Hideo Kojima suggests a new way of retaining Players.

Hideo Kojima

In the 17th episode of his Japanese radio show KOJI10, Hideo Kojima— owner of Kojima Productions and visionary creator of Metal Gear Solid and Death Stranding—delved into one of his long-standing fascinations: that's incorporating real-world time into gameplay. Kojima went ahead to discuss how the passage of real-life days, weeks, or even years can shape a player's experience, revealing both past implementations and intriguing ideas that never made it into his games.

Kojima has a history of creatively leveraging a console’s internal clock to influence in-game events. He cited Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (2004) as a prime example. To simulate the challenges of jungle survival, perishable food would spoil in real time. If players waited too long to consume their rations, the food would rot, making Snake sick if eaten or serving as a smelly projectile to repel enemies.

One of Kojima’s most infamous uses of the system clock involved the boss fight against The End, a venerable sniper. If players left their saved game and returned a week later, they’d find The End had died of old age, bypassing the difficult encounter altogether. “Even though he was a tough opponent, patience alone could defeat him,” Kojima noted.

But Kojima isn’t just reflecting—he’s still dreaming up time-based mechanics. He shared a concept once intended for Death Stranding 2: On The Beach, involving protagonist Sam’s beard growing in real time. Players would need to shave to maintain their appearance regularly. “If you didn’t, he’d look scruffy,” Kojima laughed, before admitting that he scrapped the idea to preserve Norman Reedus’s star image. Still, Kojima hinted he might revisit the concept in the future.

The director also tossed around three new time-driven game ideas during the podcast. One concept sounds like a real-time life simulator: the player starts as a baby, ages naturally, and experiences the physical and cognitive evolution of a human life. In youth, characters might be nimble and strong, but with age comes declining reflexes, paired with increased wisdom and tactical insight. "By 70 or 80, your eyesight fades and your speed drops, but you're more experienced,” Kojima explained. He acknowledged the niche appeal—“No one would buy it!” he joked—yet his co-hosts were visibly intrigued, calling it a very "Kojima" concept.

Whether these ideas come to life or remain podcast curiosities, Kojima continues to prove that his creativity is always ticking—sometimes in real time.