Death Stranding is out today, bringing a conclusion to one of the most prestigious partnerships in games. Sony bent over backwards for Hideo Kojima, providing him with the source code to Guerrilla Games’ Decima Engine and a budget big enough to produce a title with a bunch of Hollywood stars. Nevertheless, the title will still release on PC at a later date, suggesting that there were compromises that needed to be made.
Of course, the question on everyone’s lips now is: what’s next for Kojima Productions? The studio is intrinsically linked to PlayStation, with the platform holder outright owning its first intellectual property and the engine that it’s familiar with. An acquisition seems unlikely, as without its charismatic leader, the team would lose significant value – and he’s also suggested that he’d like to maintain creative independence, potentially making movies in the future.
A mutual partnership on a sophomore project seems like the logical next step for the firms, but is it something Sony will want to do? On the one hand, Death Stranding has dominated industry conversation since its announcement several years ago, but the reviews aren’t universally positive and its sales are still up for debate. Will it want to take this kind of creative risk on a mere console exclusive again?
The decision is going to come down to Hermen Hulst, who’s the new head of Sony Worldwide Studios and enjoys a strong relationship with Hideo Kojima. Our guess is that PlayStation probably will partner with Hideo Kojima on his next project, as this seems mutually beneficial for both parties. But do you think the organisation’s resources would be better invested elsewhere? Tomorrow is in your hands in the comments section below.
Comments 66
Sony would soon miss him if they didn't.
Only if its a real exclusive, I don't wan't them taking resources away from their own companies.
No brainer - yes!
Even if you don’t like his games the man develops hype, talk, probably a penny or two and all of that is good for Sony’s business.
And a successful Sony is good for all of us.
I know I’m in the minority, but I think he’s overrated and pretentious, so I’d be fine without him. I know that’ll never happen because he’s a money make and hype generator, but for interest of conversation, that’s my take.
Why the heck is this even a question, OBVIOUSLY!
@JayDub Real exclusive? So, you want other gamers to miss out? I literally have been playing Death Stranding today and I couldn’t do that on my laptop. Eventually, yes, PC gamers can play it but what difference does that make to you? It doesn’t change your life in any profound way.
No, kojima should work with Sony again...
Personally I hope he’s already working on the next one and that 505 games have delegated the PC port to someone else.
They should definitely work with him again.
Death Stranding from what I've played is pretty great so far. The themes are presented in a way that is easily digestible yet up for debate, while still maintaining that goofball Kojima-esque charm.
A lot of work went into it, with the Timefall rain, the voidouts, and the feeling that your actions really leave an impact on the world.
A lot of work went into little things, like the flowers growing and regrowing during rain, the foot prints staying on the world (you can even see them without scanning them) so you can see the paths you've taken and how differently you approach the world given time spent in it.
I think this game epitomizes the "Death of the Author" idea in not only narrative, but also gameplay, and technology.
It is what you make of it, but you have to experience the journey to make anything of it. Kojima goes as far as to say the basic point of the game, sure, to make connections, but that's really it.
What else the game has to say is in the experience, and I like that a lot. I don't like being told what to think from an experience that is as much mine, as it was the people that created it, and I want to compare that experience with other people as well.
I don't think Death Stranding is for everyone. A lot of people just want to have fun with a straight forward game for an afternoon. However, this is a game that feels like it's for me.
It has a zen to it that sucks me in, and keeps me wanting to push on.
The story and lore behind it is undeniably intriguing. I think anyone that says KojiPro games are pretentious should play a David Cage game.
That right there is pretentious.
Why? Because to be pretentious you have to present a work that only pretends to have something to say. Usually a pretentious work panders to some group in a psuedo-intellectual way without ever saying anything meaningful.
This game is not it. Not by the definition of what being pretentious is.
Is the theme and messaging a bit shallow?
Sure, I think that's fair critique, but it's also fair to recognize the amount of work that went into the game to convey that theme and message.
The team at Kojima Productions should be proud of what they achieved, and I can't wait to dive back in after I'm finished with work.
If it's a partnership revolving around games- YES! If it's about the films he now wants to make- NO! That's my take at least.
I definitely believe they should put the money elsewhere.
Am I the only person that thinks it's way too early to be asking this question?
@nessisonett DS was supposed to be an exclusive from the start. They advertised DS as an exclusive since the announcement of the game. The game was false advertising and it was weird to announce the p.c verison 2 weeks before the games release. I personally felt that Sony shouldn't worked with Kojima or support a 3rd party devoplover or let Kojima use Sony's 1st party engine thats my opinion cause Sony could've used that resource on new Exclusive Ip not multiplats. DS was just way too over hyped and it has pushed smaller ps exclusives away do to the hype and commercialized which Trails of Cold Steel 3 received better scores. Concrete Genie a smaller exclusive was long forgotten do to DS hype and Medievil as well. So yes Sony should let him walk and have Kojima work with another major publisher that will give him multiplats releases.
@nessisonett Its not about missing out genius, its about taking resources/workers, away from their first party titles to help a mulitplat game. Id rather they use their resources on their own studios that benefit supporters of PlayStation.
Stop with the kumbai, lets put games everywhere bs, exclusives matter, always have and always will for consoles. I called you out last time on this, talking about exclusives being anti consumer lol just shows how long you been gaming for.
@Constable_What I’m genuinely glad to hear that Death Stranding is living up to the hype for you and so many others. I never want to see a game fail, regardless of my personal feelings on someone involved. A lot of time, hard work, dedication and love go into games, while DS may not be for me, it’s for plenty of others, so I’m happy to hear that all that time spent on it by the devs has paid off.
Kojima has wonderful ideas, but his delivery has never been for me. MGS has been fairly hit or miss for me, the stealth is some of the best in the industry, but the story has always come across as bloated, convoluted and weird for the sake of being weird. I always felt I would adore MGS if Kojima either made it just a straight up military stealth game or a game that was completely insane the vast majority of the time then I’d enjoy it more than I do. To me, the crazy parts of it were interesting and fun, just not in the military shooter, but a game based around Pyschomantis and some of the crazy enemies from IV would be awesome outside of that setting.
Yeah they should definitely partner with him again, why not? It'll take very little resources as he has his own team anyway and Death Stranding may be divisive but its definitely the talk of the gaming world and I suspect many will love it anyway
@JayDub Whenever a previously PC only game such as Sims 4, Cities Skylines and the like move to console, there’s never a big deal about it. Hell, The Orange Box was on console and Portal 2 was on PS3 and they’re a first-party Valve game. The only difference is that gamers love nothing more than acting superior that they bought the ‘better’ console to justify the huge cost. Look at how much people want Sunset Overdrive to come to PS4, that was a big exclusive for MS and yet Sony fanboys want a port. Let the PC gamers have their port, it’s being handled by 505 Games anyway, Sony aren’t ‘wasting resources’.
@nessisonett Its anti consumer hur dur dur LOL
Yea, put the resources elsewhere, kojima overrated.
@JayDub Exclusives what gives the consoles their identity. Exclusives help console units strive in sells and these new generation of gamers think exclusives needs to be stopped cause it's anti consumer and needs to be played on every platform so everyone could play them is ridiculous.
@nessisonett "Sony aren't wasting resources" So what about the 70 plus people from Guerrilla games that helped with Death Stranding...........
@nessisonett DS was used by Sony's money..to put this out if it wasn't for Sony's money and engine..DS wouldn't be possible to begin with. Kojima wouldn't have DS made if Sony didn't let him use the engine that it was use. Could DS be made by another major publisher? Yes, but how would it look? It wouldn't be as gorgeous looking if Decima engine wasn't used. So yes, Sony used their resources on a multiplat game. Will DS will be on xbox..maybe.
@Odin1985x I know right, these new gen gamers have lost the plot, its ridiculous.
Sure!... I mean, where else would he go?. Playstation is the perfect home for the cinematic story driven games he makes.
Sign him up to Sony Pictures also.
@thefirst Exactly!... we were writing the same thing seconds apart.
@JayDub So it’s a waste of resources for Sony to help make the biggest game on a PlayStation 4 this year? It won’t even come out on PC until the PS5 is practically out, it’s absolute nonsense to say that they should have not helped Kojima just because there’s a PC port coming next year. Is it harming Sony in any way? Is it reducing the number of sales on PS4?
Personally I think they should use their resources elsewhere but truth is Sony will want to keep him out of the hands of MS and I csnt blame them for that.
@JayDub I've been playing games for a long time to know exclusives are not anti consumer. It's like Nintendo putting their exclusives on every platform like Zelda or Mario which will make Nintendo sink cause let's be honest..p c, ps4 and xbox are all far superior systems than Nintendo Switch. And another thing is that the consoles are only good if they have exclusives that are worth playing.
@Odin1985x Preach my brother, nothing but facts.
@nessisonett It's waste of resources because it takes away from their "1st party titles" which should always be a priority as its for the customers of that platform. I can't make it any more clearer than that.
He's necessary because he makes innovative games but I'd rather play fun games.
I think they should leave the story and cinematics for him but he needs massive help with gameplay direction. I was always in a hurry to go through the gameplay to the next cinematic in the MGSs. I'm not surprised he's going the movie direction, his gameplay is quite questionable.
@ThePathsofPain
I completely understand where you're coming from, and I know the KojiPro style is not for everyone. I even agree with you to an extent, but I think there are other games, like Psychonauts, that already do what you would like in a video game.
That's completely fine! :3
However, I could say the same about Kojima's style for David Lynch's style.
Twin Peaks is not for everyone either.
The surreal nature of that style is the main draw for me. The realistic aspects act as an anchor that keeps me planted in an experience that keeps you thinking and questioning.
You find a lot of flaws, but you also find these small details that add up to something far greater than most other works by just the sum of their parts.
That surreal-ness is also why I love JoJo's Bizzare Adventure.
Twin Peaks, Metal Gear and Death Stranding, and JoJo's all have this appeal for me with the themes they're presenting.
A lot of the time they're illogical, and sometimes convoluted in their plot and insane and goofy in their dialogue, but it is there for a reason.
I honestly wouldn't have it any other way. We need artists like Hideo Kojima, David Lynch, and Hirohiko Araki.
If not for their art, then for the inspiration they provide to many other artists, and people like me who really just want to experience a work of art.
@JayDub Sony do a whole lot more ‘wasting resources’ than they have helping to develop a system-seller like Death Stranding. Their Unties label publishes more games on Switch than PS4 as written in this article by Push Square last year.
https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2018/08/sonys_unties_label_is_publishing_more_switch_games_than_ps4_ones
@nessisonett If it was a system seller, than why just leave it as an exclusive? Timed exclusives are anti consumer not 1st party exclusives.
@Odin1985x Because Sony don’t own the game? Koji Pro want money and PC gamers want to play the game. If Sony want it exclusive, buy Koji Pro.
@nessisonett Funny that you pointed that out. Who gave Kojima the engine to work with? Sony did. Who helped published his game when he started his own company? Sony did. Who advertised DS and pushed their actual exclusive titles away for a big AAA game? Sony did. So DS took all that funding and now lets put it on p.c when Sony should be focusing on 1st party exclusives instead of marketing a multiplat for other systems.
@Trajan Correct me if I'm wrong about your comment. Sony funded a game that was never going to be an exclusive for the console. Okay, there were other small exclusives that didn't see the light of day like Trails Of Cold Steel 3, an jrpg that has been getting great reviews is being pushed aside. The game is only being mention do to the hardcore fans of the series. Sony funded a game that was advertised as an exclusive, the limited editions, tv marketing all pointed out to be a legit exclusive to Sony but why announced a p.c verison 2 weeks before the game's release? Why didn't they announced it on the same day as the ps4???
@Odin1985x @Trajan
Sony gets a portion of the sales generated from the game itself, they get another game to drive sales of the PS4, they get a game for that is at least exclusive for the 2019 holiday season, they get a lot of good PR from helping rebuild Kojima Productions after Konami disbanded them.
These are only the obvious reasons. It is a mutually beneficial arrangement as you can plainly see.
@Constable_What They might get a portion but all that funding could've gone to other 1st party studio to develop new in house ips. What gets me is that why announced the p.c verison 2 weeks before the game comes out? Thats not supporting your brand that's actually pushing the ps4 sales away cause the players will buy it for p.c. I'm pretty sure DS will absolutely look amazing on p.c. when it comes out. It's a slap in the face that ps4 DS is the inferior version of the p.c when the game itself was built by ps systems.
@Odin1985x
Probably not in all honesty. Console ports almost never look that much better on PC just look at RDR2. It's a mess.
That's a risk you take when you play on PC. You take the risk of not having your configuration being optimized.
You also get to play the game early on PS4. It's easier to play on PS4, and people who would buy a console this late into the console cycle, more than likely, do not have a PC up to spec for the game anyway.
Only PC gamers are going to buy Death Stranding on PC. You'd have to be a total brainlet to risk it not running on your machine because of a bad port. Which is really really common.
That money doesn't just vanish either.
Sony is definitely going to make a profit on Death Stranding. They'll make money from the PC port as well as they licensed the engine and provided a lot of the marketing.
It isn't a slap in the face at all, if you understand the business behind the scenes.
You'd do well to save your uproar for when you actually understand what's going on.
@nessisonett Okay if you were Nintendo would you bring Smash Bros, Zelda: Breath of the wild and Mario Odyssey to PS4 and PC? They would get a lot more sales and more gamers would get to play them, so should they?
I'm happy that Kojima made the game he wanted and I wish him success but if Sony is not going to outright buy his studio then my answer is no. I'm not too happy with the idea of using our engine, workers and other resources and putting the game on a rival platform.
@Juanalf Zelda: breath of the fire? Do you have the exclusive on the BotW sequels name already?
yes absolutely, but without spending a single dollar on his game production like ever, let the other publisher take it
@Dodoo fixed it 😅 but yeah that would be a great name for the sequel, remember you saw it here first 👍
I'll wait until I've played death stranding before I vote. My opinion is that mgs V, particularly chapters 27 to 31 and a couple of missions in the second episode are gaming gold, some of the finest moments you can have gaming. If death stranding lives up to that, even its imperfect overall, hell yeah sony should sign kojima up! I'm drunk and away to bed, cant wait to start it tomorrow (after I do a million dad jobs, hungover). Too many opinions both positive and negative from folk second hand from professional reviews without forming their own opinions. Cant wait to form my own from actually playing the game
“Nevertheless, the title will still release on PC at a later date, suggesting that there were compromises that needed to be made.”
Sony funding and publishing. Check.
Decima Engine use. Check.
70 Guerilla Games staff for support. Check.
Now Sony, you need to compromise and allow this to release on PC.
nah just gave the budget to japan studio or media molecule since kojima wants his game to be released on pc too
or much better give the funds to fromsoftware for bloodborne 2
Of course, as long the games sells, collaborate with him, maybe ask for more normal genre though if DS didn't sells good. Unlike some people like to potray it, kojima actually works like insomniac games, super effecient and right on time, making a new studio and new game in a new genre in just 3 years is super crazy I think.
And maybe true exclusive, shouldn't be hard if everybody can buy streaming version of ps5 games
@Kaiden
Privy to sales numbers on launch day are we?
His games have been a big part of what helped make the PlayStation brand successful. I'd say it's a no brainer to keep working with him.
This game is the weirdest thing i have ever played but enjoyable. i think the online and sharing resources kinda ruin the gameplay in some occasions.
@Odin1985x It won't be on Xbox. Especially with it using the Decima Engine. PC is an exception.
@Kaiden It just came out...how are sales terrible when we don't even know what it has sold yet? Lol.
if you dont like the game, that is fine, but as a gamer you all should be supportive of any developers that dont do live service game with exploitative monetizing.
Absolutely yes. Whether you like the look of DS or not (and I'm not buying right away. It just doesn't appeal to me personally), Kojima is immensely talented and has made some incredible games. Sony having him on board is a massive coup for them, and I'm eager to see what he's planning next.
I mean, Paul Verhoeven made RoboCop, Total Recall, and starship troopers. I don't write him off because I thought Showgirls was awful!
I’m starting to think Kojima is the Anti-Miyamoto. They live at two ends of the spectrum of what a game should be.
They should ditch Kojima and hire xbox exclusive developers.
Yes, also Sony must work with Platinum Games.
I don't want another free reign Kojima "game". If stipulations come with the resources Sony puts up then I'm all for that. As unpopular as it is, boundaries refine creativity into something palatable.
@nessisonett If it' on PS only that excludes no one. Go to the store and pick one up to play the game. No one is telling you that you can't and if you choose not to then that's on you.
Not exactly the most clear indicator of success, but over on PSNProfiles there are about 3x as many players this week playing Death Stranding than the new Call of Duty, and 4.5x more than people playing The Outer Worlds.
I have a feeling for such a strange and different game, sales numbers are going to exceed expectations for Death Stranding. So based purely off of that, yes I think Sony should work with Kojima again.
I think sony let death stranding to pc. is just because it's Kojima first game in his independent studio. they let Kojima use Decima engine to pc just because Kojima need money first to make his studio finance more stable (Kojima just can use free game engine like unreal engine 4 but maybe, the quality not meet his standard). with that money from deaths stranding sales he can make his own game engine, or to make next game. if he wants to use decima engine again, sony will make agreement that it will be only PlayStation exclusive.
I don't think it's a good idea. The game seems to lose money and it's not even exclusive to hide the costs into promoting Playstation platform.
@nessisonett Why won't steam fund him and his expensive actors then? Why won't Gabe Newell pay for his latest visions?
As about Sunset Overdrive - it makes sense they are asking, because Sony now owns the game and IP.
Tap here to load 66 comments
Leave A Comment
Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...