Report: Kojima to leave Konami After Metal Gear Solid 5 Releases

An anoymous source claims that Hideo Kojima is likely to leave Konami after the completion of Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain.

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An insider claims that Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima is on his way out, following rumors that circulated this morning.

A source inside Konami reportedly claims that these rumors are tied to an apparent in-house power struggle between the Metal Gear team and Konami, characterized by the senior staff's restricted access to internet, email, and phone. Additionally, Kojima will have limited opportunities to appear in Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain promotions. It is also said that the entire MGS development team are essentially working as contractors, not full time staff, which could mean that the entire management team will disband shortly after the Phantom Pain project is completed.

The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, states: "After we finish MGSV, Mr. Kojima and upper management will leave Konami. They said their contract ends in December."

It's looking like these reports might be true, as Konami has begun removing the Kojima Productions logo from all official Metal Gear art, along with the Twitter and official Metal Gear websites. Hideo Kojima himself was taken off the Konami's executive team. Fans noticed the missing art which began the speculation.

A statement from Konami on the matter states:

"As we have already announced, we are shifting our production structure to a headquarters-controlled system, in order to establish a steadfast operating base capable of responding to the rapid market changes that surround our digital entertainment business. Konami Digital Entertainment (including Mr. Kojima), will continue to develop and support Metal Gear products. Please look forward to future announcements."

Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain is expected to release in September for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and PC.

SourceGamespot

Managing Editor
From The Chatty
  • reply
    March 19, 2015 11:20 AM

    Steven Wong posted a new article, Report: Kojima to leave Konami After Metal Gear Solid 5 Releases

    • reply
      March 19, 2015 11:52 AM

      : O

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      March 19, 2015 12:20 PM

      Holy crap... quick Nintendo! Grab him and the former capcom dudes behind Mighty No. 9 (Mega Man) and Evil Within (Resident Evil.)

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        March 19, 2015 12:27 PM

        I can't see Kojima ever tying himself to the weakest tech.

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        March 19, 2015 3:53 PM

        Both Shinji Mikami and Keiji Inafune have their own independent studios right now where they want to act more as executives grooming a new generation of talent, vs. doing hands on game direction/production. Kojima has also mentioned he wanted to move in this direction.

        What does it all mean? I think it just means these dudes want to own studios, and grow them into strong entities that could support multiple titles in development, published by various publishers as it suits, along the lines of what Atlus and From have done for years, and what Platinum and Grasshopper have had a bit more limited success with.

        Is it realistic to think all these guys can create enough IP, find enough talent and source enough funding to all be viable? I am not so sure about that, but you never know. It's the ultimate end result of the Japanese game auteur environment. I have to agree it'd be better for all of them to join forces in a super group rather than each pursuing the same efforts individually.

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      March 19, 2015 12:32 PM

      [deleted]

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        March 19, 2015 3:25 PM

        If Silent Hills never becomes a thing there will be blood in the fuckin streets

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        March 19, 2015 4:01 PM

        ah...oh man forgot he was attached to that one

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          March 19, 2015 4:36 PM

          Honestly, I would have preferred Toyama to be brought back for Silent Hills over Kojima (as much as I respect Kojima). He just knows how to do horror better than pretty much anyone else out there. Whether Sony Japan Studio would ever lend him out is questionable, though.

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          March 19, 2015 4:42 PM

          Del Toro - ruiner of good horror concepts. If Silent Hills falls apart, I'm blaming his arse.

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        March 20, 2015 9:50 AM

        Im really worried about this.. was looking forward to the new Silent Hills.. It'll also been the 2nd game canned that Del Toro was working on. Dudes never gonna get a game out at this rate..

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      March 19, 2015 12:35 PM

      Very sad news. Why are publishers so evil?

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      March 19, 2015 12:40 PM

      If some bean-counting asswad kicked Kojima out to gain control of Metal Gear, Konami have essentially committed seppuku. The cult around him will not tolerate a non-Kojima Metal Gear, especially if this betrayal bullshit is true.

      And it will probably mean the end for Silent Hills. Enthusiasm has been low, this will kill it.

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      March 19, 2015 12:43 PM

      oh no thats a weird situation, cause even if kojima makes a new company with his people, they cant touch the MGS license.

      remember when konami made cool games like contra and castlevania

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      March 19, 2015 1:01 PM

      Didn't he say after MGS3 that he was done making Metal Gear games? I guess this is more believable but I'll believe it when the next MGS6 is done and he has not involvement.

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        March 19, 2015 1:03 PM

        I thought that was after 4, since that's the one that wrapped up Solid Snake's storyline.

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      March 19, 2015 1:07 PM

      [deleted]

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        March 19, 2015 4:06 PM

        I feel like those 2 and maybe Masahiro Sakurai, if given free creative control and budget, would probably make something really cool.

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      March 19, 2015 2:54 PM

      I'm guessing that Konami told him to start work on MGS6 and he told them to fuck off. Konami isn't doing super great with finances and MGS is a cash freaking cow for them.

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        March 19, 2015 4:45 PM

        I remember reading somewhere that MGS was one of Konami's only remaining game IPs. I might have heard that on the Giant Bombcast.

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          March 20, 2015 2:17 AM

          Yeah, I remember something like that, along the lines of all Konami has is MGS and Castlevania at this point, which is really messed up.

          Seems like a lot of the classic old-school Japanese developers are having some kinda problems. Nintendo, Konami, Capcom..Sega-Sammy I think as well? Square survived thanks to the Enix merger and the EA-like gobbling up of other companies like Eidos (I guess they learned something from that deal they had during the Playstation era, eh? Remember Square-EA and the reciprocal EA-Square?). And lord knows how many other smaller developers like Treasure I'm forgetting.

          Maybe Nintendo should sink some of their alleged massive cash reserves into buying Japanese developers that are on hard times and unifying a lot of the Japanese game development base under the Nintendo banner, like how Activision and EA have done here in the US. That might make for an interesting comeback for the eternal West VS. East game development struggle.

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      March 19, 2015 4:30 PM

      Kojima is a huge fan of saying and doing crazy things to get attention near a MGS games release/announcement. I will believe it when it happens, and IIRC he has claimed to MGS3 and MGS4 were his last games, and probably did the same for MGS2 but i dont remember.

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        March 20, 2015 4:48 AM

        This isn't coming from Kojima.

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        March 20, 2015 9:49 AM

        ya, pretty sure this isnt a kojima "act" The whole April 1st thing just points to the start of their fiscal year.

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      March 19, 2015 5:01 PM

      [deleted]

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      March 20, 2015 2:09 AM

      Any bets on how long it'll be till the whole series is rebooted?

      I bet immediately after Phantom Pain ships Konami starts working on a new "Metal Gear" game featuring Solid Snake and is a complete reboot ala JJ's Star Trek reboot. And then they'll be two separate Metal Gear universes/franchises and everything will be even more convoluted as the cycle begins anew.

      I just want the original Metal Gear Solid theme back, goddamnit. >:(

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      March 20, 2015 10:34 AM

      Internal leak reveals Konami's near future plans: https://twitter.com/tortoiseontour/status/578942729612316672

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        March 20, 2015 11:40 AM

        haha shit I didnt see your post

    • reply
      March 20, 2015 11:29 AM

      just leaving this here

      http://imgur.com/fULPzm8

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