Hideo Kojimais one of the most enigmatic names in the world of gaming. His long and storied career has often seen the director utilize cryptic messages and guerilla marketing tactics to promote his next big title. A recent string of mysterious posts fromHideo Kojimaon his social media accounts may be teasing an upcoming announcement as the gaming industry prepares for its marketing season.
Kojima has often been praised as someone who has pushed the video game medium to new heights, specifically withMetal Gear, often considered the first stealth game followed by multiple critically acclaimed sequels. The latest game from the mind of Hideo Kojima is 2019’sDeath Stranding, an action-adventure game that marketed itself as the first “Strand-type” video game.Death Strandingreceived praise for its storytelling elements, cinematic quality, and unique approach to world traversal.
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It doesn’t take long for playersexperiencingDeath Strandingto see much of the same abstract imagery which Kojima often revels in on social media. The director can usually be found on Twitter and Instagram sharing his thoughts on the latest movies ranging from summer blockbusters to independent arthouse films. The director also frequently posts about the ongoing of his studio, Kojima Productions. Now, however, he seems to be teasing a major announcement.
Hideo Kojima’s Countdown Teasers
Throughout the years,Kojima has teased gamerswith ambiguous messages and imagery for his upcoming games, which eventually led to an announcement. What could be next in the long list of Kojima’s marketing schemes involves various photos posted to his personal Instagram account, all of which feature a clock placed around Kojima Productions’headquarters. The clocks in question have hands positioned at 9:35, 9:55, 9:28, 10:19, and 11:53. The last picture prominently displays “6:1” in the image frame. Nothing explicitly connects these photographs to one another besides it being the same white clock across all five posts. Regardless, after over two years since Kojima’s last game, many believe that it might be time for an announcement of some kind from the director.
As with many of Kojima’s online endeavors, these images have been met with fans speculating about the intent with which Kojima posted them. Some believe that the “6:1” could hint at a possible date, June 1, which is right around the time when the gaming industry kicks off its marketing season. Perhaps Kojima has something to show at one of this year’s showcases. Others believe that the clocks could hint at a theme in Kojima’s next game. This is a well-educated guess when considering that manypre-release teases forDeath Strandingutilized elements featured in the full game. Perhaps Kojima simply found these images aesthetically pleasing; for now, it is all speculation.
Ever since Kojima severed ties with Konami after the release ofMetal Gear Solid 5, the ongoings ofKojima Productionshave been a hot topic among fans. Hideo Kojima has previously stated his intent to further explore the boundaries of the video game medium with his new studio, much to the delight and speculation of many gamers. Recent rumors suggest that Kojima’s next game could be tied to Microsoft in some capacity, even suggesting it could be linked to utilizing Microsoft’s cloud service in its gameplay. What is certain is that gamers everywhere will likely be keeping their eyes peeled for an announcement fromKojimain the coming months.
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