It's arguably the biggest news of the year and now, one iconic designer is garnering headlines all over the world.
After Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima's well-documented and oft-discussed ordeal with publisher Konami, everyone wondered: What's next for Kojima? After all, Konami is keeping the IP rights to MGS.
Well, Kojima has started his own studio and he has formed a partnership with PlayStation. He has high hopes for his first project and he definitely isn't shying away from big budgets (unlike his former employer). But he wasn't always set on this plan of action; as Kojima told The New Yorker , he actually considered disappearing to a deserted island for a year after leaving Konami. Then, a "Hollywood friend" stepped in and advised him to keep working:
"Hearing that affirmed to me that my role in this world is to keep on making big games for as long as I can. That is the mission I've been given in life."
He added that he's happy with his new-found independence and he believes this will expedite the development process. He also takes a little dig at Japanese publishers (perhaps a not-so-veiled jab at Konami):
"When working in big companies, especially Japanese companies, every little thing has to be approved beforehand, and you need paperwork to do anything. Now that I'm independent, I can do what I want with much more speed. I don't need to invest time in unnecessary presentations. I shoulder the risk."
Lastly, Kojima says he can now speak more freely. When allied with a company, his words "could be taken as the overall direction of the company" so really, he "couldn't say just anything." All of that is gone now and everything is wide open…so expect this guy to say whatever he pleases, whenever he pleases. Anybody got a problem with that?
And we say the rivalry between Konami's new Metal Gear Solid effort and Kojima's new title will be downright epic .
