Former Square Enix Boss Calls Konami's Treatment of Hideo Kojima "Cruel"

[Neurotic Void Melody]

I don't get why game's journalists that wan't to be seen as professional journalists, don't take the initiative to explore further into these more troubling issues. Like assert themselves by going into these companies and/or finding employees willing to anonymously (or not) divulge secrets. Whistleblowers, undercover information gathering. Come on! This is the perfect opportunity!!

I know! I can't believe that the escapist doesn't have a special team on the ground in Tokyo. The fact that Lizzy hasn't even bothered to become fluent in Japanese is deplorable. Shoddy work indeed.
But lets look at reality. Most news outlets simply buy their news from Reuters or other agencies. There are very few reporters (even in the news business) who actually do what you're suggesting. It just doesn't really happen anymore. Journalists are expected to write up news stories in a day or two and then move onto the next thing.


Anyway, it sounds like Konami have decided to beat their cash-cow and throw it out of the farm. It's like firing all the COD devs and then sitting in the corner and sulking. Not a great business strategy.

Wow, well sorry for trying to inject a bit of fun and enthusiasm into anything. It shan't happen again. What was i thinking?
Edit: Ain't no biggy. I unserstand people are more serious than others here. Am one with the world again.

 

[Knight Captain Kerr]

The best thing that could happen in regards to Kojima (from a creative standpoint at least, it's safe to say he wants to make games and not just money) is actually leave Konami as opposed to just being on the indefinite leave he's on. From there he could go to another company (because who wouldn't want to have him) or set up his own independent development team which isn't that crazy, ignoring Kickstarter and the like, I don't think getting a publisher would be that hard for Kojima. I'm pretty sure Capcom and Square Enix would love to publish the new Hideo Kojima game because it would probably sell like hot cakes based on the fact that it's a Kojima game alone.

 

[ShakerSilver]

And yet, when Kotaku's relationship with Bethesda and Ubisoft got soured because they revealed something the publishers didn't want to be revealed, people didn't care. Some even congratulated the publishers for punishing those click-baiters...

Well that's the thing - people didn't care. Kotaku wasn't doing investigative journalism in the service of the public in those instances, they were leaking information of no benefit to the reader other than telling them that Fallout 4 and yet another Assassin's Creed were in-development. It didn't really inform the readers more about the games beyond some superficial details (the historical setting du jour of Assassin's Creed or the intro sequence of Fallout 4). Had it actually reported vital information, such as significant changes to gameplay elements, performance issues, or bugs, that would actually be useful to readers and inform their purchases. This, however, was a case of self-serving "reporting" and abusing business relations with the publishers in question.

 

[Namehere]

I don't get why game's journalists that wan't to be seen as professional journalists, don't take the initiative to explore further into these more troubling issues. Like assert themselves by going into these companies and/or finding employees willing to anonymously (or not) divulge secrets. Whistleblowers, undercover information gathering. Come on! This is the perfect opportunity!!

I know! I can't believe that the escapist doesn't have a special team on the ground in Tokyo. The fact that Lizzy hasn't even bothered to become fluent in Japanese is deplorable. Shoddy work indeed.
But lets look at reality. Most news outlets simply buy their news from Reuters or other agencies. There are very few reporters (even in the news business) who actually do what you're suggesting. It just doesn't really happen anymore. Journalists are expected to write up news stories in a day or two and then move onto the next thing.


Anyway, it sounds like Konami have decided to beat their cash-cow and throw it out of the farm. It's like firing all the COD devs and then sitting in the corner and sulking. Not a great business strategy.

Do you know how to embed video? If you do, you need to go find the clip out of Apocalypse now where the Montagnards and Kurtz's crazies slaughter a cow. Neat fact about the scene, it's actually taken from the director's wife's documentary. Filmed principally in the Philippines she was documenting native life and the director and crew of Apocalypse Now went to a big tribal shindig in costume and it got into the film.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSWtc01BlqM

 

[CaitSeith]

And yet, when Kotaku's relationship with Bethesda and Ubisoft got soured because they revealed something the publishers didn't want to be revealed, people didn't care. Some even congratulated the publishers for punishing those click-baiters...

Well that's the thing - people didn't care. Kotaku wasn't doing investigative journalism in the service of the public in those instances, they were leaking information of no benefit to the reader other than telling them that Fallout 4 and yet another Assassin's Creed were in-development. It didn't really inform the readers more about the games beyond some superficial details (the historical setting du jour of Assassin's Creed or the intro sequence of Fallout 4). Had it actually reported vital information, such as significant changes to gameplay elements, performance issues, or bugs, that would actually be useful to readers and inform their purchases. This, however, was a case of self-serving "reporting" and abusing business relations with the publishers in question.

You may consider the details superficial; but I'm pretty sure the publishers didn't. Otherwise they wouldn't be freezing out Kotaku, wouldn't they? Besides, a lot of complains come from the Fallout 4 spoilers side of the argument. That people certainly didn't consider that leak "superficial" at all (totally the opposite and in a bad way)

 

[Li Mu]

Wow, well sorry for trying to inject a bit of fun and enthusiasm into anything. It shan't happen again. What was i thinking?
Edit: Ain't no biggy. I unserstand people are more serious than others here. Am one with the world again.

Awww...sorry man. I thought you were serious. Lets kiss and make up and go out for some drinks together.

 

[ShakerSilver]

You may consider the details superficial; but I'm pretty sure the publishers didn't.

Well yes, I was speaking from the perspective of the audience, the people you should be writing for as a journalist. Of course a publisher will break ties with the outlet that simply chooses to publish information that they didn't want revealed.

This does raise a question though: should journalists not care about upsetting companies and publish information even if it sours their relations? If you're concerned with the interests of the reader, then you would make that decision based on the information and if publishing it would be beneficial to the reader and if this would outweigh how you value to relation between this company. Given the current state of video game journalism, a larger game media outlet that relies cooperation with AAA publishers to get information on games before release should really value that relation.

In the case of the Fallout 4 and Syndicate leaks, Kotaku obviously either didn't think their relationship with the publishers was worth withholding the information or just didn't care and simply wanted clicks. I doubt there was a strong urge to do some hard hitting reporting in those cases as the information wasn't all that valuable to readers - they would have just gotten the information on some games' development earlier than usual.

 

[008Zulu_v1legacy]

I don't think Konami care what people think of them or their practises.

 

[Neurotic Void Melody]

Wow, well sorry for trying to inject a bit of fun and enthusiasm into anything. It shan't happen again. What was i thinking?
Edit: Ain't no biggy. I unserstand people are more serious than others here. Am one with the world again.

Awww...sorry man. I thought you were serious. Lets kiss and make up and go out for some drinks together.

Fuck it...let's fuck!...the emotions are there...best make use of them before they fade like everything else! You buying? Ahh, it's ok, i'll get it tbis time

 

[And Man]

And yet, when Kotaku's relationship with Bethesda and Ubisoft got soured because they revealed something the publishers didn't want to be revealed, people didn't care. Some even congratulated the publishers for punishing those click-baiters...

Well that's the thing - people didn't care. Kotaku wasn't doing investigative journalism in the service of the public in those instances, they were leaking information of no benefit to the reader other than telling them that Fallout 4 and yet another Assassin's Creed were in-development. It didn't really inform the readers more about the games beyond some superficial details (the historical setting du jour of Assassin's Creed or the intro sequence of Fallout 4). Had it actually reported vital information, such as significant changes to gameplay elements, performance issues, or bugs, that would actually be useful to readers and inform their purchases. This, however, was a case of self-serving "reporting" and abusing business relations with the publishers in question.

First off, how are you even going to know if a game has performance issues or bugs, possibly even changes to gameplay elements too, if it's not even far enough along in development that the publisher hasn't even announced it yet? Second, it's not unlikely for a game to still have bugs or performance issues while it's still under development. What are you supposed to report? "This unfinished game is unfinished?" Journalists likely won't know about performance issues or bugs until the game sent out to reviewers, which brings me to my third point: review embargoes. If you break a review embargo, even one as shitty as Assassin's Creed Unity's which didn't lift until after the game's release, then you (and possibly the outlet you work for, if you're not independent) are never going to be sent review copies again from any publisher, which will lose you your job if you work for an outlet, or possibly ruin you if you're independent.

I get your point, but I think you're really overestimating what games journalists can actually do.

 

[CaitSeith]

You may consider the details superficial; but I'm pretty sure the publishers didn't.

Well yes, I was speaking from the perspective of the audience, the people you should be writing for as a journalist. Of course a publisher will break ties with the outlet that simply chooses to publish information that they didn't want revealed.

Question: Why didn't the publishers want the info to be revealed to the audience in the first place?

This does raise a question though: should journalists not care about upsetting companies and publish information even if it sours their relations? If you're concerned with the interests of the reader, then you would make that decision based on the information and if publishing it would be beneficial to the reader and if this would outweigh how you value to relation between this company. Given the current state of video game journalism, a larger game media outlet that relies cooperation with AAA publishers to get information on games before release should really value that relation.

Personally I don't think that's a good situation. AAA publishers have a lot of control in their games' development (more than the game developers themselves) and in the prior-release information. That wouldn't be bad if they didn't abuse of such control (and we have seen the effects of what happens when they do). Some have got used to such power that they try to control information outside that scope, like censoring negative videos about them in Youtube (like Konami has done). In fact Konami frost out Destructoid while Jim Sterling was working with the later. But we know how Jim Sterling is. He is capable of making any developer's and publisher's blood boil.

 

[Saltyk]

This is a moment where I wonder how he really feels.

No, I don't mean that as a joke. I can't imagine anyone in the business world publicly calling out another company head like this. Adding to that is Japanese culture which tends to be all about respect and reservation. I really find it surprising that a former head of a company is calling out the current head of a company like this. Especially to call the treatment of a prized employee cruel. Makes me wonder what he is holding back.

Anyway, I really hope someone good scoops up Kojima (there was that picture he posted with a major Sony employee). Or he forms his own studio.

Fuck Konami.

 

[Sheo_Dagana]

I really wish Konami would get their shit together. You do not fire the only recognizable director that has done anything of note for your company in the last decade without a valid excuse. Konami, has simply told us Kojima is 'on vacation.' Jesus. That sounds like something you tell children when the family dog has been put down.

I may not have cared for Metal Gear Solid V, and I say that from the perspective of the story being stupid as fuck, not the game being incomplete, but Kojima really does deserve better than this. Now we'll NEVER get a third Zone of the Enders game... blah.

Fuck Konami in their stupid, stupid asses.

 

[ShakerSilver]

I get your point, but I think you're really overestimating what games journalists can actually do.

Yeah, I know that the things I suggesting are impossible given the current state of games media. I'd say that's mostly the product of an over-controlling industry that cares too much about hype and pre-order culture, as well as a complacent gaming media.

Question: Why didn't the publishers want the info to be revealed to the audience in the first place?

Probably because they want to build up the "hype" around their game. I can't say I agree with hype culture, but I can understand why publishers trying to build excitement for their products. Obviously there are times where they go too far, blocking criticism of their works or placing restrictive embargoes to prevent customers from making an informed purchasing decision. In the case of spoiling a games reveal before the publisher gets the ball rolling though that could have a damaging effect on sales without any real benefit to the consumer. Maybe not for games of big franchises like Assassin's Creed and Fallout, but to smaller titles a leak like this could have significantly lessened the impact of their reveal, and I don't think the companies already burned by Kotaku want to take a chance to see whether or not they'll do it again.

Personally I don't think that's a good situation. AAA publishers have a lot of control in their games' development (more than the game developers themselves) and in the prior-release information. That wouldn't be bad if they didn't abuse of such control (and we have seen the effects of what happens when they do). Some have got used to such power that they try to control information outside that scope, like censoring negative videos about them in Youtube (like Konami has done). In fact Konami frost out Destructoid while Jim Sterling was working with the later. But we know how Jim Sterling is. He is capable of making any developer's and publisher's blood boil.

I agree. As consumers of the gaming media, it's definitely not a good situation we find ourselves in. One has to wonder though if the total amount of blame for control of pre-release info should be placed on the publishers for abusing this control or if some of the blame should also be shared by the games media that acts complicit in all this - rarely raising a critical eye to the information given, regurgitating whatever is fed to them, making exclusive deals with them like IGN does.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

Konami continues to relocate the bottom of the proverbial barrel further and further down.

 

[The Rogue Wolf]

As funny as it is to think of Konami's executive board as a bunch of supervillain-wannabes, sitting around a table and stroking small white cats as they plot out how to piss off gamers next, I think Wada-sama here is closer to the truth. And honestly, thinking of an entire company being run by people so abjectly clueless and insulated from reality is even more frightening.

 

[RawSteelUT]

This is a moment where I wonder how he really feels.

No, I don't mean that as a joke. I can't imagine anyone in the business world publicly calling out another company head like this. Adding to that is Japanese culture which tends to be all about respect and reservation. I really find it surprising that a former head of a company is calling out the current head of a company like this. Especially to call the treatment of a prized employee cruel. Makes me wonder what he is holding back.

Anyway, I really hope someone good scoops up Kojima (there was that picture he posted with a major Sony employee). Or he forms his own studio.

Fuck Konami.

That's what gets me. Japanese execs (and really, Japanese business in general) are FAMOUSLY reserved. They don't want to stir the pot at all. Calling the treatment of Kojima cruel, saying that Konami is "making enemies with the world," these are not the sort of thing you'd EVER expect to hear from a Japanese businessman, let alone someone working at the top of companies. Konami really MUST be fucking up.

 

[Sonicron]

This guy is a the FORMER boss of Squenix, right? So he has no financial stake in any statements he makes about any company.

...

Maybe someone should get in touch with him and ask him if he might want to partake in the #FucKonami hashtag.

 

[Callate]

It's sort of nice that Kojima's treatment hasn't gone unnoticed by his former company's "peer group", so to speak.

I have fond memories of Konami games- not just from console titles, but dating back to when they were a strong presence in coin-op arcades. It's more than a little sad to see that the Konami of the present day is turning into something with about as much relation to its earlier, ground-breaking self as the current version of Atari does to the company of the 80's.

 

[CrazyGirl17]

...Ouch. Still, it's nice to see a former bigwig in the industry standing up for Kojima. And again, #Fuckonami. That much still needs to be said. Seriously, they're making EA look like a better company in comparison!