thinking. #Tribeca2019
— Michelle Jaworski (@michejaw) April 25, 2019
Reedus adds that there are violent elements but it goes much deeper than just a straight-up killing game #Tribeca2019
— Michelle Jaworski (@michejaw) April 25, 2019
#DeathStranding is an open-world action game, Kojima says. Adds that the player will have to reconnect the world within the game. “Connection” is the key word of the game #Tribeca2019
— Michelle Jaworski (@michejaw) April 25, 2019
“You’re connecting the game and playing together and everyone will be connected together as well.” Kojima adds that he can’t say anything else because he doesn’t want to be “disconnected by Sony.” #Tribeca2019
— Michelle Jaworski (@michejaw) April 25, 2019
You have to decide what you do, Kojima says. And that’s the fundamental difference between movies and games. He wanted to put that in a game system because you can’t do that just from watching movies/books #Tribeca2019
— Michelle Jaworski (@michejaw) April 25, 2019
Mentions anti-war/anti-nuclear theme in Metal Gear as a comparison #Tribeca2019
— Michelle Jaworski (@michejaw) April 25, 2019
Reedus said that he had to wear a skin-tight lyrcra bodysuit for #DeathStranding and had to pick up a plastic baby that was crying #Tribeca2019
— Michelle Jaworski (@michejaw) April 25, 2019
Working on #DeathStranding was a new experience but the acting was familiar. Reedus says that Kojima would make a great director #Tribeca2019
— Michelle Jaworski (@michejaw) April 25, 2019
Kojima: During a recording session, Norman gives a lot of ideas to me. I have an image at the start. Everyone thinks I”m a perfectionist but I like a lot of things live, so I want to do a collaboration. #Tribeca2019
— Michelle Jaworski (@michejaw) April 25, 2019
Kojima, cont’d: I feel that with Norman. When Norman has an idea, I give an idea back. #Tribeca2019
— Michelle Jaworski (@michejaw) April 25, 2019
Reedus doesn’t want to give anything away but he says he has lots of cool toys #Tribeca2019
— Michelle Jaworski (@michejaw) April 25, 2019
In the first trailer, they had a beach crab, naked Norman, and a baby. They have more now #Tribeca2019
— Michelle Jaworski (@michejaw) April 25, 2019
Kojima: I have everything in my head at the start but it’s kinda like I’m daydreaming… I’m brushing the details as I do it #Tribeca2019
— Michelle Jaworski (@michejaw) April 25, 2019
Kojima wants to make sure the first idea works. He adds that it’s probably really fun to play, the understatement of the century #Tribeca2019
— Michelle Jaworski (@michejaw) April 25, 2019
One scene that Reedus shot is for the record books because he never imagined ever being in a situation to shoot it #Tribeca2019
— Michelle Jaworski (@michejaw) April 25, 2019
The level of detail in #DeathStranding: Kojima added Reedus’ new tattoos in the game since initial scans, offers to add even more if he’s got them #Tribeca2019
— Michelle Jaworski (@michejaw) April 25, 2019
Kojima: I want to replicate his whole life into the game. That’s why I really wanted to do that. It’s not just making a Sam.
Reedus: Everything [Kojima] does is 1000 percent. #Tribeca2019— Michelle Jaworski (@michejaw) April 25, 2019
Kojima: You can move freely—that means you can go anywhere in the game you want. So what happens to my story. I let them do what they want but they can’t proceed in the story. #Tribeca2019
— Michelle Jaworski (@michejaw) April 25, 2019
Kojima adds that he wants people to feel like they have the freedom to make that decision #Tribeca2019
— Michelle Jaworski (@michejaw) April 25, 2019
Reedus: It’s not a turn left, turn right kind of game. There’s emotion behind it and you get invested. [Kojima] wants you to feel like it’s you.
He adds that you can’t fake the honesty in the game #Tribeca2019
— Michelle Jaworski (@michejaw) April 25, 2019
Q: Do you think people are gonna cry in this game?
Reedus: Yeah… You get emotionally involved in so many ways. Mads’ character is so intense… #Tribeca2019— Michelle Jaworski (@michejaw) April 25, 2019
Kojima: Not just crying… I want people to take that emotion and use it… You might cry from the story but that’s not as fun. You play the game and you go into the game emotionally tied. #Tribeca2019
— Michelle Jaworski (@michejaw) April 25, 2019
Kojima, cont’d: But you make the decision and make the connection… so you get more emotional attachment.
He says that he hopes people will feel a lot of emotions playing the game and adds that the staff has cried.
— Michelle Jaworski (@michejaw) April 25, 2019
Connecting and disconnecting will make people question if they’re doing the right thing, Kojima says #Tribeca2019
— Michelle Jaworski (@michejaw) April 25, 2019
He compares it to dating and questioning if you should continue seeing someone, stay single, or date anyone at all #Tribeca2019
— Michelle Jaworski (@michejaw) April 25, 2019
Kojima says that you might see some similarities to what’s happening in Europe. He wants people to enjoy the game but see the real-world layers/connections #Tribeca2019
— Michelle Jaworski (@michejaw) April 25, 2019
Photo of Reedus and Kojima from that sushi meeting #Tribeca2019 pic.twitter.com/JPgNs6zYxG
— Michelle Jaworski (@michejaw) April 25, 2019
Kojima directing Reedus in #DeathStranding #tribeca2019 pic.twitter.com/5qYMqjbrNT
— Michelle Jaworski (@michejaw) April 25, 2019
More bts photos #tribeca2019 pic.twitter.com/3lUVHT8Waf
— Michelle Jaworski (@michejaw) April 25, 2019
Facial scans from #DeathStranding #Tribeca2019 pic.twitter.com/TFw0ih11Ko
— Michelle Jaworski (@michejaw) April 25, 2019
More recent photos. When asked if del Toro had a role in #DeathStranding, Kojima just smiled and nodded #tribeca2019 pic.twitter.com/GT4KPPs3uT
— Michelle Jaworski (@michejaw) April 25, 2019
Q: Does Kojima dream of doing more beyond vidoe games?
A: I want to do more but when I do games I don’t have to do more.“I really want to create games until I die,” he adds.
Mentions streaming/Netflix… games and movies will be closer. #Tribeca2019
— Michelle Jaworski (@michejaw) April 25, 2019
Q: Is there still a PC version?
A: Didn’t really answer it#Tribeca2019— Michelle Jaworski (@michejaw) April 25, 2019
Q: Regarding translations
A: I show a lot of things to Yoji but he never really listens to me. But some of those things become the core of the project. I expect Yoji to be create #Tribeca2019— Michelle Jaworski (@michejaw) April 25, 2019
Q: Advice on acting/directing for people getting started in it
A: Kojima: Watch 2 movies a day, you don’t have to go to school
Reedus: Try to make 2 movies a day #Tribeca2019— Michelle Jaworski (@michejaw) April 25, 2019
Kojima: “I’m sorry that I couldn’t show you stuff today. Maybe in a month or so. Maybe?” #Tribeca2019
— Michelle Jaworski (@michejaw) April 25, 2019
This mention of “a month or so” definitely seems to hint about a reveal coming soon, possibly around E3 period. This is actually rather mysterious since the game is published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, which won’t be at the show.
If you want to know more about Death Stranding, Kojima-san is currently assembling its parts and testing the gameplay on PS4. He also made a few comments on the state of development a few weeks ago.
You can read some semi-recent impressions by Head of Marketing and Communications Aki Saito and Reedus himself, and more by Guerrilla Games Managing Director Hermen Hulst.
For now, we know that Death Stranding is coming to PS4, and recently Hideo Kojima himself possibly teased a 2019 release. That being said it was a rather vague tease and it could have meant something else.
