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Hideo Kojima left Konami/KojiPro on October 9th, non-compete ends in December

N

Nirolak

Mrgrgr
DarkLordMalik said:
nomura_kojima_tgs_2013.jpg


Your move Nomura.
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I do think Square Enix is generally a better choice.

They're willing to run up comically large budgets (which seems like a much larger concern at Sony), will interface well with Japanese developers that want a fair amount of autonomy, actually develop several AAA titles in Japan, and like to have a longstanding presence in as many genres as possible.

Their strong Western branch and overseas success of Japanese titles also makes them very comfortable launching more globally minded products or having split divisions across multiple countries like KojiPro had.
 
B

Boke1879

Member
Relaxed Muscle said:
Going indie is like asking Ferrari to make utilitaries. Is not in their DNA, not in the products they want to make.
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I can actually see him making smaller projects. PT is actually a great example. He's said he has tons of ideas. It'll be great to see him do something different.
 
J

Justified

Member
The New Yorker said:
Tak Fujii, a former senior producer at Konami, who left the company in 2014 because of ill health, sees no issue with this kind of radical reorganization. “I saw many colleagues unwillingly reassigned,” he said. “Most of them blamed everyone but themselves. But they were not willing to adapt. They were waiting for the golden days to return. All they had left were legendary stories of their products, which are no longer relevant for either the technology or the market.”
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Nirolak said:
Tak Fujii really went all-in in The New Yorker piece.
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Im sure thats the real reason behind all of this. Konami is going in a direction the old heads dont want to go

Time to break out the book "Who Move My Cheese"
 
S

Spaced Harrier

Member
Nirolak said:
I do think Square Enix is generally a better choice.

They're willing to run up comically large budgets (which seems like a much larger concern at Sony), will interface well with Japanese developers that want a fair amount of autonomy, actually develop several AAA titles in Japan, and like to have a longstanding presence in as many genres as possible.

Their strong Western branch and overseas success of Japanese titles also makes them very comfortable launching more globally minded products or having split divisions across multiple countries like KojiPro had.
Click to expand...

Yes, their current line up is actually extremely impressive.
Strong western Developers and titles, and Japanese, and great variety

Like the opposite of SEGA
 
N

NotLiquid

Member
I don't really know why people want him to go to Sony so badly. I want him to do his own thing. Start up a smaller studio. Do more humble stuff. Why does he need to be at Sony so badly? Just because of Metal Gear?

Hell who's to say he'll even stay in video games? Guy probably wants to try making a movie in his life or some such.
 
B

BadWolf

Member
Asd202 said:
If Shinkawa will stay at the Konami it will be such waste of talent, He's easily one of the best artists in the industry.
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They did say that various senior staff is leaving along with Kojima, and if there is one person that he would not want to leave behind it's definitely Shinkawa.

At this point Shinkawa's art style pretty much defines Kojima's games.
 
Whompa02

Whompa02

Member
What about Yoji Shinkawa? Arghhhh this news sucks...hope some of the high profile members stick together...and It would be heart breaking if they all band together to make some shitty low budget kickstarter like some other higher profile game developers...hope some reputable company scoops them up.
 
N

Nzyme32

Member
Rather than the circle jerk of hoping Kojima limits his projects to a specific platform purely for the sake of "exclusivity", I hope he goes on to be as open ended towards platform options as is possible, so we can actually see where his creativity leads him, and hopefully lots of people being able to play what every projects get made
 
Monocle

Monocle

Member
It’s likely that, after Kojima’s non-compete clause expires, in December, he will find a new studio and continue making lavishly produced games. But these future projects will be anomalies in a mobile-dominated Japanese market. Although Western fans may mourn the loss, McCarthy doesn’t share their despondency. “Honestly, I am not so sure that any threat to yet another shouting, shooting game full of American grunts saving democracy from the wiles of dark-skinned terrorists is any great loss to the art,” he said.
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Get a load of this guy.
 
A

akira28

Member
Nirolak said:
I do think Square Enix is generally a better choice.

They're willing to run up comically large budgets (which seems like a much larger concern at Sony), will interface well with Japanese developers that want a fair amount of autonomy, actually develop several AAA titles in Japan, and like to have a longstanding presence in as many genres as possible.

Their strong Western branch and overseas success of Japanese titles also makes them very comfortable launching more globally minded products or having split divisions across multiple countries like KojiPro had.
Click to expand...

but they're also used to publishing crap :( I want Kojima to be hounded by the men in suits. It helps him breathe. He needs the tension in his veins to function. A thirst for budgetary constraints. He should join Take Twoooooooo!
 
M

Myggen

Member
Nirolak said:
I do think Square Enix is generally a better choice.

They're willing to run up comically large budgets (which seems like a much larger concern at Sony), will interface well with Japanese developers that want a fair amount of autonomy, actually develop several AAA titles in Japan, and like to have a longstanding presence in as many genres as possible.

Their strong Western branch and overseas success of Japanese titles also makes them very comfortable launching more globally minded products or having split divisions across multiple countries like KojiPro had.
Click to expand...

Well, Hajime Tabata doesn't come off as all that optimistic in the New Yorker piece:

Nevertheless, the effect of the closure of Kojima Productions on other game makers has been significant. “It’s a rare case of a highly successful studio being closed down, so obviously everyone is in a state of shock about it, I think,” Hajime Tabata, the director of Final Fantasy XV, a console game that, like Metal Gear Solid, has been in development for years, at vast cost, told me. “But we believe that we can survive. At least, until the company decides to close us down.”
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D

DieH@rd

Banned
Godspeed Kojima. Please don't leave the industry. Take a break if you want to, but then return with something glorious.


jett said:
That's a fairly short non-compete clause.

Unlike the the contemptible pieces of shit at Ubisoft that made Desilets lose a year of his life. Twice.
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Yeah, weird.
 
Nameless

Nameless

Member
I still say a Miyamoto/Suzuki-esque position at Japan Studio would be his best move. He'd be able to direct his own stuff and produce on a number of projects.
 
R

Rymuth

Member
It’s likely that, after Kojima’s non-compete clause expires, in December, he will find a new studio and continue making lavishly produced games. But these future projects will be anomalies in a mobile-dominated Japanese market. Although Western fans may mourn the loss, McCarthy doesn’t share their despondency. “Honestly, I am not so sure that any threat to yet another shouting, shooting game full of American grunts saving democracy from the wiles of dark-skinned terrorists is any great loss to the art,” he said.
Click to expand...

o_O?!?!
 
B

Boke1879

Member
Relaxed Muscle said:
And yet P.T had attached a hollywood actor and director to the project, not exactly "small".
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The demo itself I'm sure didn't cost much to make. Silent Hills is dead. He can easily make another game on a smaller scale that is like PT. Kojima can make an indie game if he wants. I wouldn't be shocked if he does. Wasn't his GOTY an indie game?
 
MrCunningham

MrCunningham

Member
Pretty much what was speculated months ago, but now it is confirmed. Guess it's better to let Kojima go than to put him to work on Pachislot games. Time to Kickstart Space Police Snatchers: Espionage, Kojima.
 
Majukun

Majukun

Member
well,he always said he wanted to do something that was not MGS..now let's see what he can do

everyone's bet is on sony snatching him..but i think more about activision or ubisoft waiting to strike the deal.
MrCunningham said:
Pretty much what was speculated months ago, but now it is confirmed. Guess it's better to let Kojima go than to put him to work on Pachislot games. Time to Kickstart Space Police Snatchers: Espionage, Kojima.
Click to expand...

you wanna put the guy who was fired because unable to stay on budget on kickstarter?
soeone really just want to watch the world burn
 
P

Punished_Snake

Member
It's a good and a bad news at the same time. It's bad because he will be no longer be involved in creating future MGS games (if there is any) and good because he will be doing something new and fresh. MGS V is a masterpiece and I wish him the best and I can't wait to see what he will do with his next project in the future.
 
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