Solid Snake Voice Actor Claims Kojima Productions Has Disbanded

[Steven Bogos]

Solid Snake Voice Actor Claims Kojima Productions Has Disbanded

Akio Otsuka, the Japanese voice actor for Solid Snake, claims that Kojima Productions is no more.

Earlier in the year, some official comment [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/140169-Konami-Reportedly-Disbanding-Kojima-Productions-After-MGS-V] that simply assured us that Metal Gear Solid V was gonna be great, and there will be more Metal Gear in the future. Now, Akio Otsuka, the Japanese voice actor for Solid Snake, has offered a heartfelt "goodbye" to Kojima Productions via Twitter, confirming the rumors that the studio will be disbanded as soon as Metal Gear Solid V is released.

"Kojima Productions was forced to disband, but it appears that the work that the team has been putting their utmost effort into is nearly complete," Otsuka said in a tweet (Japanese) [https://twitter.com/AkioOtsuka/status/619604474022096896]. "I'm not exaggerating when I say that I expect it will become their greatest masterpiece. I couldn't help it. I just wanted to say 'Kept you waiting, huh?' (Laughs.) But even if this is the end, Metal Gear Solid is immortal!"

While Konami are obviously being very mum on the subject, and keeping Kojima himself on some kind of gag order, all of the signs are pointing to the very likely possibility that this is the last Metal Gear game we will see from Kojima.

Source: Gematsu [http://gematsu.com/2015/07/solid-snake-japanese-voice-actor-kojima-productions-disbanded]

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[Darth_Payn]

Too bad about Kojima Productions disbanding. Hopefully guys with that much talent and skill will find work some other way.
And when I read that headline, I thought it was about David Hayter.

 

[008Zulu_v1legacy]

Now we wait patiently for the Kojima kickstarter for the non-copyright version of MGS

It'll probably be a reboot. A lot of fans want a proper HD remake of the early games, this'd be the way to get it.

 

[dragongit]

I'm... kinda nervous for MGS5 now. I think I might wait for reviews to see if the game hadn't somehow been sabotaged in it's final minutes.

On topic, we all feared the day, and it's come. Kojima productions disbanded. It's not looking like a good year for Konami, what with the cancellation of Silent Hills, their comment about the focus of mobile games, and everything revolving around Kojima.

 

[Areloch]

I'm... kinda nervous for MGS5 now. I think I might wait for reviews to see if the game hadn't somehow been sabotaged in it's final minutes.

On topic, we all feared the day, and it's come. Kojima productions disbanded. It's not looking like a good year for Konami, what with the cancellation of Silent Hills, their comment about the focus of mobile games, and everything revolving around Kojima.

All it means is Kojima has a flawless opportunity to hoover up the talent from his prior team, found Outer Heaven Studios, and start kickstarting new projects that aren't MGS(as he's been wanting to be done with it for a while).

Honestly, as much as I love MGS, I'm pretty stoked at the concept of Kojima and his team having free reign to sprinkle their wackiness on a completely new IP.

 

[Imperioratorex Caprae]

Konami... go fuck yourself. Signed, former lifelong fans who've had it up to here with your bullshit. PS - Good luck with mobile games, we don't secretly hope you fail so hard you end up bankrupt and begging on the side of the street, forced to sell your IPs for 1/10th of what they're worth to cover your sorry ass.
PPS - I'm pulling punches here.

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

It's an end of an era.

And it won't last.

Konami is nothing without Kojima Productions. Their plan to switch to mobile gaming is a delusional one. As soon as they realize this, that moronic CEO of theirs will be fired and Kojima productions reinstated. Clueless gamers all around the world will rejoice as if a miracle has happened. There's absolutely nothing to worry about.

 

[Shiftygiant]

It's an end of an era.

And it won't last.

Konami is nothing without Kojima Productions. Their plan to switch to mobile gaming is a delusional one. As soon as they realize this, that moronic CEO of theirs will be fired and Kojima productions reinstated. Clueless gamers all around the world will rejoice as if a miracle has happened. There's absolutely nothing to worry about.

But Konami dosen't need Video Games, they make most their money in other ventures. There will be downsizing, but Konami will survive.

 

[Dominic Crossman]

If mgs5 has bugs/glitches does this mean they won't ever get fixed?

 

[Aiddon_v1legacy]

But Konami dosen't need Video Games, they make most their money in other ventures. There will be downsizing, but Konami will survive.

Actually rumors of money troubles have been dogging Konami for awhile now. And not because of Kojima and videogames so clearly their other ventures aren't making as much as they'd like (though when you see how their other ventures are localized with little room for growth it's no surprise; at best mobile has room, but there are more one-hit wonders than actual successes) Plus the current president is dead set on gambling a LOT of the company's future on the casino going around the Japanese legislature right now. The problem is that A) it might not even pass thus meaning the whole enterprise has been pointless and B) they wouldn't see one cent of progress for it for at least six years, assuming a casino industry in Japan actually manages to be even a moderate success. How fitting he should obsessed with it because he isn't so much taking a calculates risk as much as he is LITERALLY gambling. Except doing that with a company isn't advised.

 

[Dreiko_v1legacy]

Japanese VA contracts are monstrous so for him to be able to speak THIS freely means he has absolutely no hope of ever being hired back to do this role and so he has nothing to abide by so he chooses to be honest and do a good one for the fans. Hopefully by this point Konami should just sell MGS to someone who actually wants to make proper videogames and they should then hire Kojima and his gang and move on.

 

[Something Amyss]

Now we wait patiently for the Kojima kickstarter for the non-copyright version of MGS

I can't wait until they announce their spiritual successor, Rubber Cog Plasma, starring David Hayter as Mongoose.

It'll probably be a reboot. A lot of fans want a proper HD remake of the early games, this'd be the way to get it.

I joked above, but it'll probably be more a spiritual successor with at best more or less "wink wink" approaches to the MGS canon rather than a reboot or remake.

 

[SonOfVoorhees]

I wouldnt be surprised if he does something completely different from MG. Maybe he will make his own horror game.

 

[remnant_phoenix]

I look forward to the Kojima kickstarter for Iron Cog Resolute: Strategic Infiltration Action. Bad jokes aside, I see this as a good thing. Kojima has been trying to get away from Metal Gear for a long time. It was Konami's purse and the fan demand that kept him coming back. "Because I don't want to," wasn't a good enough excuse for either party. Now? He has the airtight excuse of "I can't. I legally can't. Konami owns the IP."

I'm interested in seeing what he does next apart from Konami.

 

[jhoroz]

I hope now that Kojima is free from the clutches of Konami, he completely moves away from MGS-related genres. Seeing him do another stealth tactical action game would be underwhelming considering his pedigree of insanity.

 

[Benpasko]

A year ago, no one would have thought this was possible, but here we are. Can't wait to see what Kojima does after he's out of Konami.

 

[Owyn_Merrilin]

I'm... kinda nervous for MGS5 now. I think I might wait for reviews to see if the game hadn't somehow been sabotaged in it's final minutes.

On topic, we all feared the day, and it's come. Kojima productions disbanded. It's not looking like a good year for Konami, what with the cancellation of Silent Hills, their comment about the focus of mobile games, and everything revolving around Kojima.

All it means is Kojima has a flawless opportunity to hoover up the talent from his prior team, found Outer Heaven Studios, and start kickstarting new projects that aren't MGS(as he's been wanting to be done with it for a while).

Honestly, as much as I love MGS, I'm pretty stoked at the concept of Kojima and his team having free reign to sprinkle their wackiness on a completely new IP.

Seriously. This is the man who brought us Boktai, Zone of the Enders, and Snatcher. As sad as I am to see Metal Gear go (or at least, Kojima helmed Metal Gear), I'm excited to see what the man can do now that he's allowed to make other stuff again.