Hideo Kojima is starting a new studio, first game is gonna debut on PS4 and release later to PC

[Bouzoo]

According to Nikkei, Hideo Kojima is officially from today no longer a Konami employee. I suppose those reports from weeks ago were not about his contract.

According to the article, Kojima is starting a new studio with people from Kojima Productions and their first game is gonna debut on PS with a PC port coming later.  For now we don't know anything about this game.

 

This is the translation that surfaced on Neogafs forum. Seems that first it was translated wrong but this should be the proper version.

ゲームソフト「メタルギア」シリーズで知られる著名ゲームクリエーターの小島秀夫氏が、15日付でコナミデジタルエンタテインメントを退社した。新会社を設立し てゲーム制作を続け、ソニー・コンピュータエンタテインメント（ＳＣＥ）のゲーム機「プレイステーション（ＰＳ）」向けなどで販売するとみられる。

 

Kojima Hideo, a famous video game creator known for the Metal Gear series has left Konami Digital Entertainment as of December 15th. He will form a new company where he will continue developing video games, with plans to release on platforms such as Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE)'s PlayStation.

 

コナミ時代の部下と新会社を設立する。代表作「メタルギア」シリーズの版権はコナミ側に残るため、新作の開発に着手する。最新作についてはＳＣＥと最終交渉し ており、ＰＳ向けに優先販売するとみられる。

 

He is forming the new company with people who worked under him at Konami. The rights to the Metal Gear series, for which he is most known, remain at Konami, so he will begin working on an all new title. Final negotiations with SCE are underway for this new game to debut on PlayStation.

 

小島氏は「マリオ」で知られる任天堂の宮本茂氏と並ぶ世界的なゲーム開発者。緻密なストーリー作りや映画の手法も取り入れた映像表現で評価が高い。今年９月に 発売したゲームソフト「メタルギアソリッド５」は世界で500万本を超える大ヒットを記録した。

 

Kojima is a world famous video game developer on the same level as Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of Mario. He is highly praised for his elaborate stories and use of movie techniques to create impressive visual imagery. Metal Gear Solid V was released this September and became a massive hit, selling over 5 million copies around the world.

 

I am glad that he is continuing his work, and even more that he is opening a new studio and is not going to work for someone else. There are some studios I could see him working for but this seems fitting. And I hope he somehow doesn't end up working for Sony. 

 

Neogaf forum

Nikkei article (in Japanese) 

 

Other sources: 1, 2

 

EDIT: It's official, watch the video for more info.

 

Courtesy of @Sharkyx1

 

Edited December 16, 2015 by Bouzoo

[noisebomb44]

I thought i would do that if i was him, but i never thought that he would do it because i thought he was done with game making, burned out like a lot of other veteran/legendary game makers

 

Im really happy about it though

[Castdeath97]

Konami lost the last thing going for it, RIP.

[Elardoven]

I'm glad he's continuing, don't really like the ps4 part though

[Kaita]

R.I.P Konami.

[Nexxus]

RIP Metal Gear  

[PlayStation 2]

Fucking good. Konami doesn't deserve him at all.

Never been a big fan of his games but they did him wrong so badly. Glad he's getting the last laugh in this.

[Bouzoo]

I'm glad he's continuing, don't really like the ps4 part though

 

You are aware that MGS 1 - 4 were released first on PS?

Edited December 15, 2015 by Bouzoo

[Demonking]

'll just leave this 

 

[Elardoven]

You are aware that MGS 1 - 4 were PS exclusives?

 

Yes, just wish that would change

 

Didn't play any of the older ones though

[Nexxus]

You are aware that MGS 1 - 4 were PS exclusives?

You are aware thats not correct right?

[CyanideInsanity]

You are aware that MGS 1 - 4 were PS exclusives?

1 and 2 were released on pc, as well as a remake of 1 on gamecube.

[Bouzoo]

You are aware thats not correct right?

1 and 2 were released on pc, as well as a remake of 1 on gamecube.

 

Oh yes, I played MGS2 on PC. 

Meant they were released first on PS.  :lol:

[Nexxus]

Oh yes, I played MGS2 on PC.

Meant they were released first on PS. :lol:

1 and 2 were released on pc, as well as a remake of 1 on gamecube.

Not to mention the HD release of 2 and 3 on xb360 4 is the only MG to go truly ps exclusive

 

Not counting the PSP ones and even one of them is on 360

[RagnarokDel]

Maybe he should get a hint that PS4 is not the platform to go to.

[Notional]

So his games will be PS4 Exclusive from now on? Great /s.

[Demonking]

So his games will be PS4 Exclusive from now on? Great /s.

Not likely. 

[That Norwegian Guy]

He should leave Japan altogether. Shitty working environment, he deserves better.

[elkenrod]

This discussion regarding Kojima has been pretty one-sided.  Konami has seemingly been the "bad guy" throughout the production of MGSV.  So much so, that it defies all logic how a company could mishandle PR so ridiculously. 

 

The only thing I can think of to explain all of this is that Kojima perhaps did something very wrong.  People jokingly would say, "did he sleep with the boss's wife?".  But let's say for a minute that Kojima did something termination-worthy, such as use company funds for his own use.  What could Konami do?  Fire him?  Before the game was complete?  They'd stand to lose a lot of money.  So instead, they keep him on, but have to distance themselves from him.

 

All of this has been very strange.  I'm confident something will come to light that will make Konami's treatment of this whole situation a little less boneheaded in hindsight.

[CyanideInsanity]

 What could Konami do?  Fire him?  Before the game was complete? They'd stand to lose a lot of money.

 

Well they kind of did with silent hills. And then taking into account their pachinco machines and apparent recent net gain from mobile games, I don't know how big a priority AAA game profits are to them currently.

[Castdeath97]

This discussion regarding Kojima has been pretty one-sided.  Konami has seemingly been the "bad guy" throughout the production of MGSV.  So much so, that it defies all logic how a company could mishandle PR so ridiculously. 

 

The only thing I can think of to explain all of this is that Kojima perhaps did something very wrong.  People jokingly would say, "did he sleep with the boss's wife?".  But let's say for a minute that Kojima did something termination-worthy, such as use company funds for his own use.  What could Konami do?  Fire him?  Before the game was complete?  They'd stand to lose a lot of money.  So instead, they keep him on, but have to distance themselves from him.

 

All of this has been very strange.  I'm confident something will come to light that will make Konami's treatment of this whole situation a little less boneheaded in hindsight.

No it's actually Konami, they are slowly abandoning their AAA development moving resources and giving less to devs like him and paying attention to money grabbing mobile games (let's be honest that's the way mobile games work nowadays, they are nothing but money grabs).

[Sharkyx1]

Maybe he should get a hint that PS4 is not the platform to go to.

Why would that be the case when its the best selling AAA gaming platform?

 

I've read stuff that the game he's making could be PS&PC anyways, but for single platform PS is the best one to release on.

 

So for source on that lets look at MGSV sales

SteamSpy reports: Owners: 787,781 ± 21,544

and the reported numbers are 5m total sales by the end of october

http://www.playstationlifestyle.net/2015/10/30/metal-gear-solid-v-the-phantom-pain-sales-has-reached-five-million-copies-shipped/

so PC represents an odd 15% of sales

[ApolloEleven]

MGSV was a big success on PC and Xbox One respectively, I doubt he will only start publishing on one platform now for a decade.

[Sharkyx1]

 

ITS HAPPENING

 

 

Totally Biscuits is unhappy.

[Sauron]

Never cared about the metal gear story, but hey, nice I guess? if it wasn't exclusive...