The world first saw the cryptic logo for Kojima Productions back in December of 2015, and just a few days ago Hideo Kojima told Famitsu that there’s a lot more to it. At the time, he didn’t quite go into detail about it other than saying, “This logo has a secret. It has a full body, a really cool full body. We’re planning on putting out a figure version of it”.
Today, Kojima posted on Twitter a full render image of his studio’s new mascot. I’ve got to say that it does look pretty cool and that I really want to know the backstory of this character which he calls, LUDENS.
Here’s what Kojima had to say about it...
“LUDENS, the icon of Kojima Productions. We’ll deliver THE NEW PLAY in THE NEW FUTURE with the cutting-edge equipment, technology, & the frontier spirit. The gear he’s wearing is the extra-vehicular activity (EVA) creative suit.”
A message on the Kojima Productions website’s homepage clarifies the meaning behind Ludens, although nothing is revealed about the project itself. The whole message is somewhat lengthy but in short, the message conveys the idea of what it means to progress from Homo Sapiens to Homo Ludens, best expressed in these words...
“ ’Playing’ is not simply a pastime, it is the primordial basis of imagination and creation. Truth be told, Homo Ludens (Those who Play) are simultaneously Homo Faber (Those who Create)”
“KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS - We are Homo Ludens. We are those who play.”
Some pretty existential stuff on Kojima’s part, and it really makes you wonder how all, if any of this, will play into the new game that he’s developing as a timed exclusive for Sony. Kojima has been very vocal and open about his projects and plans now that he’s free from the legal bindings of Konami, so I’m sure we’ll find out sooner than later.
