The Death of Konami (as a game company?) Kojima and Staff Leaving by end of year.

[Minions]

http://www.theverge.com/2015/3/19/82...g-konami-rumor

Kojima Expected to Leave Konami After MGS5 is Completed, Souce has Confirmed that
Key devs could leave before 2016; Senior staff including Kojima have been made contractors; Communications block is now in effect.

Kojima is now contractor status, and supposedly blocked from the media, and promoting products. His twitter has been vacant which is very uncommon for Kojima.

People are also reporting that Kojima has been removed from all websites related to Metal Gear... including MGS5.

Unknown what will happen to Silent Hills. It may still continue, but nowhere near what it could have been with the combo of Del Toro and Kojima.

[6souls]

Konami released a statement pertaining to this new story;

As we have already announced, we are shifting our production structure to a headquarters-controlled system, in order to establish a steadfast operating base capable of responding to the rapid market changes that surround our digital entertainment business. Konami Digital Entertainment (including Mr. Kojima), will continue to develop and support Metal Gear products. Please look forward to future announcements.

Akari Uchida (Tokimeki Memorial / Love Plus) and Mino Taro (Love Plus) left this week.

http://gematsu.com/2015/03/akari-uch...rt-from-konami

Takayuki Fujii (No More Heroes / Frogger 3D) left a few months ago.

http://gematsu.com/2014/12/tak-fujii-leaves-konami


Abandon ship!

[Minions]

Seems like they are moving away from large game productions. They are clearly focusing on their slot machines etc. which is the majority of their income.

[Eragon]

But mah Suikodens!

[Waraji]

Goddammit, Silent Hills with Daryl better still fucking happen.

[Qalbert]

the deal there is apparently between Konami and Del Toro, so it may still happen, in some manner

[Mythe_Seraph]

What daryl are we talking about here

[Minions]

the deal there is apparently between Konami and Del Toro, so it may still happen, in some manner

The problem is all the notable people working at Konami have either left, or plan to leave before the development even starts. Kojima's team is blacklisted along with him according to an "inside source"; At least the upper part of his staff.

Konami released a statement pertaining to this new story;



Akari Uchida (Tokimeki Memorial / Love Plus) and Mino Taro (Love Plus) left this week.

http://gematsu.com/2015/03/akari-uch...rt-from-konami

Takayuki Fujii (No More Heroes / Frogger 3D) left a few months ago.

http://gematsu.com/2014/12/tak-fujii-leaves-konami


Abandon ship!

Don't forget Koji Igarashi this time last year; He quit because Konami was forcing him to work on mobile games.
http://www.polygon.com/2014/3/19/552...ng-independent

Also Tak Fujii..... end of last year...
http://www.destructoid.com/well-i-ll...i-285087.phtml

And Dave Cox... also the end of last year
http://www.engadget.com/2014/08/29/c...fter-17-years/

And Naoki Maeda some time in 2013. (may not be related, but the others were all in a <6 month~ span.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naoki_Maeda

[Odesseiron]

Did someone say Tak Fuji? This still gets me every time.

[Corrderio]

Other than MGS, I don't know shit about Konami other than Gradius. Sounds like if true, Konami could be in deep shit.

If true, maybe we'll get lucky and Kojima will pull an Inafune and make his own company?

[Cutriss]

Blah blah blah ProgrammedWorld blah blah blah

[Moridam]

not that there's been anything recent worth playing in the castlevania series, but idk how you can think of konami and not instantly associate them with castlevania.

[Corrderio]

not that there's been anything recent worth playing in the castlevania series, but idk how you can think of konami and not instantly associate them with castlevania.

I find the games fun, but honestly Castlevania has been off my radar for god knows what reason. MGS is pretty much a given since I started to play it. Gradius because I was addicted as hell to the NES game growing up.

[Kirin]

Does Kojima Productions own the rights to MGS or does Konami?

I know it probably wont, but if this means an actual Suikoden game to fill some of the void then yes please.

I feel pretty confidant Kojima could get a studio of his own off the ground. He has enough social media following and built in fan base that someone will hire him for a big project to start him off.

This is pretty huge though. What is Konami thinking? That's like Nintendo forcing Shiggy out suddenly.

[Minions]

Does Kojima Productions own the rights to MGS or does Konami?

I know it probably wont, but if this means an actual Suikoden game to fill some of the void then yes please.

I feel pretty confidant Kojima could get a studio of his own off the ground. He has enough social media following and built in fan base that someone will hire him for a big project to start him off.

This is pretty huge though. What is Konami thinking? That's like Nintendo forcing Shiggy out suddenly.

Konami owns MGS. I'm just hoping Kojima does not decide to retire at this point.

[SamanosukeShiva]

All the giant japanese companies are falling apart, is there any more that's still standing? capcom?

[Auspice]

I'm still waiting for this to be a giant publicity stunt and troll from Kojima even if it is unlikely.

[Julian]

Konami already died when they refused to make a new Suikoden game that wasn't a retarded thousand world spinoff bullshit.

[Cutriss]

All the giant japanese companies are falling apart, is there any more that's still standing? capcom?

You're funny.

http://www.gamesradar.com/capcom-axe...restructuring/

[Corrderio]

I'm still waiting for this to be a giant publicity stunt and troll from Kojima even if it is unlikely.

I doubt it, but it wouldn't surprise me if it was. Kojima is a god tier troll.

Thanks again for Emma, Kojima...