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The press release says that they are looking for new main staff to join the team. They are looking for people with experience "working in high end game development, have creative ideas, passion for games, and good communication skills."
Konami and Kojima both confirmed today that Kojima will at least be with the company long enough for development to finish on Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain.
(Translation and information via NeoGAF)
Rising only gets away with it because Platinum make such fantastic games, the MGS franchise are the most exciting and unique experiences each year they are made, it's a shame Kojima's reward is this.
At this point, most of the story has been resolved and the death threats ended, so Mr. Kojima should've been "free" at that point. As for Metal Gear Solid: Rising, Kojima really wanted to avoid any involvement, but... Apparently Kojima Productions staff still wasn't exactly ready to go off on their own, since the game had no substance and technical problems with the sword mechanics couldn't be solved. The game was basically cancelled until Platinum Games showed how it can be a awesome game without being part of Metal Gear Solid (but part of the Metal Gear franchise), and convinced Mr. Kojima to let them rebrand to Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance and save the game (and boy was it exciting to play, especially with the rush you get from the soundtrack). Also the plot changed to take place after MGS4 and not as a prequel so woohoo there too.
It also convinced Mr. Kojima that he can't leave his team just yet because they're simply not mentored long enough to carry the Metal Gear Solid torch. This is where my point comes in. After Metal Gear Solid 5, I would like to think Mr. Kojima can once again trust his team to know how to protect the Metal Gear franchise and make a game worthy of the Metal Gear Solid series (or a new brand to make a new series of games for the Metal Gear franchise). The team at Kojima Productions can only be apprentices for so long, eventually they need to be able to make games without Mr. Kojima's involvement. I want Mr. Kojima to be able to drop in, hang out for a bit, and see that the game is going perfectly smoothly and in the style Mr. Kojima desires, and then go back to his own projects and Board meetings with Konami. Actually my point will continue a bit later. Just bear with me.
I know, I know, I can hear you. He's working on Silent Hills. But that's what I mean. Look how long it took for him to get a break. How often does he get to do games outside of Metal Gear? I mean sure, his wiki shows many games as producer (including Silent Hills apparently), but how about a more creative role like writer and director? I want to see more Boktai (lots of MGS elements in that game and then there's the management of real-life solar energy). I wouldn't mind a Policenauts sequel. Or an entirely different game. Heck even Shigeru Miyamoto gets to do smaller projects because it's fun to stretch your creative mind and do something different, yet familiar with your consistent style. Silent Hills is the best news I've heard for Mr. Kojima. It's not an original project like Boktai, but still a bit of freedom from doing another Metal Gear Solid title.
And now for the rest of my point. While I don't necessarily want Mr. Kojima to work on the next next MGS title, and to trust his team at Kojima Productions to be capable of protecting the Metal Gear franchise, I DO want Mr. Kojima to work on games he wants to try out but never had time for. I ALSO WANT KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS TO STAY BECAUSE THESE ARE PEOPLE MR. KOJIMA MENTORED DAMN IT! What on all that is good and Holy was Konami drinking when the Board made the insanely moronic decision to literally erase Kojima Productions? Why would you (figuratively) erase Mr. Kojima and his staff, when these are some of the best talent Konami has to offer?! Screw you and your future MGS franchise! I'll be happy to see what independent firm Mr. Kojima forms with whatever handpicked staff he brings along from Kojima Productions. I'll happily follow them and ignore Konami's future titles.
I don't need another MGS title. I want another Kojima title. If it's a spiritual successor to Boktai, or something completely different, I'm in. Erasing them will be a mistake if Konami keeps this up. This better be a sick and disgusting April Fools joke with Kojima laughing really hard at the end and going, "Did you rike it?"