Hideo Kojima develops games to "give energy" and happiness to players.

In a presentation at Lucca Comics and Games 2025, creator Hideo Kojima shifted the focus from technology to purpose, explaining that he develops games to convey the emotional impulse he himself received from movies and books in his youth. The statement is a positive point that reveals the humanistic motivation behind his ambitious projects.

Kojima, accompanied by cast members from Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, shared his intention for players to spend hundreds of hours in his worlds and, in the end, feel something positive: less stress, more energy, and most importantly, happiness. He stated that this is the essence of his team's work.

The director recalled his childhood and the influence of the media:

“I grew up watching movies and reading books. In childhood, the world seemed dark and I didn't have many references around me. Cinema helped me. The characters, the dialogues, the themes... they lifted me up and gave me strength to continue.”

This feeling, according to Kojima, "guides him to this day". His goal is for the emotional impact to be the final destination of his games, more than the tension and spectacle:

“If someone plays one of my games and, years later, thinks: ‘I kept going because this game cheered me up’, that would be what would make me happiest. That is the intention I put into my work. There are many types of entertainment, but games are immersive; you can spend hundreds of hours in them.”

Kojima emphasized that, by asking for so much time from the player, he needs to offer "something beyond fun". He hopes that the relationships presented in Death Stranding 2, like that of Luca and Alyssa, and in his future projects, deliver something that the audience can take into real life: "If I'm asking for this time, it's okay if the person simply relieves stress. But I also want to deliver something more. I want them to feel something they can take with them and that makes them happier. That's my goal. I haven't reached it yet, but it's what guides me.”

The statements reinforce the expectation for Physint, his next project of action and espionage in partnership with PlayStation. The new game promises to combine intensity with sensitivity, advocating for connection, resilience, and meaning, even in harsh and dystopian worlds.

Hideo Kojima revealed at Lucca Comics and Games 2025 that he creates games to "give energy to people and make them happy", citing the positive influence of movies and books in his youth. The director aims for his games, like Death Stranding 2: On the Beach and the future Physint (PlayStation), to offer a lasting emotional impact.