A short life of the author
Hideo Kojima (born 1963 in Setagaya, Tokyo) is a video game designer, writer, and director whose work on the Metal Gear series (1987–2015) and Death Stranding (2019) has made him one of the most recognised auteurs in the medium. His games are notable for their cinematic ambitions, philosophical preoccupations (nuclear deterrence, information control, the nature of connection), and dense literary and filmic allusions — he has cited Kobo Abe, Paul Auster, Philip K. Dick, and numerous film directors as influences.
Published Works
The Gifted Gene and My Lovable Memes (2019, Japanese) — a collection of Kojima’s essays and reviews of books, films, and music, reflecting his wide-ranging cultural appetite.
Death Stranding: The Official Novelization by Hitori Nojima (2020, translated by Carley Radford) — a novelisation of Kojima’s game, produced under his supervision.
Kojima is also the subject of several books, including analyses of his game design philosophy and his departure from Konami to found Kojima Productions in 2015.
Collecting Kojima
Japanese-language editions of Kojima’s essays are the primary book collectibles; first printings are modest in number. Signed material is available through Japanese gaming events but rarely appears in the Western book market. The broader Kojima collecting market centres on limited-edition game releases, art books, and promotional materials rather than traditional books.