“Playing” is not simply a pastime, it is the primordial basis of imagination and creation. Truth be told, Homo Ludens (Those who Play) are simultaneously Homo Faber (Those who Create).”
–Hideo Kojima
Let’s face it, many of us are looking at Konami right now as a once-great company that is heading way downhill. Their actions in the past couple of years are dubious at best, but this is still the sole company responsible for one of gaming’s most famous series ever. Everyone knows about Metal Gear Solid. For nearly two decades, it was Konami’s biggest flagship series by far and earned countless awards and accolades, and for good reason (I mean, the series basically invented the stealth genre). But all of that was made possible by the innovative vision of one man: Mr. Hideo Kojima.
The End of An Era: Departure From Konami
The year 2015 was the year that Kojima would fatefully part ways from Konami, after working for them for 19 years as a game developer. The conditions leading up to that were… less than amiable. Though nothing is confirmed, it has been revealed by Konami staff (usually anonymously) that Kojima and Konami’s other execs were at odds about things for some time by 2015.
Some postulate it had something to do with how his workers were being treated (they were viewed less like employees and more like contractors, even though they were technically part of Konami staff). Others believe it had something to do with either unfair pay grades or interference with Kojima and his team’s creative processes during development of The Phantom Pain (now considered by most to be his greatest achievement, regardless). No matter the reasons, there is no question that his departure from the company was messy. They even barred him from attending The Game Awards in 2015 to accept the two awards MGSV won, much to the outrage of many attendees.
The Masterpiece That Could Have Been: Silent Hills Cancellation
It’s all massively disappointing. The man who made Metal Gear what it is won’t even be a part of the series anymore (and yes, it is still definitely going to continue without him). And, it actually gets worse. For years now, Kojima had been expressing interest in working on Konami’s other biggest flagship series– yes, I’m talking about Silent Hill. Not only did the president of Konami finally greenlight the project, but it was also shaping up to potentially be the best horror experience we might see in decades. Seriously.
In 2014, the now famous demo for the title Kojima was to direct, Silent Hills, was released to the public on PS4. Simply titled P.T. (literally, “playable teaser”), the demo was so terrifying and cinematically impressive that it actually won awards and nominations on some mediums as both a trailer and a game itself. Kojima worked with Guillermo Del Toro (you know, the guy who directed things like Hellboy, Pan’s Labyrinth, Pacific Rim) and it was very clear that the two were a power couple for cinematic horror.
Silent Hills was going to be the best thing the series had seen, and I would even wager to say it probably would have made history for horror in the gaming industry. Unfortunately, the prospect of Silent Hills was terminated alongside Kojima by Konami, and we will never see what P.T. would have evolved into as a full release. On April 29th, 2015, the demo was removed from the Playstation Store forever.
New Beginnings: Kojima Production’s First Big Project
Even though everything Kojima Productions has ever done to wow us as gamers has been done in affiliation with Konami, the end of that partnership is far from the end of their legacy. Kojima took his entire staff from his team at Konami and simply created his own company partnered directly with Sony, who obviously accepted him with open arms.
Last E3, a teaser was revealed for his company’s first game, Death Stranding, which stars Norman Reedus (who was previously working with him as the star for Silent Hills). While it won’t be P.T., it definitely is a dark and immersive horror-based game, and it definitely looks like KojiPro is incorporating the same sort of cinematic techniques it was using in their scrapped project. Little is known about the game as of now and the trailer is fairly cryptic (albeit artistically and cinematically fantastic), but according to Kojima it is meant to push the boundaries of immersion for gamers.
He has described it as being a similar situation to the first Metal Gear, in that it was “labeled an action game because stealth was not yet a genre.” It is clear he hopes for his first official IP to create a new sort of genre that explores the medium a new way, just as Metal Gear did. A lofty goal, of course, but Kojima has a good track record for both complex (and dark) storytelling and making a video game into a cinematic experience. I think we can expect something new and exciting from this title, as well as a potentially thrilling horror experience.
“Our New Evolution Awaits”
Even though we won’t see anything else in the Metal Gear universe by him, I think it’s fairly safe to say we haven’t seen the last of Kojima’s creative genius. The man has a sha
rp eye for both screenwriting and film production, and we are fortunate that he has adapted that eye see gaming as the modern medium to display it. I feel as though we can certainly expect him to not only do fine without Konami holding back his vision, but see it soar to even higher levels.
Now with their own company and nobody to answer to, Kojima Productions can do everything we’ve seen them do well in MGS and only push those boundaries further. Norman Reedus keeping in contact with Kojima even after the total cancellation of their title is a good indication that KP is on the right track. Hell, even though Del Toro (at least as of now) isn’t working with Kojima for Stranding, the two have remained in contact and he even has expressed interest in working with him again.
Call me an optimist, but as someone who has followed Kojima religiously ever since his fateful departure from Konami, I firmly believe that out of the ashes of Silent Hills we are going to see some true greatness from the man’s cinematic vision in his first title. His departure from the company was their loss, and by freeing his team to do what they do best, it is truly all of us with so much more to gain.
