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Nikkei's Konami/Kojima article officially translated into English

N

Nirolak

Mrgrgr
There are a few clarifications here so I thought I'd let this go as a new thread: http://asia.nikkei.com/magazine/201...dismayed-as-Konami-cuts-off-developers?page=1

1.) The 10 billion yen is listed specifically as the development budget. Kojima's restrictions appear more extensive than his staff's, which are still quite restrictive.

Nikkei said:
For more than four months, personal computers used by the workers of the production department have been cut off from the Internet. The talented engineers have been cut off from the outside world and left in the lurch. Hideo Kojima, 51, who heads the department, has refrained from airing his personal views online.

The release of the newest version of the game, "Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain," however, has been delayed numerous times and racked up more than 10 billion yen ($80.4 million) in development costs. Prior to its September release, Kojima has been "incarcerated" in his office.
Click to expand...

2.) The reason Momotaro Electric Railway got killed was due to profit sharing disagreements. Sakuma and Nintendo directly talked and then Nintendo worked out an agreement with Konami.

Nikke said:
"Momotaro Electric Railway" is a hugely popular board-game-style title. Ever since Hudson Soft, the developer of the game, was taken over by Konami in 2012, Konami and Sakuma have shared the license for the game. But negotiations between the two reached a deadlock over how to share profits from the newest version.

...

Now Sakuma and Nintendo have begun negotiating on development and marketing of a new game. The title is expected to be released next year or thereafter. Konami will license "Momotaro Electric Railway" to Nintendo.
Click to expand...

The rest is pretty much exactly as translated previous. Staff leaving in droves amid a culture of fear and punishment.
 
N

Nirolak

Mrgrgr
JonStark said:
wtf
Click to expand...

I take that to mean he's escorted by security to his office when the day starts and is expected to stay there until he leaves.

They're basically viewing him as a fired employee who could end up tampering with things, but still employing him.
 
P

Peltz

Member
Isn't it harder to make a game without the internet? I couldn't imagine programming without being able to look things up.
 
K

kmax

Member
Nirolak said:
I take that to mean he's escorted by security to his office when the day starts and is expected to stay there until he leaves.

They're basically viewing him as a fired employee who could end up tampering with things, but still employing him.
Click to expand...

Such a wonderful way to treat your most important talent.

Konami. Wow.
 
S

SliceSabre

Banned
I wonder if he will go off the moment they take the 'chains' off him or if he's under some sort of NDA he keep his mouth shut for the foreseeable future.
 
Dwight Schrute

Dwight Schrute

Member
Nirolak said:
I take that to mean he's escorted by security to his office when the day starts and is expected to stay there until he leaves.

They're basically viewing him as a fired employee who could end up tampering with things, but still employing him.
Click to expand...

I stand by my wtf. Holy crap.
 
N

Nirolak

Mrgrgr
JonStark said:
I stand by my wtf. Holy crap.
Click to expand...

Yes, it's obviously insane. I just wanted to clarify what that meant.

maltrain said:
80 millions for a Metal Gear game is a bargain considering Destiny costed 500 millions...
Click to expand...
To be clear, this is not true, regardless of what a regional manager stated.

$80 million isn't insanely out there for a game, but it's still on the more expensive side, especially when you consider that it's also only $80 million because of rather unfavorable currency conversions right now.

That's still not a reason to treat your employees like this. If you're unhappy, you either just have a re-org or shut down the studio and provide outplacement assistance like a normal company.
 
C

Crossing Eden

Hello, my name is Yves Guillemot, Vivendi S.A.'s Employee of the Month!
maltrain said:
80 millions for a Metal Gear game is a bargain considering Destiny costed 500 millions...
Click to expand...
Someone needs to make a "PSA:Destiny didn't actually cost 500 million to develop" thread. It gets clarified all the time. 80 million is also quite expensive since that doesn't include marketing costs.
 
S

Sickboy007

Member
That's insane, it makes Zampella's and West's treatment by Activision sound like an easy ride.

Sadly due to the different business culture I don't see Kojima having any recourse.
 
O

Off-Kilter

Banned
So what's the reasoning for cutting off internet access? Does it have something to do with preventing distractions and procrastination amid rising development costs and missed deadlines?

In the back of my mind I'm picturing KojiPro spending most of their days playing farmville and looking at funny cat memes before the hammer came down
 
P

pastrami

Member
Damn, $80 million for MGS5. I wonder if that includes marketing. No wonder Konami weren't happy. Although, their treatment of Kojima has been laughable.
 
F

Freedom = $1.05

Banned
so what does he do in his office without internet and seemingly limited/zero interaction with his staff? is he just reading magazines and newspapers and stuff

pastrami said:
Damn, $80 million for MGS5. I wonder if that includes marketing. No wonder Konami weren't happy. Although, their treatment of Kojima has been laughable.
Click to expand...

is it though? if it's 80 million but part of that cost includes GZ then some of that money has already been made up by now. Heck, if that includes GZ then a significant portion of that 80 mil has already come back to Konami.
 
N

Nirolak

Mrgrgr
Freedom = $1.05 said:
so what does he do in his office without internet and seemingly limited/zero interaction with his staff? is he just reading magazines and newspapers and stuff
Click to expand...

They're presumably allowed to communicate with him in a supervised fashion, the same way prisoners can have outside visitors.

They're trying to prevent him from taking his staff with him when he heads out the door by communicating plans with them at a convenient time, but I can't imagine that's very effective in 2015.
 
N

Newtype-001

Member
Nirolak said:
They're presumably allowed to communicate with him in a supervised fashion, the same way prisoners can have outside visitors.

They're trying to prevent him from taking his staff with him when he heads out the door by communicating plans with them at a convenient time, but I can't imagine that's very effective in 2015.
Click to expand...

😳😳😳
Oh man.
 
B

BadWolf

Member
That $80 million figure also includes the creation of a brand new engine iirc, that they were going to use for the new Silent Hill etc.

Also, MGSV looks to be a pretty huge game and looks excellent with that trademark KojiPro attention to detail.
 
N

Nirolak

Mrgrgr
META said:
It's sad that this game, which will probably be great, will never be considered a labor of love for Kojima. He was basically forced through the last part of its development.
Click to expand...

He could pretty easily walk like the rest of the senior Konami staff did. He's there to finish the game (and pretty much wrap up the series at this point).
 
D

DrArchon

Member
I can't wait for A) Kojima's tell-all about his treatment, and B) his eventual Kickstarter campaign.

Honestly, I feel at this point that a behind-the-scene expose about Phantom Pain would be even more interesting than one about Destiny. It's so weird to think that this project went from its totally bizarre announcement to its heavy-handed corporate controlled final days.
 
P

Pie and Beans

Look for me on the local news, I'll be the guy arrested for trying to burn down a Nintendo exec's house.
How many months will Kojima have been "incarcerated"? This shit all kicked off in March didnt it?

7 months. Jesus christ. Wonder what he'd be losing if he just walked. Theres "staying for the staff and the game" or are they trying to stiff him on like... millions? I can't imagine being under "work arrest" for over half a year. What a waste of a talent.

Japan, you got some serious work law problems.
 
G

gdt

Member
It's like the suits at Konami have become Super Saiyan Gods.

Reached maximum suitness.




It's amazing really.
 
Mexen

Mexen

Member
Nirolak said:
I take that to mean he's escorted by security to his office when the day starts and is expected to stay there until he leaves.

They're basically viewing him as a fired employee who could end up tampering with things, but still employing him.
Click to expand...

Is that even legal?
 
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