Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima has left Konami for good
On Friday October 9, Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima left his employer Konami for good. His non-competition clause with the Japanese publisher lasts until December, after which he can start working as a developer elsewhere. That writes the magazine The New Yorker.
The American magazine writes that a farewell ceremony for Kojima was held, and that an anonymous source from the magazine was present. Although there were enough current and former colleagues in attendance to pay their respects to Kojima, publisher Konami’s headliners would not have been present. Kojima is said to be at odds with the publisher’s leadership over the decision to focus primarily on the exploitation of mobile games. Kojima reportedly did not agree with that.
Since March of this year, stories have been circulating that Konami is treating its employees very badly. For example, the Japanese newspaper Nikkei writes in a report that there are security cameras in the corridors to monitor employees and developers who cannot make themselves useful enough are assigned jobs as security guards or cleaners. In addition, Kojima’s development studio within Konami, Kojima Productions, would have been renamed ‘Number 8 Production Department’. This is evident from a translation by Kotaku. In addition, there have been reports from within the company that Kojima Productions has now been completely shut down and it was announced in July that the text ‘A Hideo Kojima Game’, which could always be found on the box art of its games, did not return to the latest Metal Gear Solid.
Konami also denies that Hideo Kojima left the company. A spokesperson states that the Japanese is on vacation. Kojima would still be on the publisher’s file as an employee. “Kojima and the development team behind Metal Gear Solid V have finished their work and are taking a long time off,” the company told Japan’s Tokyo Sports newspaper. “We’re not sure exactly what that party meant.” If the story of The New Yorker is correct, then Kojima can start working elsewhere as a video game developer in December. Hideo Kojima started working at Konami in 1986. That company will reportedly continue to focus on mobile games, but the company denies abandoning its main franchises such as Metal Gear and Castlevania.