In a conversation with Alejandro González Iñárritu, director of the film Diggers, Hideo Kojima discussed how Death Stranding was labeled a "walking simulator." He stated that this label has persisted since the game's release in 2019, with social media algorithms creating echo chambers that reinforce existing impressions.
This discussion, organized by Gizmodo Japan, ranged from film to games and online discourse. In Diggers, Tom Cruise plays an oil tycoon whose operations severely damage the environment. Kojima believes that, like Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, the film uses current events to warn about possible futures. He also noted that the themes of information control and the impact of digital technology on society in MGS2 have become even more pointed in the era of generative AI.
Discussing the phenomenon of people forming judgments without having seen a film or played a game, Kojima cited Death Stranding as an example, noting that many who used the "walking simulator" label had not actually played it and had only watched videos. As for why the label persists, he pointed to social media algorithms creating echo chambers as a factor that reinforces existing impressions.
