Kojima's next project could be a game, anime, film, "or something totally different"

"I didn't necessarily want my own studio. I went independent so I can make what I want."

Hideo Kojima has signed with talent agency WME to "traffic control all that [he does]" and "handle exchanges with all the actors" he wants to work with, hinting that his next project may not even be a video game.

In an interview with Variety, Kojima admitted that whilst up until this point, he had "personally" been able to make the links and connections he needed, it had "become difficult to manage on [his] own". Consequently, he's signed with WME's "very powerful" team to "work with talented people from around the world and create something new".

"I created Kojima Productions under the scope of 'digital entertainment', but I don't think it necessarily has to be a video game," Kojima said. "We could create a new IP from a game, or an anime, or a film, or something totally different. Anything is possible.

"I would like to work with talented people from around the world and create something new, with 'digital' being the keyword. It could be a movie, a game, or something else entirely. I can't die until then! I don't think I'm trying to do anything too out of the ordinary!"

Kojima also stressed that he considers his studio, Kojima Productions, is an "indie".

"We are indies! Really! We never know when we'll close. We are not backed by anyone. We do everything on our own, from creating concepts to production and even promotion and marketing. I think there are many studios like us.

"We can't do mass production, so we won't go public. I'm getting quite old, and it's not always easy. But I'm creating things because I want to. I'm running a business so that I can keep creating. It's not because I want to do business. I didn't necessarily want to make my own studio. I went independent so I can make what I want to make."

Hideo Kojima dropped a bombshell at the end of January, announcing that - alongside the development of Death Stranding 2 - he would also be returning to the action-espionage genre with Physint for PlayStation 5. The designer recently explained how a period of sickness and surgery convinced him to "change his priorities".