Geoff Keighley: Konami Banned Hideo Kojima From Accepting Any MGS V Awards

[Redlin5_v1legacy]

Okay, not unexpected but total bullshit nevertheless. The game has 8 awards attached to it and he's not allowed to participate? That's messed up.

Hey Escapist? Can you create a Gaming Director award and award it to him for contributions to Gaming History? A nice big physical trophy would suffice. Something impossible for Konami to ignore yet something they have no legal means of stopping. Make no mention of MGS V, make no mention of his employer and the situation. Dude deserves credit and even if it isn't explicitly stated what its for, we'll all know. As said above:

Man, just when I thought that Konami couldn't sink any lower, couldn't act anymore pathetic and childish...#Fuckonami

[sub]I'm dreaming but someone should send him something for what he's gone through with that company and I'm not even a Metal Gear fan.[/sub]

 

[Fulbert]

Did Hideo Kojima sleep with Konami president's wife or something?

 

[EternallyBored]

It is bizarre and downright scary at the level of how viciously an entire corporate persona can hold down a single person without the question of legality. How do you legally prevent someone from going to a place? Isn't that something you place on war criminals or people convicted of treason?

How the hell did Koji Igarashi get out of there so unscathed?

Igarashi got off light because he wasn't a high up exec butting heads with the CEO like Kojima was, if Kojima was just some director he likely would have been shuffled off a lot more quietly. Kojima was high up in the company, he wasn't just making games for them, and from rumors and whatnot, apparently there was a lot of friction between him and the CEO.

The level of friction is unknown, but its not exactly hard to see where it likely comes from, between a CEO looking to get the company out of console games, and an executive like Kojima who was taking Konami's final AAA game project both overbudget and over deadlines, if Kojima was abusing his position to get more money and time for MGSV that likely wouldn't have been approved by the CEO or other executives, I could see them acting like petty dicks just to spite him.

Or there's another reason entirely, most of what I've heard is just rumors and filling in the gaps from the little concrete information out there.

Still, seems like an absolutely dick thing to do to the guy.

 

[Hairless Mammoth]

I know this is very sad to hear, but is there an actually a REAL reason why Konami did that? Like not because "Konami are assh*les, f*ck Konami"? A real realistic reason?

My legitimate guess is they are futilely trying to keep Kojima out of the public eye as much as possible. According to others on the internet (so grain of salt time), it's extremely rare in Japan for an employee to leave a company, before retirement, and it general makes the company look bad when a high profile person does leave. They've already lost Iga, who went on to make one of the fastest funded game Kickstarters. Trying to hide what's going on is still just going to cause a Streisand Effect, since were reading an article about it right now.

OT: Well, Konami, your continued social incompetence (incontinence? Yeah, that word works, too!) just means that I get to read interesting articles and comments about your bastardity, and I'm sure your best friend, Jim Sterling, will have delightful things to say in the next installment of Fuck Konami News. You entertain me, while I have never, and will never, play your pachinko machines.

 

[Renegade-pizza]

Man, just when I thought that Konami couldn't sink any lower, couldn't act anymore pathetic and childish...#Fuckonami

The Mariana Trench is its deepest at 10,994 m (± 40 m). Konami obviously plans on going even deeper than that. The company is obviously run by exiled mole-people who don't understand our human culture and plan to return to their home

 

[Fulbert]

OT: Well, Konami, your continued social incompetence (incontinence? Yeah, that word works, too!) just means that I get to read interesting articles and comments about your bastardity, and I'm sure your best friend, Jim Sterling, will have delightful things to say in the next installment of Fuck Konami News. You entertain me, while I have never, and will never, play your pachinko machines.

As a Japanese (former) videogame development company, they without doubt care a lot about what Jim Sterling or any other Western talking head has to say about them.

 

[Hairless Mammoth]

As a Japanese (former) videogame development company, they without doubt care a lot about what Jim Sterling or any other Western talking head has to say about them.

I'm sure they don't care about anything games-related anymore, or what any of us have to say. It's just funny how they now keep me more busy with news about them rather than their games.

Igarashi got off light because he wasn't a high up exec butting heads with the CEO like Kojima was, if Kojima was just some director he likely would have been shuffled off a lot more quietly.

Oh yeah, I forgot the tension between Kojima and the higher ups supposedly got pretty bad in the past year or so. Pure spite might just be the only thing fueling the whole Kojima deal.

 

[Vigormortis]

I love you, Konami.

Don't ever change.

 

[Thyunda]

As a Japanese (former) videogame development company, they without doubt care a lot about what Jim Sterling or any other Western talking head has to say about them.

I'm sure they don't care about anything games-related anymore, or what any of us have to say. It's just funny how they now keep me more busy with news about them rather than their games.

Igarashi got off light because he wasn't a high up exec butting heads with the CEO like Kojima was, if Kojima was just some director he likely would have been shuffled off a lot more quietly.

Oh yeah, I forgot the tension between Kojima and the higher ups supposedly got pretty bad in the past year or so. Pure spite might just be the only thing fueling the whole Kojima deal.

It might also be so they can separate Metal Gear Solid from Hideo Kojima. If he goes up to accept the award while leaving the company, it basically removes Konami's name from the franchise and turns it into a bit of idolatry. Like how most of us know Peter Molyneux was behind Fable but I can't remember what company developed it. There are certain names in the industry that take priority over the companies, and I think Konami are rather desperately trying to prevent Kojima being one of those names.

Not that they can, of course.

 

[Karadalis]

And with that last action konami takes the gold medal in the publisher shitolympics... EA takes the second place and ubisoft takes bronze. Honestly thought kept for a half arsed attempt by EA with that sorry excuse battlefront there wasnt even any real attempt at competition here.

Seems konami wanted to go out with a blaze and god damn... they worked hard for the golden poo medal. Literally cutting its nose to spite the face here.

 

[hermes]

I know this is very sad to hear, but is there an actually a REAL reason why Konami did that? Like not because "Konami are assh*les, f*ck Konami"? A real realistic reason?

Likely, they didn't want the PR nightmare of even acknowledging Kojima, or the awkward moment when Geoff asks him about his "vacations"...

 

[Barbas]

Disgraceful, disgusting company. Shameful display.

 

[Saltyk]

Wow. This is just spiteful. The worst part is from everything I've seen, Kojima is a good person. He actually gave a dying fan MGSV early and went to visit his family. Sadly, the young man had already passed when Kojima went to visit, but it made me feel like Kojima appreciated his fans.

Plus, he's a mad genius. And the only developer in the industry, other than Mityamoto, that I consider a true artist in the industry.

Konami is really working hard to become evil/worse company of 2015.

FucKonami

And the worst part? People had almost forgot about them. They hadn't done any terrible dick moves in a while. So, the hate machine was dying down. And now, I'm just reminded of exactly how much I have grown to hate Konami.

Makes me sad that so many great games have been published by them. Even games that are among my all time favorites.

I think we should start using "Konami" as a verb to describe something bad that has happened to you in a game. Get your butt whupped by Ornstein and Smough? They Konami'd you so hard. CTD right before you get to a save point? You just got Konami'd. VAC banned for being on the same server as a hacker? Thats a Konami right to the face. Save file got corrupted? You got Konami'd to tears. Got to download 14 GB of data before you can play that brand new game you've been waiting years for? You've been mercilessly Konami'd.

I'm game.

Of course, I got Konami'd by my refrigerator. Went to get a drink out on Thanksgiving morning and found that it was warm. All I could think was "Konami". It's a good thing I didn't have to cook anything to take to Thanksgiving dinner, like the Turkey, or that would have really Konami'd the day. And having to empty it out was awful. It smelled like Konami by the time I was able to. And I was royally Konami'd for this week since I couldn't make anything for lunch, so I had to go get fast food. At least I'll be getting a new one today. So I won't be getting Konami'd anymore next week.

 

[RJ 17]

At this point it's actually very funny.

The best part is: they're doing all these horrendous, self-castrating PR moves and yet for some reason they refuse to own up to it...when it's obvious for everyone to see. They drive off Kojima in a very public and humiliating - for them, in terms of PR - way...and then have the nerve to say "No-no, he's not left the building for the last time. He's definitely coming back. He's just on vacation right now...........................ahem, but fuck that guy if he thinks we'll let him accept any awards for his creation."

At this point I'm beginning to think that Konami is actually run by a bonafide paranoid schizophrenic. And the board of directors are all a bunch of meth addicts, scratching their necks and listening to the CEO's delusional ramblings while saying "Make's sense to me!"

I mean, I get it: they don't give two shits and a fuck about their AAA game department anymore. All they want to do in terms of games is make mobile and pachinko. Fair enough, if that's the way you want to take your company's game department - as from my understanding they've got their fingers in a lot of different industries - then that's fine. But...do you really have to not just burn, but utterly bomb every bridge you've built during this transition? Couldn't you...you know...not make the world think that you're run by petty, immature, spoiled, selfish brats?

 

[JimB]

So I guess we know what's getting at least an (dis)honorable mention on next week's the Jimquisition, if not an entire episode; but I kind of hope we can all agree not to forget, amidst the vengeful fun of castigating Konami, to show our respect for Mr. Kojima and his accomplishments.

Mr. Kojima, I have been a vocal critic of some of your work, but that has not ever been intended to detract from the reality that you are a pioneer in the field, without whom the industry would be lessened. Well done you, sir.

 

[Kajin]

I think we should start using "Konami" as a verb to describe something bad that has happened to you in a game. Get your butt whupped by Ornstein and Smough? They Konami'd you so hard. CTD right before you get to a save point? You just got Konami'd. VAC banned for being on the same server as a hacker? Thats a Konami right to the face. Save file got corrupted? You got Konami'd to tears. Got to download 14 GB of data before you can play that brand new game you've been waiting years for? You've been mercilessly Konami'd.

That sounds awesome, I'm gonna have to start using that.

 

[AnthrSolidSnake]

Yeah, Konami better hope they do well with pachinko machines, and never come crawling back to gaming, because I'm not buying a single fucking game with the Konami logo on it ever again.

 

[Neurotic Void Melody]

All well and good for now, but when was the last time anyone saw Kojima alive? Spoke to him? We need someone on the job. Someone smart. With connections. Strong. Someone quicker than your average human. Or at least a photo of Kojima holding today's newspaper

 

[Abomination]

Guys...

Stop. Buying. Konami. Products.

Yes, even Metal Gear. Just stop buying their shit.

If you see their label on anything, don't buy it.

If you're complaining about their actions and you bought Phantom Pain - you are part of the problem. It was no secret that Konami were a bunch of twatwaffles before that game was released and you bought it anyway.

 

[happyninja42]

I know this is very sad to hear, but is there an actually a REAL reason why Konami did that? Like not because "Konami are assh*les, f*ck Konami"? A real realistic reason?

Hypothetically Kojima could've gone on stage and used it as a platform to bash Konami publically. That would just prevent him from going on stage, however. Konami wanted him banned from the entire event. Thats just plain spite.

I think the person is asking (and so am I for that matter), if there was any actual tangible reason for this Anti-Kojima campaign on their part? Did he actually do anything that would (at least in the eyes of Konami), justify their efforts to blacklist him?