Hideo Kojima: “The world is so dark — I hope making games can bring people joy”

According to WCCFtech, Hideo Kojima attended the 2025 Lucca Comics & Games event last weekend and appeared in a special panel alongside actors Luca Marinelli (playing Neil) and Alissa Jung (playing Lucy) from Death Stranding 2: On the Beach. The discussion focused on their experience making the game — including the challenges of remote filming during the pandemic.
Kojima also discussed one of his motivations for creating games: he wants his work to give people the strength to carry on living and to feel happiness.

He said:

“From childhood, I watched movies, read books. As a kid, I sometimes felt this world was really dark, and I didn’t have many good role models around me. What supported me back then were movies — the characters, the dialogue, the themes in films gave me energy to keep going. So I thought — I want to give back that energy. That is one reason I create games.
If one day someone plays one of my games, and years later thinks back: ‘Because I played this game, it picked me up, made me want to go on living’—that would be the happiest thing for me. Because when I was making the game, I carried that thought. Entertainment comes in many forms, but the immersion of games is unique.”

“People might spend hundreds of hours in a game. If I let them spend that time, and because of it, they’ll reduce stress, relax their mind, that, of course, is good. But I also hope the game can convey something. For example, through the relationship between the characters played by Luca and Alissa, let the player feel some emotion, get inspired by it, bring it back into real life, and become happier. That is my goal. Of course, I haven’t fully achieved it yet, but it is the mindset I have when I create games.”

The above content is compiled by ModeZone, a fashion and entertainment magazine.