Hideo Kojima Officially Leaves Konami, Forms New Studio - Update

Lizzy Finnegan

New member
Mar 11, 2015
1,650
0
0
Hideo Kojima Officially Leaves Konami, Forms New Studio - Update

//cdn.themis-media.com/media/global/images/library/deriv/987/987347.jpg

According to a report, Hideo Kojima has left Konami, and is currently forming a new studio.

Update: Hideo Kojima has confirmed the rumors, here [https://twitter.com/HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN/status/677005334402220032].

Original Story: According to Japanese publication Nikkei [http://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXLZO95184030W5A211C1TI5000/], Metal Gear Solid creator and director Hideo Kojima has officially parted ways with Konami. According to the report, Kojima is establishing a new studio, which is expected to retain former Kojima Productions staff, and is also in talks with Sony Computer Entertainment.

Earlier this year, it was revealed that Konami had Konami had barred Kojima from attending [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/141559-Hideo-Kojimas-Name-Erased-From-Box-Art-For-Metal-Gear-Solid-V-The-Phantom-Pain#&gid=gallery_4412&pid=1] and from accepting any awards for Metal Gear Solid V.

The Escapist has reached out to Konami for comment, and will update this story with any new information.

[Source: Polygon [http://www.polygon.com/2015/12/15/10220372/hideo-kojima-new-studio-leaves-konami]]

Permalink
 

Areloch

It's that one guy
Dec 10, 2012
623
0
0
If the new studio isn't called Outer Heaven, I'll be disappointed Mr. Kojima!
 

Gatlank

New member
Aug 26, 2014
190
0
0
Good. Now go back to the old Kojima that gave Zone of the Enders, Snatcher and Policenauts.
 

RejjeN

New member
Aug 12, 2009
369
0
0
Silentpony said:
So...wait, he wasn't on an extended vacation this whole time?!
But Konami would never lie to us! Never!!
Hit the Lever!

And other such #FucKonami memes ;)
 

Chimpzy_v1legacy

Warning! Contains bananas!
Jun 21, 2009
4,789
1
0
If true, good for him. If even one tenth of Konami's shenanigans from the past year or so are real, then it is an awful company that is entirely undeserving of the creative talents it seems to love treating like dirt.

If they want to focus on mobile and pachinko machines, that's fine, but someone like Kojima would be completely wasted on it.
 

Li Mu

New member
Oct 17, 2011
552
0
0
Great! Now create some stunning games. We don't know what really went down at Konami. Perhaps Kojima screwed his boss' wife. Perhaps he ate the office cat. All the same, he needs to keep being creative.
 

OuendanCyrus

New member
Jun 16, 2010
250
0
0
And Konami will continue to insist that Kojima is on holiday while continuing to make bad decisions.
 

go-10

New member
Feb 3, 2010
1,557
0
0
oh man now that Konami isn't in the way I wonder if we'll get more characters like Sniper Wolf, Quiet, or Eva... all kidding aside I'm looking forward to whatever he comes up with Kojima is a lot like Miyamoto where everything he does is interesting even if it's not for everyone
 

Hawki

Elite Member
Legacy
Mar 4, 2014
9,651
2,173
118
Country
Australia
Gender
Male
Kojima: "Just because you've screwed me over doesn't mean I'm done fighting."

Konami: "Fighting? What are you really after?"

Kojima: "The restoration of the era where game developers like us were regarded as we should."

Or something.
 

Riddle78

New member
Jan 19, 2010
1,104
0
0
I'll be honest. I never liked his games. The gameplay was often too convoluted for its own sake,and the plot made Kingdom Hearts look properly manageable. But,what I saw,each and every time,was unimaginable effort and love put into the games. I've been silently watching this Konami shitstorm,the slow-motion trainwreck that it is,and I've been shoutinf "FucKonami!" as loud as I could at the more insane things,like the game awards thing. Hideo Kojima (Who you guys should really reach out to for comment!) is an artist. What's more,he gets shit done,if you're willing to wait and pay. Good for you,Kojima! May your new endeavour be successful and awesome!
 

Shoggoth2588

New member
Aug 31, 2009
10,250
0
0
Coming Soon from Hideo Kojima:

Place of the Finalizers
Steel Equipment
Guillermo Del Toro's: Quiet Crests and,
Cyber-Cops

I can't wait to see what's going to come of this.
 

Callate

New member
Dec 5, 2008
5,118
0
0
Hopefully this is true; I think Kojima would be a good candidate for crowd-funded support, and I'm sure he has some interesting ideas that he hasn't been able to implement under his old contract. Even if they aren't all winners, at least they're bound to be interesting- and interesting ideas often seem to be in short supply.

But even assuming all of that pans out, I don't know if I'd put it past Konami version 6.66 to continue to try to harry him, especially if he does in fact hope to bring some or all of his old team with him. Contracts can be a tangled web of NDAs and non-compete clauses, and I don't trust them an inch at this point.
 

Naqel

New member
Nov 21, 2009
345
0
0
OuendanCyrus said:
And Konami will continue to insist that Kojima is on holiday while continuing to make bad decisions.
Didn't they already announce no more games, and classic franchise pachinko only?

Shoggoth2588 said:
Coming Soon from Hideo Kojima:
Steel Equipment
That got me good.
 

FalloutJack

Bah weep grah nah neep ninny bom
Nov 20, 2008
15,489
0
0
Areloch said:
If the new studio isn't called Outer Heaven, I'll be disappointed Mr. Kojima!
Kojima: That's right. I was Big Boss the entire time!

Oh, we can only hope... You tell 'em, Hideo. Hit them in the pachinko balls where it hurts!
 

Saltyk

Sane among the insane.
Sep 12, 2010
16,755
0
0
Ah, so finally some actual truth regarding Mr Kojima's fate. Also, it seems there is a reason he posted a picture with Mark Cerny, designer of the PS4, a couple months back.


Well, as a PS4 owner, I really hope he works out a good deal with Sony. I would love to see some of Hideo Kojima's madness hit the console. He's one of the only two people that I consider a "Rock Star" in the video game industry, Miyamoto is the other.

Listen Sony, don't screw this up. All you have to do is be a better business partner than Konami and have more respect for the man and his work. That really shouldn't be hard, all things considered.

Areloch said:
If the new studio isn't called Outer Heaven, I'll be disappointed Mr. Kojima!
Sadly, I expect that Outer Heaven is too closely associated with Metal Gear, which Konami owns. I highly doubt that Konami would allow Kojima to name his studio after something in Metal Gear. It would be awesome and perfect (no, seriously, kudos for that name suggestion), but I doubt it will come to pass.
 

IamLEAM1983

Neloth's got swag.
Aug 22, 2011
2,581
0
0
I think this calls for a video embed.

<youtube=usfiAsWR4qU>

Yes! Fucking yes! Fly free, Hideo! Go and make ridiculously convoluted and semi-interactive forms of social commentary on greener pastures!

We'll all stand there and point and laugh in Konami's direction, because they've lost everything! Fuck Konami!
 

sorsa

New member
Dec 19, 2011
71
0
0
Areloch said:
If the new studio isn't called Outer Heaven, I'll be disappointed Mr. Kojima!
Just thinking about it makes me giddy.

But don't suppose Kojima has access to anything in the MGS copyright bucket? How perverse considering the entire series is his precious brain child.

So glad he didn't get discouraged by the shitty treatment he got, part of me feared he might throw in the towel and spend the rest of his life on a tropical island.