E3: Kojima Twitter mystery solved

By Tom Bramwell Published 3 June, 2009

Eurogamer deciphers clues.

A Twitter feed seemingly being updated by Kojima Productions is broadcasting coded messages which, we're guessing, may be relevant to the contents of the Konami press conference today at 3pm PST / 11pm BST.

The tweets started a few hours ago and say things like this: "There is a shadow: lw olhv zlwklq xv doo." It's obviously some sort of code. It's also some sort of code that our lead developer has deciphered.

So, if you fancy trying to figure it out for yourselves, pop over to the Kojima Productions Twitter. Alternatively, here's the current run of messages translated, starting with the first:

  • "There is a shadow: lw olhv zlwklq xv doo." = "it lies within us all."
  • "It consumes us. ju efwpvst vt." = "It devours us."
  • "We cannot escape it, exlm px wxlmkhr hnklxeoxl." = "lest we destroy ourselves."
  • "This shadow makes us who we are. Cn cm qy qbi uly nby gihmnylm." = "It is we who are the monsters."
  • "Join me: fasqftqd, Xqgoaftqm, iq omz fgdz ftue iadxp fa pmdwzqee." = "together, Leucothea, we can turn this world to darkness."
  • "But I can't! Ymnx btwqi sjjix rj, fsi ny sjjix dtz ytt." = "This world needs me, and it needs you too."
  • "Pda odwzks zeooelwpao..." = "The shadow dissipates..."
  • "Uif tjmfodf tfut jo..." = "The silence sets in..."
  • "Obr o bsjsf orjsbhifs psuwbg." = "And a never adventure begins." (Typo in that one?)
  • "Fruu cqn vjbt xo mjatwnbb lxwzdna?" = "Will the mask of darkness conquer?"
  • "Ps xjmm mjhiu tijof uispvhi bu mbtu?" = "Or will light shine through at last?"

Leucothea, incidentally, is from Greek mythology. It's one of the names for an ancient sea goddess, apparently.

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000. Follow him on Twitter.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (22) Latest comment 3 years ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • DDevil #1 3 years ago

    Nice one sharpkiddie!

  • symmetry #2 3 years ago

    Well thank-you EG, I can now sleep soundly again.

  • Mugwum Verified Operations Director, Eurogamer Network #3 3 years ago

    disc: Probably is, yeah.

  • matrim83 #4 3 years ago

    Can you also look into the Bermuda triangle thing? Its kinda bugging me.

  • Mugwum Verified Operations Director, Eurogamer Network #5 3 years ago

    matrim83: Assuming it's a simple rotation code, yes!

  • jonsaan #6 3 years ago

    ud dgdgee ssjwibd hdhdgeebebs. I mask great gameplay with overly long cut scenes and meaningless high brow dross.

  • mouse Verified Graphic designer, Eurogamer Network #7 3 years ago

    Highbrowlol

  • sharpkiddie Verified Lead Developer, Eurogamer Network #8 3 years ago

    for anyone who's bored enough (you'll need to sort the indenting)

    file rot.py:
    {{{

    import sys
    import string

    werd = ( " ".join( sys.argv[ 1: ] ) ).lower()
    chars = "abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz"

    for i in range( 1, 26 ):
    trans = string.maketrans( chars, chars[ i: ] + chars[ :i ] )
    print werd.translate( trans )

    }}}

    python rot.py _code message_
    Edited by sharpkiddie at 03/06/09 @ 14:24

  • MeBrains #9 3 years ago

    thanks sharpkiddie, now I feel like being at work and asking your colleague for a code review...

  • Fyrinn #10 3 years ago

    Hey folks.

    Incidentally, I was one of the people KojiPro started following. Only thing I could think of that triggered it was mentioning that "Mask" teaser site yesterday.

    I noticed this though:

    To solve all the strings, you needed to go back a certain number of letters in the alphabet. For the first one you had to go back 3 letters, and so on. Anyway, I looked at all the numbers I had to go back, and realized something.

    1st String: 3 letters, 2nd String: 1 letter, 3rd String: 19 letters, 4th String: 20 letters, 5th String: 12 letters, 6th String: 5 letters, 7th String: 22 letters, 8th String: 1 letter, 9th String: 14 letters, 10th String: 9 letters, 11th String: 1 letter.

    Now, look at those numbers again: 3, 1, 19, 20, 12, 5, 22, 1 , 14, 9, and 1.

    If you compare those to their corresponding letter in the alphabet (A=1, B=2, C=3, etc.), you get:
    3=C, 1=A, 19=S, 20=T, 12=L, 5=E, 22=V, 1=A, 14=N, 9=1, and 1=A.

    In other words, Castlevania!

    WTF?

  • CitizenGeek #11 3 years ago

    Kojima needs to fuck right off with this sjit! The MGS countdown was just an underwhelming Raiden game (still can't wait for it, but it's not MGS5!) and now all of this code nonsense over a lame 3D Castlevania game? Give it a rest!

  • b00n #12 3 years ago

    Wasn't it already clear he was working on that? Maybe he just enjoys making teasers more than games lately.

  • Widge #13 3 years ago

    an underwhelming game we know nothing about?

  • monkeylite #14 3 years ago

    The MGS countdown was just an underwhelming Raiden game (still can't wait for it, but it's not MGS5!) and now all of this code nonsense over a lame 3D Castlevania game? Give it a rest!

    So I take it you've played both?

  • DDevil #15 3 years ago

    Signs your lead developer hasn't got enough work to do: Part 61537

  • mouse Verified Graphic designer, Eurogamer Network #16 3 years ago

    He's got loads to do, but I'll take responsibility for challenging him to do it, which he obviously wasn't going to ignore. He pretty much knocked out the code breaking script while he was on the loo.

  • mouse Verified Graphic designer, Eurogamer Network #17 3 years ago

    Nice work Fyrinn!

  • sharpkiddie Verified Lead Developer, Eurogamer Network #18 3 years ago

    Nice one Fyrinn! I knew there must be a code within the code, but figured it was something to do with the decoded text being clues to something.

    And despite what Mouse just said, we don't have workstations in the toilets at Eurogamer. Just a copy of Super Play.

  • lolife.se #19 3 years ago

    My first though, because of that hint toward greek mythology, was a new Kid Icarus. But seeing who it's coming from and all, it's very unlikely. But it would've been cool.

    What does Castlevania have to do with greek mythology? Although I do realize that they've used alot of it in the series before..
    Edited by lolife.se at 03/06/09 @ 18:20

  • zedzee #20 3 years ago

    I think we should ask EG to re-open the JFK assassination files...They're clearly clever enough to figure it out, judging from the calibre of this effort...

  • frankfurter209 #21 3 years ago

    What a fucking joke. The way his production company has their smug fanboys by the balls makes me sick

  • DrunkenKillfish #22 3 years ago

    @matrim83

    Totally off topic but I overhead a woman at work today ask 'Where is the Bermuda Triangle?"

    PMSL

    Edit: Sorry I was so busy pissing myself again I forgot that one of them said Venezuala!

    It made my morning
    Edited by DrunkenKillfish at 04/06/09 @ 01:23