Nikkei reported earlier today that Hideo Kojima is officially opening his own game studio, and he won’t be doing it alone. Kojima is reportedly bringing back several ex-Kojima Productions staffers with him, news that will likely shake up the video game world after the team’s incredible success developing Metal Gear Solid 5. The report claims that as of today, December 15, Kojima’s love-hate relationship with Konami has officially ended and that he is no longer an employee in any way, which might explain why Kojima didn’t make the announcement sooner.
The news comes on the back of the revelation that Hideo Kojima was banned from the 2015 Game Awards, which many assumed to be the final slight against the beloved game designer that would herald his departure from Konami. Gamers were right, and it appears that Kojima’s new studio has no interest in dealing with his former employer - the report from Nikkei suggests that Kojima’s currently unnamed studio will be pursuing a partnership with Sony for their debut game effort. Although it is unclear as to whether this debut game will become a PS4 console exclusive should an agreement be reached, there is a strong indication that would be the case, and such a high-profile move would be a huge boon to Sony as Microsoft’s Xbox One has started to become a more legitimate competitor.
Although nothing is known about Kojima’s new game, one thing is for certain: it’s not going to be Metal Gear. Konami still plans to continue the Metal Gear series without Kojima, and for better or for worse, that’s the reality of the situation. The separation from Konami might offer Kojima the ability to pursue other games he has attempted to make in the past, and given Norman Reedus’ belief that Silent Hills will still get made, perhaps now is the time for Kojima to once again pursue a tantalizing partnership with Guillermo del Toro.
Regardless of Kojima’s future plans, fans have to be excited that he’s still going to be involved in the video game industry in a major way. Hideo Kojima is one of gaming’s most exciting and brilliant innovators, someone who isn’t afraid to make mistakes, and is always looking to try something new. While things looked bleak for a while, it appears that Konami simply can’t keep a good developer down, and gamers have an early present heading into the holiday season.
Are you excited that Kojima is getting back into game development so soon after his separation from Konami? What do you think his studio’s new game will be? Let us know in the comments below.
Source: Nikkei (via Polygon)
