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[Draugoth]

After the release of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, director Hideo Kojima ended up leaving Konami due to disagreements with the company, deciding to create his own studio, Kojima Productions.

The developer has already released its first game from its new studio, Death Stranding, and is now working on a sequel with Sony, in addition to the new OD horror franchise with Microsoft.

The reason why I am independent and advocate a life-long career is because for me, "creating things" is no longer a job. That's why there is no retirement. Creating things is living. One more thing. In the game industry, there are very few people who have succeeded in becoming independent from a major game production studio, whether in Japan or abroad. Even eight years ago, when I started my own company, I was opposed by everyone, including my peers, colleagues, and relatives, who said, "It will never work!”. They said it was impossible without the financial and organizational strength of a company. However, someone must prove that that is an old-fashioned way of thinking. Young creators must be given freedom of choice. This is one of the reasons why I continue to "create things”.

However, Kojima considers this an 'old-fashioned way of thinking'. His goal was to prove that these claims are not real and to show that developers can follow their own path. Talking about one day retiring, Kojima states that this is not part of his plans. For him, development is not just a job, but also his life, and he hopes to continue doing this until the end.

 

[R3TRO]

For some reason I don’t believe that.

 

[bender]

Everyone except me.

 

[Dis]

Everyone except me.

Everyone except Sony

 

[Punished Miku]

He got very lucky to basically be treated as a first party studio with access to advanced game engines and funding for extensive marketing, multiple expensive trailers, and celebrity actors. He earned it, but nothing about his new studio is really comparable to other independent studios. Even other top tier developers like Cliff Blezinski, Itagaki, Platinum Games, and more have struggled to get consistent funding like Kojima got. Even Kojima had a canceled project through Stadia that luckily got sold to MS.

Independent is a gamble like anything else. Can be good or can be the end of your career. Itagaki was screwed before a single game could even come out with THQ imploding. And then MS foolishly let him die without any help despite tons of support for Xbox consoles.

Mikami spent years basically making more Resident Evil when he could have almost surely accomplished more at Capcom.

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

Wow. I didn't read but i bet its some self-indulgent statement.
Let's go!!!!!

 

[Skifi28]

"This tweet was written, edited and approved by Kojima."

 

[Bartski]

hero

 

[proandrad]

Poor Kojima absolutely no one believes in him. It’s a miracle he finds funding for his games. I mean, this is like Tom Brady thinking he’s still the underdog after 6 Super Bowls.

 

[The artful mincer]

He got very lucky to basically be treated as a first party studio with access to advanced game engines and funding for extensive marketing, multiple expensive trailers, and celebrity actors. He earned it, but nothing about his new studio is really comparable to other independent studios. Even other top tier developers like Cliff Blezinski, Itagaki, Platinum Games, and more have struggled to get consistent funding like Kojima got. Even Kojima had a canceled project through Stadia that luckily got sold to MS.

Independent is a gamble like anything else. Can be good or can be the end of your career. Itagaki was screwed before a single game could even come out with THQ imploding. And then MS foolishly let him die without any help despite tons of support for Xbox consoles.

Mikami spent years basically making more Resident Evil when he could have almost surely accomplished more at Capcom.

If he earned how can it be called luck. Backing Kojima is such a no brainer.

 

[SJRB]

Kojima my dude, what the fuck are you talking about?

Dude got an insane financial injection from Sony and they literally gave him their proprietary engine plus technical support staff to make his game. What the fuck are you talking about, "people were against it," you got everything handed to you.

Getting real tired of this guy's narcissism.

 

[Punished Miku]

If he earned how can it be called luck. Backing Kojima is such no brainer.

Timing and opportunity are always partially luck. Itagaki earned it too, making several of the best games on Xbox and he got shit for it. Mikami made one of the best shooters ever at Sega but it never sold well or got marketing. Luck.

 

[rofif]

what?
Everyone cheered him doing that.
And everyone wanted to invest

 

[Thirty7ven]

Lmao

Dude is being backed by Sony and MS and is out there saying “I did it on my own without the help of a big company”

What a prick

 

[BennyBlanco]

Kojima is the Gene Simmons of the games industry. This guy is so up his own ass it’s absurd.

 

[AeonGaidenRaiden]

"ended up leaving the company" lol more like getting fired.

 

[Mr Hyde]

He does have a point. Not many creators are successful by going independent, not even big ones like Shinji Mikami or Hideki Kamiya has really knocked it out of the park with their new studios. Hironobo Sakaguchi was probably THE biggest video game producer in the late nineties, but after leaving Square and forming Mistwalker he faded away and became irrelevant. Same with Cliff Blezinski who was arguably at the top of the world at Epic crafting Gears of War. And now Shinji Mikami has left Tango and Kamiya has left Platinum. But I disagree Kojima didn't have any help setting up his own studio. Sony basically threw themselves at him after he split with Konami. Not many video game creators have that opportunity.

 

[StealthGoblin]

Yeah I imagine being bankrolled by Sony and using their technology is an option open to everyone.

 

[Kilau]

Kojima when "everyone" told him no:

 

[Dick Jones]

Andrew House threw money at Hideo in the hope Kojima failed? Guerrilla giving their engine to him for fuck all and on top of it naming that engine on the Dutch Japanese trading history.

Hideo may be close to OD with whatever drugs he's taking.

 

[MagiusNecros]

Who is "everyone" and if he likes creating things why doesn't he do it for free? Or just become a indie dev?

 

[mansoor1980]

cant wait for his biography with hollywood adaptation

hideo kojima..................against all odds

 

[tomato shrub]

I wonder how this dude will react once the first reviews for the Death Stranding movie come in from people that aren't lulled in gamers or puppets like Keighley. He'll probably throw the director under the bus and claim that they didn't understand his genius.

 

[ckaneo]

DJ Khaled voice lol

 

[tomato shrub]

cant wait for his biography with hollywood adaptation

hideo kojima..................against all odds

huh, are you talking about Hideo Kojima: CONNECTING WORLDS, the Hideo Kojima made documentary about the mind of Hideo Kojima?

 

[The artful mincer]

Timing and opportunity are always partially luck. Itagaki earned it too, making several of the best games on Xbox and he got shit for it. Mikami made one of the best shooters ever at Sega but it never sold well or got marketing. Luck.

Well luck is always important to some degree. Itagaki games were never commercially successful and honestly Mikami has never really had commercial success outside of Resident Evil. Metal Gear is alot more tied to Kojima than Resident evil ever was to Mikami.

I dunno there's few names bigger than Kojima in the Games industry. If Sony didn't support him someone elese would have.

 

[ShadowLag]

Even eight years ago, when I started my own company, I was opposed by everyone, including my peers, colleagues, and relatives, who said, "It will never work!”. They said it was impossible without the financial and organizational strength of a company.

 

[March Climber]

For some reason I don’t believe that.

Who is "everyone" and if he likes creating things why doesn't he do it for free? Or just become a indie dev?

Here's what he said regarding that part:

Even eight years ago, when I started my own company, I was opposed by everyone, including my peers, colleagues, and relatives, who said, "It will never work!”.

People saying 'it won't work' or 'you can't do it' to others with big ambitions is a tale as old as time itself. If anyone here ever find yourself in this situation, keep a keen eye on which people are saying this because they are worried about you and which people are saying it because they don't want you to succeed more than they are.

 

[darrylgorn]

And they were proven right, apparently.

 

[Flutta]

Nvm.

 

[ungalo]

I don't like the current Kojima and his games don't interest me anymore but i do think the lack of independant studios of a certain size is what's missing in the current industry. Good for him to have manage to survive on his own.

 

[Impotaku]

Kojima when "everyone" told him no:

Soyjima

 

[adamsapple]

'They told me no, so I put my fucking name in MGSV like 2000 times'

 

[Flutta]

People saying 'it won't work' or 'you can't do it' to others with big ambitions is a tale as old as time itself. If anyone here ever find yourself in this situation, keep a keen eye on which people are saying this because they are worried about you and which people are saying it because they don't want you to succeed more than they are.

This is sadly true. So many dreams and ambitions gets crushed because of peoples own insecurities and negativity that they project on others.

Still find it weird that Kojima of all people got these types of comments…

 

[March Climber]

This is sadly true. So many dreams and ambitions gets crushed because of peoples own insecurities and negativity that they project on others.

Still find it weird that Kojima of all people got these types of comments…

You'd be surprised. Anyone at any level of income or prestige will still get comments like this even if they've already had successes before. Some others simply can't envision what's next for them other than the person they already see in front of them.

 

[Yoda]

Really struggling to see who'd be doing this? Like given his constant "This is my last MGS" during the development of 3, Peacewalker, 4, and 5. It was clear he was throwing shade at Konami the entire time. Would someone close in his orbit be like "Bro this next corporate job will be different!"...?

 

[Mibu no ookami]

Kojima already had his own team at Konami and presumably most left with him and had the instant backing of Sony and as others mentioned access to an engine off the rip.

Most independent studios don't have that. They have to do heavy recruiting, people have to get to know each other, learn how to work together. Put an engine together, find a publisher, make sure their game is within budget.

That he ignores all of that is pretty laughable. Dude is highly conceited.

Sony only did that because of the respect they have for him in making Metal Gear which helped put PlayStation on the map multiple times. I do recall word of this ruffling feathers internally though. I think Sony had hoped they'd be able to buy Kojima Productions. I think the relationship ends when Death Stranding 2 doesn't perform nearly as well as the first game, unless it is a major departure from the first game or the Death Stranding movie is a huge hit.

 

[Men_in_Boxes]

"They hate him cuz they ain't him" has never been truer when it comes to Kojima and his detractors.

 

[MagiusNecros]

People saying 'it won't work' or 'you can't do it' to others with big ambitions is a tale as old as time itself. If anyone here ever find yourself in this situation, keep a keen eye on which people are saying this because they are worried about you and which people are saying it because they don't want you to succeed more than they are.

Probably had staff that didn't share his vision and only wanted to build things that "worked" instead of being more "experimental". Although I kind of think Kojima has only really been good at making "movies" and not actual games.

I think the question becomes could Kojima branch out and make his own great games or will he become a Inafune and fade into obscurity.

 

[Gojiira]

Yeah really needs a caveat there. Playstation 100% believed in him, funding not only his new studio, but also first game AND provided a game engine, alongside technical support and marketing…Thats a LOT of belief…

 

[Dick Jones]

Does Kojima think the crowd booed him when Geoff Keighley announced at the Game Awards years ago that Konami wouldn't allow Kojima attend the show?

 

[Thick Thighs Save Lives]

 

[ÆMNE22A!C]

Thanks for posting.

Hideo still King

 

[Arsic]

huh, are you talking about Hideo Kojima: CONNECTING WORLDS, the Hideo Kojima made documentary about the mind of Hideo Kojima?

Holy shit I had no clue this was a thing.

Can’t wait to watch this in my death stranding shirt and metal gear solid hoodie.

I’d suck a fart out of this man’s ass. I’m currently replaying MGS2 and it’s still leagues ahead of the shit we get shoveled out every month by studios these days.

Man may be looney tunes and huffing his own farts but he doesn’t miss. Entire career of winning while GAF hating.

 

[T4keD0wN]

I didnt think i could find him more annoying, but then he does this and overcomes my expectations, truly the genius everyone claims he is.

 

[Reizo Ryuu]

 

[Big Baller]

 

[killatopak]

I don’t doubt that a lot of people told him that. Negative stuff fills up your perception especially at stressing times that you tend to ignore positive energy directed your way.

He did get contacted by Sony and welcomed with a red carpet though so I doubt he felt that way for long.

 

[Gambit2483]

It's been 8 years and he's made one semi successful game...I thought Japan valued humbleness and modesty?

 

[VolticArchangel]

Wow. I didn't read but i bet its some self-indulgent statement.
Let's go!!!!!