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[ArkhamFantasy]

The Ultimate Free Agent.

Yup, A publisher bringing him out on stage at E3 would be as big as any game announcement even if they didnt show what he was working on.

 

[akira28]

What if NeoGaf hires him as a mod?

you want MSG style twists happening on this site?

I think it would be a waste of his talents.

 

[Bubbavelli]

WHAT ABOUT HIM?

We were playing as Kojima all along!

 

[SirKhalid]

Quick question, could he start another company with Kojima in the company name? Or would he get sued by Konami?

 

[neurosyphilis]

I honestly see him joining Sony. It makes the most since. Sony is generally known for giving their devs creative freedom and how much time they want. Kojima's fan base is majority on PlayStation. Him joining Japan Studio and having Team Kojima. I can see it now

Sony Computer Entertainment Presents

A Hideo Kojima Game

 

[The Omega Man]

Any company willing to invest 80 million dollars and wait 6 to 7 years for the result? WHOOOOO??!!

 

[Zero-ELEC]

Your move, Stan Lee.

Spoiler

How badly was I beaten?

 

[ArkhamFantasy]

Quick question, could he start another company with Kojima in the company name?

He might not be able to use Kojima Productions but he could do Kojima <anything else>.

 

[Mexican Sting]

Your move, Nomura.

Thanks for reminding me that Nomura still needs to apologize to his fans for getting fat.

 

[Breakage]

Thread has more moves than a 70s disco.

 

[ArkhamFantasy]

I honestly see him joining Sony. It makes the most since. Sony is generally known for giving their devs creative freedom and how much time they want. Kojima's fan base is majority on PlayStation. Him joining Japan Studio and having Team Kojima. I can see it now

Sony Computer Entertainment Presents

A Hideo Kojima Game

If he wants to do another AAA game Sony or Square Enix makes the most sense. I fear he might be burned out for right now after this whole debacle though. I would imagine an indie game or maybe a low budget movie would be less stressful.

 

[chiimisu]

Now watch him fading into irrelevancy making mobile games, shady Kickstarters or nothing at all, like all the others Japanese developers that left their companies.

Spoiler

Spoiler

 

[NervousXtian]

Yea, that's not on them though that's on the publisher to do their job and help promote the game. They promote and share as much as they can as a japanese centric developer, but to get their message across all regions they need really good PR management, which is handled mostly in the past by sega and capcom.

Review wise their games go over pretty well. SO it's not a quality issue, it's a promotional one. W101 failed because of Nintendo just like MAD WORLD failed because of sega and Nintendo.

Bayonetta 2 didn't sell well not because platinum didn't make an amazing game, but because Nintendo does shit job promoting games that are not their own IP based characters.

No, those games didn't sell because there's just not a huge market for them, they are niche action games.

Also, why would Sony or MS scoop up Kojima right now.. if they hired him in December.. you're looking at 2019 or 2020 for whatever he makes. That's a lot of money to spend right now on something that will hit near the end of your console cycle.

 

[ackl]

Thanks for reminding me that Nomura still needs to apologize to his fans for getting fat.

He looks better now.

 

[ArkhamFantasy]

No, those games didn't sell because there's just not a huge market for them, they are niche action games.

Also, why would Sony or MS scoop up Kojima right now.. if they hired him in December.. you're looking at 2019 or 2020 for whatever he makes. That's a lot of money to spend right now on something that will hit near the end of your console cycle.

That's the model that AAA publishers are most comfortable with. They see a 2 year "medium tier" game as too risky.

AAA publishers will stumble over themselves trying to get Kojima. Could you imagine the smirk on Phil Spencers face if he presents Hideo Kojima on stage at E3 as part of the Xbox team? That would be a huge blow to Sony and vice versa.

 

[Celcius]

Any company willing to invest 80 million dollars and wait 6 to 7 years for the result? WHOOOOO??!!

This made me laugh out loud haha

 

[NervousXtian]

That's the model that AAA publishers are most comfortable with. They see a 2 year "medium tier" game as too risky.

AAA publishers will stumble over themselves trying to get Kojima. Could you imagine the smirk on Phil Spencers face if he presents Hideo Kojima on stage at E3 as part of the Xbox team? That would be a huge blow to Sony and vice versa.

How much is Kojima really worth without MGS.. and the woes of it's development and the fallout with Konami?

I think he's a humongous risk for someone to take on and I don't see someone tossing a pile of money on his doorstep and saying "go do what you want".

Game fans spending publishers money hypothetically is easy, but publishers willing to drop that on a guy like Kojima is a pretty big risk.

I bet he ends up at someone else's studio.

 

[Papacheeks]

No, those games didn't sell because there's just not a huge market for them, they are niche action games.

Also, why would Sony or MS scoop up Kojima right now.. if they hired him in December.. you're looking at 2019 or 2020 for whatever he makes. That's a lot of money to spend right now on something that will hit near the end of your console cycle.

Bayonetta is a series that can do better and be on par with Devil may cry if it's promoted well enough. The issue is in the publishing not the people making the game.

The fact that ton's of people on game sites and forums like these talk about vanquish, bayonetta and even now Devestation is telling of their appeal.

Action games like God of war sell pretty well and they are action oriented. Comes down to marketing.

The last of us was on the last year of PS3 high output came out 2013? Why can't Kojima's game come out to be a great swan song for the PS4, and his comeback?

 

[daveo42]

We knew this was coming. I just hope he continues making games or starts making movies/anime instead of slinking away into the shadows, never to be heard from again. Dude knows how to make some damn fine games with some insane story lines and it would be a shame that his career would end with Konami.

Good luck and godspeed sir.

 

[Shaneus]

Kojima to join Platinum, please.

 

[Vinc]

How much is Kojima really worth without MGS.. and the woes of it's development and the fallout with Konami?

I think he's a humongous risk for someone to take on and I don't see someone tossing a pile of money on his doorstep and saying "go do what you want".

Game fans spending publishers money hypothetically is easy, but publishers willing to drop that on a guy like Kojima is a pretty big risk.

I bet he ends up at someone else's studio.

You don't put a price tag on Kojima, he's invaluable. He's clearly an extremely talented man, and I'm sure he can make very profitable, beloved video games. If MGS5 really cost 80 million to make, I have no doubt that it'll make its money back. It's really not that high a price in this day and age.

 

[BadWolf]

How much is Kojima really worth without MGS.. and the woes of it's development and the fallout with Konami?

Looks at the reception of Silent Hills/P.T.

 

[sonicmj1]

Zampanella and West directed two games that sold more than the entire MGS franchise combined with Modern Warfare 1 and 2, and the best deal they could get when they went independent was for Titanfall, a game with a pretty moderate scope.

I'm not sure why people think that Kojima will get dozens of millions from anyone. Considering he'd have to build a studio from scratch, it would be a very risky bet. And honestly, I'd rather see what he's capable of now when faced with some restraints.

 

[Sayter]

That's the model that AAA publishers are most comfortable with. They see a 2 year "medium tier" game as too risky.

AAA publishers will stumble over themselves trying to get Kojima. Could you imagine the smirk on Phil Spencers face if he presents Hideo Kojima on stage at E3 as part of the Xbox team? That would be a huge blow to Sony and vice versa.

If he's smart he'll follow in the footsteps of Hideki Kamiya & Co., and start his own company.

 

[786110]

your move Wario64

 

[Papacheeks]

The vast majority of games, many of them technically and artistically ambitious, do fine being developed for multiple platforms

Yea, maybe ones developed by western developers. I think you need to look at the region where Kojima is famous like a rockstar. Sure he's famous over in UK,USA, but he is legendary status over in Japan.

Same with his games. They sell well universally but have even more buzz in Japan.

Show me Japanese made multiplat that sold well, outside of Final Fantasy and Established franchises?

Multiplats made in the west tend to sell. and move bigger numbers, because of the market they primarily sell in.

 

[Ninja Scooter]

Looks at the reception to Silent Hills/P.T.

I don't know how much you can attribute that to his name value. That game/project became a sensation due to word of mouth, in a lot of cases before it was even revealed that he was involved.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not taking any credit away from Kojima for it if he had a hand, just saying his name alone didn't draw all of the attention to PT. It was word of mouth/buzz from the gameplay itself and the smart way it was released.

All that said, I do think Kojima still does have enough brand recognition to get a major AAA publisher deal. He shipped/directed a critically and commercially successful AAA game THIS year. This isn't another Iga or Inafune situation. I would liken it more to Shinji Mikami and the deal he got with ZeniMax. Obviously nobody is going to just give him an unlimited budget and he is going to have to deal with SOME kind of corporate oversight but I don't see why he would scare publishers off.

 

[FStop7]

Zampanella and West directed two games that sold more than the entire MGS franchise combined with Modern Warfare 1 and 2, and the best deal they could get when they went independent was for Titanfall, a game with a pretty moderate scope.

I'm not sure why people think that Kojima will get dozens of millions from anyone. Considering he'd have to build a studio from scratch, it would be a very risky bet. And honestly, I'd rather see what he's capable of now when faced with some restraints.

Another example - Young Clifford B went from making big budget spectacles like Gears of War to an F2P arena shooter.

 

[Succinct Verbosity]

Any company willing to invest 80 million dollars and wait 6 to 7 years for the result? WHOOOOO??!!

Rockstar is probably the only one, and Kojima's games don't sell enough for Rockstar to care. Or Sony.

 

[Vinc]

MGS as a brand was actually probably detrimental to the game's success, considering how inaccessible the series has become.

 

[Hattori]

 

[BadWolf]

I don't know how much you can attribute that to his name value. That game/project became a sensation due to word of mouth, in a lot of cases before it was even revealed that he was involved.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not taking any credit away from Kojima for it if he had a hand, just saying his name alone didn't draw all of the attention to PT. It was word of mouth/buzz from the gameplay itself and the smart way it was released.

And how many people would have the balls to do that? To just put the game out there instead of immediately trying to sell it with the name? Not only did he not stick his own name on the project but not even the Silent Hill name was used. The demo was well received because it was damn good, plain and simple, which is a testament to Kojima and KojiPro as creators.

And this was after Konami spent years dragging the Silent Hills series through dirt.

 

[McLovin]

Sony would be a great fit for him considering they have a movie division.

 

[Sayter]

Is it weird to have an erection when I look at this pic?

 

[RPGamer92]

Rockstar is probably the only one, and Kojima's games don't sell enough for Rockstar to care. Or Sony.

MGS probably sells better than all R* IP except for GTA.

 

[Maximo]

Godspeed Kojima man has all the freedom in the world to do what he wants.

 

[shadowfall]

Kojima could very take an extended break from gaming. If any developer could benefit most from him, it would be Nintendo. Imagine Silent Hills debuting on NX?

Personally I would prefer him to join Sony as I think that is where he might be best fit.

 

[ShooterMcGavin]

your move Wario64

Note the Psycho Mantis shadow in the background.

 

[dragonbane]

Your move Quantic Dream

 

[Japanmanx3]

30 years...

Thirty years...

Gentlemen:

 

[Lumpy Onion]

Been playing his games since Snatcher on Sega CD (MG NES don't count ha). Can't wait to see what he does next. And MGS V is one of the best games I've ever played in my life so I'd say he left with a bang.

 

[Batzi]

And MGS V is one of the best games I've ever played in my life so I'd say he left with a bang.

Couldn't agree more!

 

[Ninja Scooter]

And how many people would have the balls to do that? To just put the game out there instead of immediately trying to sell it with the name? Not only did he not stick his own name on the project but not even the Silent Hill name was used. The demo was well received because it was damn good, plain and simple, which is a testament to Kojima and KojiPro as creators.

And this was after Konami spent years dragging the Silent Hills series through dirt.

What's your point? Again, I was not dismissing Kojima's role in PT, just in the idea that the reason it was such a huge hit was because it was his name associated. The whole point of PT was that at first we didn't know who or what was involved.

 

[NervousXtian]

Bayonetta is a series that can do better and be on par with Devil may cry if it's promoted well enough. The issue is in the publishing not the people making the game.

The fact that ton's of people on game sites and forums like these talk about vanquish, bayonetta and even now Devestation is telling of their appeal.

Action games like God of war sell pretty well and they are action oriented. Comes down to marketing.

The last of us was on the last year of PS3 high output came out 2013? Why can't Kojima's game come out to be a great swan song for the PS4, and his comeback?

The last DMC wasn't exactly a huge seller, the GoW series has been on a downhill slide sales wise as well. Forum hype and game site coverage doesn't matter if nobody is actually buying the games.

They aren't marketed like crazy because there's not a market out there to buy them en masse.

Looks at the reception of Silent Hills/P.T.

The canceled game and the free one?

PT was a cool little free game, and I don't think that had anything to do with Kojima being involved as far as the hype it got.

You don't put a price tag on Kojima, he's invaluable. He's clearly an extremely talented man, and I'm sure he can make very profitable, beloved video games. If MGS5 really cost 80 million to make, I have no doubt that it'll make its money back. It's really not that high a price in this day and age.

MGS5 was the latest installment of a beloved franchise. 80 million is a huge amount to invest in a new studio with a new IP. It's easy to say he's invaluable when you aren't the one forking out the cash investment.

 

[Aselith]

I wonder if the PC online mode is going to get fucked without him there to shepherd it.

 

[industrian]

I hope Vince McMahon hires him as the lead writer for WWE.

#swervesofliberty

 

[meanspartan]

What's the point of a non-compete stretching only a couple months til December?

Did they expect him to rush out a game in 2 months? lol

I guess I don't understand why even have it at all over such a short amount of time.

 

[Triforce141]

Your move, Altair.

Maybe Kojima can get a way to make Assassin's Creed into a non-annual game franchise.

Spoiler

And make the series have a good game for once.

 

[Bronetta]

What's your point? Again, I was not dismissing Kojima's role in PT, just in the idea that the reason it was such a huge hit was because it was his name associated. The whole point of PT was that at first we didn't know who or what was involved.

Without Kojima's name attached P.T. wouldn't have become as huge a hit as it did either.

 

[Aselith]

What's the point of a non-compete stretching only a couple months til December?

Did they expect him to rush out a game in 2 months? lol

I guess I don't understand why even have it at all over such a short amount of time.

The noncompete would have been part of his original contract.