Kojima Wants to Create a Game That "Changes in Real-Time"

Its no secret that Hideo Kojima like to take a different approach to the way that video games operate. So when he says he wants to have a game change in real time, we listen.

The renown game director recently spoke with Japanese magazine Anan (translated and located by SiliconEra) about his near and far future ideas. While there was talk about things like Death Stranding, the upcoming director's cut for PS5, and things like that, they also talked about other ideas he has. This included him expressing interest in making a game that can change in real time.

When asked about what he is thinking of for the future, the developer mentioned the idea of a game that changes based on where and when it's played.

I want to create a game that changes in real-time. Even though there are people of different ages and trades playing the same game, they are playing it in the same way. Instead, I want the game to change based on where that person lives, and that persons unique perspective.

Kojima mentioned an old Game Boy Advance game he worked on back during his Konami games called Boktai: The Sun is in Your Hand. In it, the player would control vampire hunters that fought against evil undead monsters. One quirky thing about the game was how it used a built-in solar sensor as a method of battling enemies.

Because you would defeat vampires using the light from the sun, [Boktai] would change based on where and when you played the game. That kind of feature connects man-made systems to real-life.

There are a lot of ways that one could interpret what he means. Plenty of games have changed in real time. One recent and popular example is Fortnite, which would encounter community shared cinematic events, gradually changing the game map over time as things happen. Though based on his words, it sounds more like he wants a game that modifies itself to fit the style and habits of the player, like how the Dishonored games would alter the environment based on how they played the game. Even games like Fallout 3 had a Karma system that affected gameplay.

Its clear that Kojima sees himself as someone creating unique experiences for the greater society to experience. And he intends to maintain that unique perspective he provides to the industry. While we arent terribly sure what to expect from him, even with this information, we look forward to seeing for ourselves.