DEATH STRANDING DIRECTOR'S CUT News

Hi Porters,

Antonela here, Director of Global Community at 505 Games. With Halloween around the corner, we're here today to tell you about a cool cosplay activity that our friends at KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS are running, for their recently announced DEATH STRANDING Cosplay Month event.

The team is inviting Porters to submit their best cosplay photos on X, or Instagram. They can be old photos or new ones!

Want to get involved? Simply submit your photos using #DSCosplay before October 31st to be in with a chance of getting featured on the official KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS social media channels.

We can't wait to see your submissions!

Twitter / X: https://505.games/KJPDSCosplayX
Instagram: https://505.games/KJPDSCosplayIG

Keep on keeping on.



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We’re approaching the end of September, which means it’s time to celebrate another amazing Porter in the DEATH STRANDING community. This month’s #DSPorterSpotlight puts the spotlight on someone who is no stranger in the 505 Games community, a super talented virtual photographer called Shinobi.



[h3]INTERVIEW WITH SHINOBI[/h3]

Hi! It’s great to have you on board for this month’s #DSPorterSpotlight piece. You’ve always been so supportive of us and we’re excited to chat with you. Can you tell us a bit more about yourself and what makes you a DEATH STRANDING fan?

My name is Shinobi, I'm a 42 year old Frenchman living in Japan for 12 years now. I do virtual photography daily and occasionally help studios create their photo modes when they accept my help. What made me a DEATH STRANDING fan is Hideo Kojima himself. I have been a long-time fan since MGS1. I was so excited to see him working on a new IP and creation. Then the incredible intro of the game, the walking, the loneliness... so many unique feelings came to me in the first couple hours of playing... That's a very rare thing in gaming today.



Virtual photography has boomed in popularity in recent years. What was it about the feature that appealed to you?

First it was a natural meeting between my love for traditional photography and my love for gaming. But very quickly I realized that there was something here that I didn't anticipate. You know when you're hiking, the landscape is beautiful but you're kind of focused on your breath, your effort, your goal. Sure, you see the environment and breathe the fresh air, but it's really when you stop and look around that suddenly you're amazed by where you are. That's the only way you'll notice this little blueberry bush and maybe a bird nest above you. THIS is exactly what virtual photography is to me. A formidable opportunity to see every detail that artists and developers took time to work on. Then the second phase starts and you add your own creativeness. The game is yours for a moment. You decide how you want to portray it. It becomes your world and your canvas. It's a different way to play, it's the only way I know now.



As an experienced Porter yourself, do you have any favourite locations to capture in-game?

I'd say that Middle Knot Ruins are among my favorites, especially the mall. What an impressive place in the early hours of your adventure!



Are there any particular photo mode features in DEATH STRANDING DIRECTOR’S CUT that you enjoy using the most?

Definitely the poses. Especially the feature that allows Sam to turn toward the camera. The way it's split in two parts, head and body, is a really nice touch and helps fine tune the position you want to give him.



Do you have any favorite shots that you've captured?

It's very hard to select one picture above others. I personally keep a special place in my heart for shots that I feel capture the essence of the game, and that have a slight personal twist that make them a bit different from what I've seen so far from other photographers. In this case I could put this one up.



Do you have any advice for new Porters who might be about to play DEATH STRANDING DIRECTOR’S CUT for the first time?

I would advise people to take their time through it. Immerse themselves in those long walks and embrace the hiking part of it. I find myself much more frustrated when I want to use a bike outside of the roads. Trucks are easier to use but you won't get one right away so don't be discouraged and just keep on keeping on by foot. See if you can spot a bird nest somewhere.





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Hi everyone. If you've been following our #DSPorterSpotlight series throughout 2023, you'll know just how talented and creative the DEATH STRANDING community is!

With that in mind, we decided to treat our Porters to an exclusive Q&A with KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS' Art Director, Yoji Shinkawa.

Sit back and enjoy!

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https://store.steampowered.com/app/1850570/DEATH_STRANDING_DIRECTORS_CUT/

We’re approaching the end of another month, which means it’s time to celebrate another amazing Porter in the DEATH STRANDING community. August’s #DSPorterSpotlight features the incredible Leo, a super talented artist and cosplayer.

[h3]INTERVIEW WITH LEO (@ASTRANDOFGO)[/h3]

Hi Leo! Great to have you on board for this month’s #DSPorterSpotlight piece! We love your passion for DEATH STRANDING, as well as your incredible art and cosplay. Can you tell us a bit more about yourself and what makes you a DEATH STRANDING fan?

Thanks so much for having me! I’m Leo, a self-taught hobbyist artist. I began drawing as a kid, then took a long hiatus in my 20’s, letting my art fall to the side. I then became inspired to pick it back up after playing through DEATH STRANDING. It truly was the precipice for the revival of my creative passion, and I relearned the fundamentals of art through the process.

DEATH STRANDING was my first experience with a game from Hideo Kojima, and I had no idea what awaited me. It was an emotional roller coaster going through the game, especially since I was expecting my own little BB at the time (who is now very much out of her tank by now), and with the onset of Covid and being in isolation for so long, the game hit a little deeper than it would have at other points in my life. It came at the perfect time. The themes and aesthetics presented in DEATH STRANDING spoke to me in a way that few games or movies had previously. I’ve played through the game multiple times and even still to this day, there are moments that get me misty eyed. I’m just an emotional wreck in the last few chapters (in the best way, of course). I really love the moments when I’m walking through some picturesque landscape, and a Low Roar song triggers. It speaks right to my core, it’s such a unique experience.



Can you talk to us about your creative process when working on your illustrations and your cosplay?

Music plays a huge part in my creative process. I’m very motivated by lyrics and the overall feel of a song. I tend to listen to very emotionally heavy music, and I really strive to put those same emotions into my art. Once I have an idea, I work relatively quickly. I tend to base my art on photos that I’ve taken in game. My digital paintings take roughly 4-6 hours total, while my sketchier traditional art takes an hour or two. I really love to put a lot of detail into my digital paintings, and more feeling into my traditional art. My favorite part of any piece are the eyes. There’s almost a spiritual connection when finishing the eyes.

My cosplay process is much more analytical, and I am all about the details, even those that aren’t front and center. I spent an embarrassingly long amount of time trying to figure out all of the text on the Bridges uniform, and did my best to match up the keys to the ones on the keychain in the game. This is where I let my detail-oriented vision shine. Even if they’re details that won’t be noticed, it makes me feel accomplished, and is a source of personal pride.



Do you have a favorite character from DEATH STRANDING DIRECTOR'S CUT and if so, what makes them so special to you?

I can already hear friends of mine laughing over this because of how many times they’ve had to hear me go on and on about my favorite DEATH STRANDING character. I have no doubt that they could answer this without thinking about it. My favorite character, without doubt, is Higgs Monaghan. As someone who was obsessed with Ancient Egypt as a child, I was smitten with him from the very first time we met him in the game. The moment that gold and black striped cloak caught my eye I was hooked. With his tattoos, messy eyeliner, and bold outfit design, he really makes for such a fun and visually appealing character to draw. But upon playing through the game and learning his backstory, once all character relationships and dynamics are established, that’s when he really found his way into my heart, and I understood how much of a complex part of the story he is. If I could give anyone in the DEATH STRANDING universe a hug, it would definitely be him.



How influential has social media been in getting your work noticed?

Social media has been crucial in getting my work noticed. You can’t be an artist in this era without it. I started out in 2021 without a following, posting daily as I relearned the foundations of art, and very slowly, I started meeting people with the same creative spark that I had. Over the past two years, my circle grew as I met more people, and experienced more breath-taking art from my fellow creatives in the community. Artists, authors, and cosplayers alike, brought together by their common interests, in all different walks of life. I’ve chatted with members of the industry who were kind enough to share their knowledge and experiences, giving a look into what it takes to make these games. And recently I was pleasantly shocked when Kojima followed me on Twitter. I wasn’t expecting that at all. It’s such a huge honor to be acknowledged as an artist in that manner.



Do you have any advice for new Porters who might be about to play DEATH STRANDING DIRECTOR’S CUT for the first time?

My advice would be to take your time with the game. Really take it in, enjoy the quiet moments, because they’re quite beautiful. Get familiar with zip lines, they’re a life saver (especially to the Wind Farm). You can never have too many blood bags. And deliver all of the pizzas!



Thank you so much to Leo for taking the time to answer our questions! For previous community spotlights, head to:

https://505.games/DSPorterSpotlightTimeline

Leo: https://twitter.com/astrandofgold

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1850570/DEATH_STRANDING_DIRECTORS_CUT/