BocoDragon posted on the NeoGaf thread, exactly what I was thinking. I don't care if my suspicions are true or not. The timing is just inappropriate to put it extremely nicely.

A Metal Gear game without Kojima's involvement is not a Metal Gear game I want. Rising is an exception here because it's an offshoot title that still had input and ideas from Kojima. To have a mainline Metal Gear game without him at the helm isn't something I want.

Without question, Metal Gear is my all time favorite franchise. Hell, my avatar has been related to it for ages. My avatar on Steam has been an 8-bit style Snake for probably at least a year+ now. I don't agree with what Konami is doing. If they make a new main line game in the Metal Gear franchise, I will at least try it and reserve my judgment until such a time. Maybe it will be amazing, the best the series has ever seen. But right now I do not want it. I do not want to think about it.

I'm the same, if we imagine that MGS5 would have been Kojima's last game in the series we can at least hope that these developments don't affect its quality at release, but when it comes time to play it i'll be thinking about these events the whole time.
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.

I have a slightly different perspective in that, I understand Mr. Kojima completely whenever he says the current MGS title he is working on, will be the last he will be involved in for the Metal Gear franchise (despite repeating that like a broken record for multiple titles). It's like just doing Call of Duty and nothing else. It gets REALLY tiring and burnout definitely happens. I'm actually surprised he went back to Metal Gear after developing the FOX Engine, as I totally expected him to be done after MGS4 and stretch his creative mind on to completely different projects. Figured the engine would be for the staff to work with (sort of like a John Carmack thing).

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?"

Sounds like its time to reboot.