Developer Hideo Kojima is done making Metal Gear. He’s done making any game at publisher Konami. And as fans play through his latest release, he’s saying goodbye.
Konami released an official “debriefing” video for Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain that features Kojima and others talking about his legacy. It’s an insightful video filled with tidbits about the open-world action game’s production, but it is also a look into the strange world of triple-A development.
It’s hard to imagine another medium where something like this would happen. If you’re unfamiliar with the state of affairs over at Konami, the company has shuttered the Kojima Productions development studio, and it the publisher is parting ways with Kojima himself. He’s simply finishing out his time to see through the release of The Phantom Pain.
I cannot think of an example in film or music where a creator would work on a franchise for 28 years and then have to say goodbye as their releasing their final work because the company they work for doesn’t want them anymore.
Check out the video below for a better peek inside the odd realm of making games: