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[IbizaPocholo]

Hideo Kojima Nearly Quit After Metal Gear Solid 2

Auteur game director Hideo Kojima goes into detail of the pressure to quit Konami around the time of releasing Metal Gear Solid 2.

gamerant.com

In a recent interview, famed video game director, Hideo Kojima discussed the pressure and complications of releasing Metal Gear Solid 2 in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and how he almost quit Konami because of it. Metal Gear Solid 2’s ending had to be severely edited to avoid parallels from the tragic real world events.

In his interview with IGN, Hideo Kojima went into detail about how the devastating terrorist attack spelled uncertainty for the game and the team behind it. "9/11 took place in 2001 right before the release of Metal Gear Solid 2. We'd just sent off the master, but the game featured both the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. It seemed impossible to release the game," Kojima explained to IGN.

Kojima said he considered quitting in light of the situation, but Konami founder Kagemasa Kozuki spoke to him and said, "When this game comes out and society has their say about it, they'll be talking about you, its creator, and me, the person who sold it. I doubt they'll say anything about anyone else. What will you do? I'm ready for whatever happens." It is unclear if Kozumi was referring to negative feedback, or praise for the forward-thinking, future predictions in Metal Gear Solid 2’s complex narrative. The certainty of the chairman was enough to persuade Kojima to hold on and continue work, however.

Kojima continues to say how much he learned from his time at Konami and the rarity of being both on the creative and business side of things in such a large company. He also talks about the importance for passionate creatives to be their own producers and strive for their vision, mentioning that Hidetaka Miyazaki in FromSoftware is working hard in that regard. With both being considered auteurs in the game industry, it makes sense to see parallels between the two, and for fans to have interest in a director’s cut of Elden Ring.

 

[AeonGaidenRaiden]

I mean this is well known for years. He wanted to quit after 2, then let his team work on MGS 3 but Mr. Ego realized that 100 people together are not on par with his ideas so he came back, then he took his first acid strip and made MGS4 which he also bitched and moaned that he has to make. Ive never seen someone hate their own franchise so much but he keeps making them. Which is why when he got the sack, I actually am glad someone else would work on a MGS 6, that actually wants to be there and make it the best they can.

 

[brian0057]

He should've.

 

[March Climber]

He should've.

 

[Jonnie_Darko]

He always wanted to resign until he got fired.

 

[Reizo Ryuu]

he should've quit in 1987

 

[The Fartist]

I mean this is well known for years. He wanted to quit after 2, then let his team work on MGS 3 but Mr. Ego realized that 100 people together are not on par with his ideas so he came back, then he took his first acid strip and made MGS4 which he also bitched and moaned that he has to make. Ive never seen someone hate their own franchise so much but he keeps making them. Which is why when he got the sack, I actually am glad someone else would work on a MGS 6, that actually wants to be there and make it the best they can.

What's an acid strip?

Is that, like, when you strip on acid?

 

[SlimeGooGoo]

.

 

[Arachnid]

Thank god he didn't. GOAT

 

[Thebonehead]

I almost quit mgs after Psycho mantis.

How was it obvious that you had to switch controller ports?

 

[begotten]

Should have quit after MGS3. He hasn't done anything special or adapted to the modern era - and no, PT was all Del Toro.

 

[Imtjnotu]

snake eater was his last good game.

yes i said it.

 

[K2D]

I mean this is well known for years. He wanted to quit after 2, then let his team work on MGS 3 but Mr. Ego realized that 100 people together are not on par with his ideas so he came back, then he took his first acid strip and made MGS4 which he also bitched and moaned that he has to make. Ive never seen someone hate their own franchise so much but he keeps making them. Which is why when he got the sack, I actually am glad someone else would work on a MGS 6, that actually wants to be there and make it the best they can.

If you've made tactical espionage games all of your adult life and can't even be allowed to make a simple horror side show on the in-between's, I'd be longing to quit too..

But this was in Japan. A work culture totally and fully alien to most of us.

Before the advent of social media or creatives networking with each other in the matter of seconds.

He couldn't just quit his job and expect to continue his creative endeavors in some other company..

So is it obvious that I think we're not giving him enough slack yet?

 

[dotnotbot]

snake eater was his last good game.

yes i said it.

I felt like only the ending was good and the rest was meh and way too over the top.

So good idea for the story but poor execution. Typical Kojimbo.

 

[AeonGaidenRaiden]

What's an acid strip?

Is that, like, when you strip on acid?

I didnt wanna say acid TRIP, so I meant the strip..small piece of paper that acid is soaked in.

 

[AeonGaidenRaiden]

If you've made tactical espionage games all of your adult life and can't even be allowed to make a simple horror side show on the in-between's, I'd be longing to quit too..

But this was in Japan. A work culture totally and fully alien to most of us.

Before the advent of social media or creatives networking with each other in the matter of seconds.

He couldn't just quit his job and expect to continue his creative endeavors in some other company..

So is it obvious that I think we're not giving him enough slack yet?

Well I was never on the #Fuckkonami train because if anyone watched making of MGS4 and then also MGS5.....the dude has a full voiceover done, pages of text and decides just before the game goes GOLD to change the script and bring in new voice actors. On MGS5 they paid so much royalty on all these famous songs yet not even half was used so money just thrown out. Keiff Sutherland....why??? He said like 10 sentences in the whole game yet they paid him a fortune compared to David. So it made sense he got the sack because if you think as a business company, Konami was dealing with this shit for a long time. They are a corporation and need to make max profit. It was easy for him to throw other peoples money around. P.T. being done in secret isnt a problem, problem is it was put out as a demo while he is employed by Konami without their support. So again, I dont think this was so much how could Konami fire him, it was more him knowing he would get fired for this and that was his ticket out. I mean if you work for someone you do what they say, I cant keep bitching about my boss because if I really knew i could make it myself, Id just open my own business and not answer to anyone.

His ego just ballooned after MGS2 and thought he was bigger than the whole company. Unfortunately his stupid statements, him talking in third person, pretending to not understand or speak english and make himself sound like he is the only one that made the game never stopped.

 

[The Fartist]

I didnt wanna say acid TRIP, so I meant the strip..small piece of paper that acid is soaked in.

Oh, you mean blotter, if Kojima took a whole strip of blotter then he's a bigger man than I am and would explain a lot

 

[TrueLegend]

Haters gonna hate. Kojima is still elevating the medium. He just comes off as a caricature on social media because people using social media love caricatures and he is OG in being caricature. So when Seth Everyman does it, it's cool but when Kojima does it, it's bad. Fuck no. Wake me up when Kojima starts making games that stutters and has narrow alley problems or something. He took Decima and made a game that looked better than what Guerrilla Games did. Guy can do whatever he wants as long as he is putting his all in it.

 

[Physiognomonics]

Yes he had done interviews just after 2 where he already wanted to quit. I actually vividly remember reading such an interview. He also wanted to find another person to continue doing MGS games. Back then he was already tired doing it.

I think Kojima is overrated anyways. I think most of the things I like in his games (gameplay, realistic graphics, stealth gameplay) is actually done mainly by his team, and the rest I don't like (nonsensical story and characters) are Kojima's creation.

In the interview according to him his main work on MGS2 was writing the story of the game. In another interview about 3, I remember him saying that he wanted to be surprised by his team about the realistic graphics of the game, again, his main job was the script / story at the beginning and doing cutscenes while directing the game.

 

[Cyborg]

He should have stopped after MGS3. Everything after that is just bat shit crazy, MGS4 and V are the only games I have never replayed after finishing them.

 

[YCoCg]

He should have stopped after MGS3. Everything after that is just bat shit crazy, MGS4 and V are the only games I have never replayed after finishing them.

Ahh so you mean he should've stopped when Tomokazu Fukushima stopped being his co-writer?

 

[Spaceman292]

He tried to quit after every MGS game

 

[ahtlas7]

This guy is video games tabloid fodder.

 

[begotten]

Well I was never on the #Fuckkonami train because if anyone watched making of MGS4 and then also MGS5.....the dude has a full voiceover done, pages of text and decides just before the game goes GOLD to change the script and bring in new voice actors. On MGS5 they paid so much royalty on all these famous songs yet not even half was used so money just thrown out. Keiff Sutherland....why??? He said like 10 sentences in the whole game yet they paid him a fortune compared to David. So it made sense he got the sack because if you think as a business company, Konami was dealing with this shit for a long time. They are a corporation and need to make max profit. It was easy for him to throw other peoples money around. P.T. being done in secret isnt a problem, problem is it was put out as a demo while he is employed by Konami without their support. So again, I dont think this was so much how could Konami fire him, it was more him knowing he would get fired for this and that was his ticket out. I mean if you work for someone you do what they say, I cant keep bitching about my boss because if I really knew i could make it myself, Id just open my own business and not answer to anyone.

His ego just ballooned after MGS2 and thought he was bigger than the whole company. Unfortunately his stupid statements, him talking in third person, pretending to not understand or speak english and make himself sound like he is the only one that made the game never stopped.

A lot of truth here. Kojima was a careless clown during the development of MGSV. Konami should have just fucked him off and cancelled TPP after GZ.

 

[BabyYoda]

The guy probably has a giant ego and I didn't like any of the MGS series (except Ground Zeroes weirdly).

But I'm bloody loving Death Stranding right now, so may he be allowed to continue with his obvious eccentric genius!

 

[NeoIkaruGAF]

I almost quit mgs after Psycho mantis.

How was it obvious that you had to switch controller ports?

Colonel told you after he’d seen you fumbling around long enough.
MGS is probably the reason certain games spoil the solution of a puzzle for you before you even realize there’s a puzzle. The PTSD from Psycho Mantis is strong and long-lasting.

 

[TVexperto]

wonder who would be best friends with geoff in this alternate timeline

 

[Soodanim]

I mean this is well known for years. He wanted to quit after 2, then let his team work on MGS 3 but Mr. Ego realized that 100 people together are not on par with his ideas so he came back, then he took his first acid strip and made MGS4 which he also bitched and moaned that he has to make. Ive never seen someone hate their own franchise so much but he keeps making them. Which is why when he got the sack, I actually am glad someone else would work on a MGS 6, that actually wants to be there and make it the best they can.

What you said doesn't really match up with the article. It isn't about him not wanting to work on titles after 2 and getting death threats, it's about considering quitting before 2 was released because of 9/11's effect on the game's ending.

 

[GymWolf]

Post death stranding is also a good moment to quit tbh.

 

[Bloobs]

He did quit. We've been fooled by an AI controlled clone ever since.

 

[64bitmodels]

His ego just ballooned after MGS2 and thought he was bigger than the whole company.

he is
the moment he left konami immediately started going on a downward spiral. no games, shitty business practices, fanbase down the gutter, everything they made after mgs5 is pretty much just mediocre trash. the only division of them that has any value is bemani.

 

[AeonGaidenRaiden]

he is
the moment he left konami immediately started going on a downward spiral. no games, shitty business practices, fanbase down the gutter, everything they made after mgs5 is pretty much just mediocre trash. the only division of them that has any value is bemani.

That is if you think Konami is MGS only. The company has 10-20+ IPs very well known and Kojima had nothing to do with them which all bring the profit at the end of each year. This was no secret, the company was shifting towards a more profitable area with pachinko machines, no matter what we gamers thought of it. You say they went to shit, go look up Konami's profits, they have been sky high since they kicked that clown because as I said they are there to make money, not to waste it away on some over the top creative vision. The fanbase well, again they are here to make money and are making it now. The fanbase never owned a business, hell half the people havent even gotten their first job yet. You tell me, not as an owner but even as a manager...if one of your staff is responsible for constantly breaking budget caps. Are you going to stay silent? No, you kick him off the team.

Instead of looking at him as some "god" that made a game, look at him as an employee. Also its not him, hsi whole team made those games. Kojima didnt write a script, program the game, do character creation, imagined locations, design animations and render the cutscenes all by himself. If anything he is mainly responsible for story and that story would be a nonsensical dud as it mostly is but his team makes crazy ass shit look awesome so it saves the day. He is the Steve Jobs of gaming, he is there to sell you a product without knowing too much how its made but will ask for it to happen. Then he makes you believe how he did it all, a guy that says he cant speak English, any interview of his that is translated is so simplistic yet HE came up with the most deep-story driven exposition and one liners that will never be forgotten lol. Stop dreaming.

 

[Bakkus]

He always wanted to resign until he got fired.

Technically, he didn't. It's really hard to fire someone in Japan, so Konami purposefully made his work life hell in order to get him to resign.

 

[SJRB]

Kojima's disdain for MGS is very well documented.

MGS2 was his magnum opus, but he was forced back to work on MGS3 because the team he appointed to continue the series just couldn't get it done. After MGS3 he wanted to quit again but was forced back once again for MGS4 [not in the least after receiving literal death threats] and it starts the decline of the series' quality.

MGS4-era Kojima was deeply depressed and his mental state is rooted in the game's narrative and symbolism. They also had a ton of problems on the technical level which made development even more frustrating for him [and the rest of the team]. You can literally see the decline in the game, where every chapter gets progressively smaller in scale, with smaller levels and less gameplay mechanics and systems in play. The final chapter is literally Snake walking through a hallway.

Peace Walker got some of his spirits up and it shows because it's a tight, well thought-out and focused experience.

Ground Zeroes is where Kojima got his second wind. He was enjoying himself again, interviews were optimistic and the game itself was really great. Story was good, the level design was great, a lot of attention to details and game systems in place. It was still a step back in many ways, not in the least the complete lack of Codec, and it being replaced by listening to never-ending cassette tapes.

And then came MGSV, which is Kojima seeing what he could get away with before Konami slapped some sense into him and forced him out. A terrible game through and through, compared to the standards the MGS franchise was once known for.

 

[DeepEnigma]

he should've quit in 1987

 

[Clear]

Its amazing how despite not liking his games, some folks seem compelled to comment on every word that he says... most strange.

Also, the truth that Kojima is skirting around is that unless a director has the swing of an executive producer, its hard to actually execute on their vision without major compromise - especially when budgets get above a certain level.

 

[Shut0wen]

If you've made tactical espionage games all of your adult life and can't even be allowed to make a simple horror side show on the in-between's, I'd be longing to quit too..

But this was in Japan. A work culture totally and fully alien to most of us.

Before the advent of social media or creatives networking with each other in the matter of seconds.

He couldn't just quit his job and expect to continue his creative endeavors in some other company..

So is it obvious that I think we're not giving him enough slack yet?

You do realise silent hills was still a third person stealth game with horror elements, konami never sacked him over silent hills but sacked him for going way over budget for mgs5 because he literally couldnt think of a story good enough for the game but agreed to make the game anyways so that he could make his own engine which he literally used once

 

[solidus12]

It seems like these new Kojima threads have replaced the Phil Spencer ones.

 

[AtomicStarving]

It makes me want play MGSV again. Yes, I played MGSV for almost 700 hours. Game is fucking amazing. Gameplay is fire!

 

[The Cockatrice]

Thank god he didn't. GOAT

 

[K2D]

Well I was never on the #Fuckkonami train

Jebus! - That is a lot to unpack. Reading your whole reply, I can see your tooting the corporate horn. Well here goes..

because if anyone watched making of MGS4 and then also MGS5.....the dude has a full voiceover done, pages of text and decides just before the game goes GOLD to change the script and bring in new voice actors.

You'll have to flesh out the detail here, because I'm not familiar with this story.

On MGS5 they paid so much royalty on all these famous songs yet not even half was used so money just thrown out.

Loved it. Also..

Keiff Sutherland....why??? He said like 10 sentences in the whole game yet they paid him a fortune compared to David.

Malicious comlience maybe. Creatively though I can't disagree with having another voice actor for Venom.

So it made sense he got the sack because if you think as a business company, Konami was dealing with this shit for a long time.

And you sing their praises with how they "dealt" with it?

They are a corporation and need to make max profit. It was easy for him to throw other peoples money around.

I don't think you are able to place your self in his position being forced on a set path for over a decade without any agency.

P.T. being done in secret isnt a problem, problem is it was put out as a demo while he is employed by Konami without their support.

PT wasn't a demo, but teaser, a pitch and a passion project. One that received rave praise which they easily could have supported if they weren't such bags of dicks.

So again, I dont think this was so much how could Konami fire him, it was more him knowing he would get fired for this and that was his ticket out.

I don't think people are "how could they fire him" as much as how can they be so evil (if you follow the course of events)

I mean if you work for someone you do what they say, I cant keep bitching about my boss because if I really knew i could make it myself, Id just open my own business and not answer to anyone.

Difference between Japan and the west. You can't /couldn't just up and quit a company and not get ostracized in your industry.

His ego just ballooned after MGS2 and thought he was bigger than the whole company. Unfortunately his stupid statements, him talking in third person, pretending to not understand or speak english and make himself sound like he is the only one that made the game never stopped.

Now it just sounds like you have an agenda against him. What is you problem with a non-native speaker using a translater in a work related environment? He is spearheading his projects, ego is most likely a requirement when presenting your games.

You do realise silent hills was still a third person stealth game with horror elements, konami never sacked him over silent hills but sacked him for going way over budget for mgs5 because he literally couldnt think of a story good enough for the game but agreed to make the game anyways so that he could make his own engine which he literally used once

Silent Hills was never even in development. What's your source on all this? "Dude trust me"..? I agree that the fallout was due to MGSV, but I don't think he had much choice in matter.

I mean this is well known for years. He wanted to quit after 2, then let his team work on MGS 3 but Mr. Ego realized that 100 people together are not on par with his ideas so he came back, then he took his first acid strip and made MGS4 which he also bitched and moaned that he has to make. Ive never seen someone hate their own franchise so much but he keeps making them. Which is why when he got the sack, I actually am glad someone else would work on a MGS 6, that actually wants to be there and make it the best they can.

I don't think you quite realize his only choice to be a creative in the field was to do as Konami told him. It was either make more MGS or get the boot. Getting fired in Japan would be a death sentence to his career. Shit move by Konami really.

 

[bentanchorbolt]

MGS2 when it launched was the last Kojima game I put any time into. I beat it, and the ending was so convoluted between Raiden and everyone else, that I had no more desire to play his games. After reading about MGSV and the sniper that is allergic to clothing or whatever, yeah thats gonna be a pass on his games.

 

[Thabass]

Should have quit after MGS3. He hasn't done anything special or adapted to the modern era - and no, PT was all Del Toro.

After playing DS...this doesn't make Del Toro any better. lol

 

[NeonGhost]

It makes me want play MGSV again. Yes, I played MGSV for almost 700 hours. Game is fucking amazing. Gameplay is fire!

Except the story is complete shit

 

[Killer8]

I almost quit mgs after Psycho mantis.

How was it obvious that you had to switch controller ports?

 

[Shut0wen]

Jebus! - That is a lot to unpack. Reading your whole reply, I can see your tooting the corporate horn. Well here goes..


You'll have to flesh out the detail here, because I'm not familiar with this story.


Loved it. Also..


Malicious comlience maybe. Creatively though I can't disagree with having another voice actor for Venom.


And you sing their praises with how they "dealt" with it?


I don't think you are able to place your self in his position being forced on a set path for over a decade without any agency.


PT wasn't a demo, but teaser, a pitch and a passion project. One that received rave praise which they easily could have supported if they weren't such bags of dicks.


I don't think people are "how could they fire him" as much as how can they be so evil (if you follow the course of events)


Difference between Japan and the west. You can't /couldn't just up and quit a company and not get ostracized in your industry.


Now it just sounds like you have an agenda against him. What is you problem with a non-native speaker using a translater in a work related environment? He is spearheading his projects, ego is most likely a requirement when presenting your games.




Silent Hills was never even in development. What's your source on all this? "Dude trust me"..? I agree that the fallout was due to MGSV, but I don't think he had much choice in matter.



I don't think you quite realize his only choice to be a creative in the field was to do as Konami told him. It was either make more MGS or get the boot. Getting fired in Japan would be a death sentence to his career. Shit move by Konami really.

Game was in development in 2012 del toro said himself that it was a third person game with kojima elements I.E stealth since thats all he can come up with, it also went into full production in 2014

 

[K2D]

Game was in development in 2012 del toro said himself that it was a third person game with kojima elements I.E stealth since thats all he can come up with, it also went into full production in 2014

Source? Yes, I've read/heard him mentioning SH would be a 3rd person game. That pertains to pre-production stage.

*There's no way a Silent Hills game was in 'full production' while Konami shipped a MGSV in the shape it was in.

Edit: (*)I'm communicating disbelief that it is even possible considering the state of MGSV.. Though the term full production could be thrown around loosely. A game could be anywhere from 20-30 to 80 percent done and be 'in full production'.. in development hell or even perpetual pre-production.

I'm guess it's not unlikely they where transition into full production when they shut it down.

 

[IbizaPocholo]

 

[dotnotbot]

All of the 511 VR missions would be something

 

[KOMANI]

you know theres a community thread, right? weird bumping an old thread with something unrelated.