Eight years can seem very, very few and at the same time an eternity. On December 16, 2015, it was created Kojima Productions, after a very controversial farewell to Konami and, in what for large companies is the course of a generation of consoles, Hideo Kojima has released a game: Death Stranding. The curious thing is that, although his philosophy was always to create bridges and ties, in his own way he was also an act of rebellion.
Death Stranding It is not an independent game, but it was developed by a company whose reason for being is, precisely, independence. How many games created by new studios can boast of exceeding 16 million copies sold? It is clear that the support of PlayStation and the Kojima surname helped. But, even in both scenarios, Solid Snake’s father claims his independence even more strongly after his own well-deserved milestones. And it has its reason.
The challenge of reinventing yourself at 52 years old in the video game industry
When Hideo Kojima and Konami parted ways, the Japanese creative was 52 years old. Although it may not seem like it, partly because of his youthful soul and h is genuine passion for LEGOs, the same that was already present when he brought Snake to 3D, today the Japanese genius is 60 years old and has not lost his desire to create new worlds and experiences. Another issue is how he explains at first glance what his games are about, of course.
Kojima’s departure from Konami was due to several factors. Some related to a Metal Gear Solid V that came to be considered (justifiably) unfinished and completed in a certain hurry. But the most painful thing was the sudden cancellation of Silent Hills after a P.T. (a playable demo) that set a new standard in immersive horror. A small appetizer, yes, but one that ended up marking the way for entire sagas.
Hideo Kojima wasted no time after breaking up with Konami. Quite the opposite. At 52 years old, he reinvented Kojima Productionswhich until now was part of his old company, to transform it into a new independent study. His first partner at this stage: as soon as the procedures were finished, he announced a new exclusive title on PS4 together with PlayStation.
Today marks eight years since Kojima Productions was founded, and although I had to start over at the age of 52, I have managed to get here with everyone’s support, turning it into energy. Thank you so much. KJP has entered its “second phase” as an independent studio. Thank you for your continued support.
DEATH STRANDING, our first child (original IP) after the establishment of KJP, has more than 16 million users worldwide 4 years after its release (as of December 16, 2023). thank you
A lot has rained since then. both for the video game industry and for Kojima Productions, who has only published one game (so far) but which has been revisited on PCs, PS5 and even from the Xbox Game Pass. We now know that he has at least two games in hand, including the sequel to Death Stranding and a more ambiguous project to explain called OD. But his vision remains strong. And the same applies to his rebellious spirit.
Why Hideo Kojima claims his independence in the video game industry
In a year in which giants like Activision Blizzard feel better and more supported by joining the Microsoft project, PlayStation must juggle, sacrifice and make drastic decisions with its studios and others like Electronic Arts or Ubisoft evaluate different options to stay afloat his titanic projects, Kojima Productions revalidates its independence. What’s more, he considers it to be his reason for being.
For Hideo Kojima, creating his own studio is an extension of his need to “create things”. Literally. In fact, he himself considers that, after eight years, he has just begun what he considers the second phase of his vision. And that, as he himself admitted, his friends and family predicted that going on his own would be a mistake. That he wouldn’t get very far without the backing of a big company.
The reason I am independent and advocate for a lifelong career is because for me “creating things” is no longer a job. That’s why there is no withdrawal. Creating things is living.
One more thing. In the video game industry, there are very few people who have managed to become independent from a major video game production studio, whether in Japan or abroad.
Even eight years ago, when I started my own company, everyone opposed me, including my peers, colleagues and family, who said, “It will never work!” They said it was impossible without the financial and organizational strength of a company.
creative freedom that have always characterized their games – and was gradually diminished in their last years at Konami, is perhaps part of that enormous demand to claim the independence of Kojima Productions. However, there is something else: its great purpose is to claim, almost rebelliously, that the new generation of video game creators have the freedom to create the games they want.
However, someone needs to show that this is an old-fashioned way of thinking. Young creators must have freedom of choice. This is one of the reasons I keep “creating things.”
Needless to say, not everyone has the unconditional support of PlayStation and Xbox, as well as a name recognized on a global scale. Those bridges you are talking about Death Stranding. But, to be fair, in the end that is also a double-edged sword: in the video game industry you can live off the income, but in the end the weight of your current legacy is measured by your latest work. And it is clear that without a strong author’s name, Sam Bridges’ journey would not have been a phenomenon in itself, nor would what he has in his hands with Jordan Peele have us so intrigued.
At 60 years old, Hideo Kojima wants to continue taking the narrative of video games to places where it has either not been, or has not been delved into sufficiently. Not only based on creativity, of which there is plenty, but on a more than justified rebellious spirit. That kind of spirit that he seeks to connect in different ways with the player and, in the end, It makes a difference in each of his works.
In iGamesNews | Hideo Kojima and the challenge of connecting with the player through the video game
