4P: Many studios try to involve the community in the process of game development, sometimes even influencing creative decisions based on feedback. Do you think that the voice of the players should have such an influence on the game design or do you prefer to focus on your own ideas and visions?
K: For me, this is not an option. If I did, I would not be able to try new things. When starting a new project, the worst enemy is usually your family. Family in the sense of your employees or your confidants. They say, "Oh, that will not be a success. We've never seen this kind of game before. "But that's the point when you create something new. I only give these people the opportunity for demos or presentations when my vision has been incorporated into an appropriate level environment. When the game is somehow packed into level structures that make me feel comfortable sharing my thoughts, we watch the reactions and listen to the details like, "Oh, the controls should be like that, or the user interface like that." And of course I'll listen , But the core will not change.
4P: You said that Death Stranding will define a new genre. Why did you feel like you had to create a new one?
K: As with the stealth games I created (Metal Gear Solid), I always wanted to create something new. I believe that this is my destiny. If I had to create something that already exists, I think that it should not come from me. I'm not saying "no" to the other games out there. But when it comes to me, I want to create something new. That's why I wanted to create this genre.