The recent events surrounding the separation of Hideo Kojima, creator of the Metal Gear Solid series, from Konami has been an emotional rollercoaster. Kojima, following his absence from The Game Awards, has announced the creation of his own game studio in partnership with Sony.
The new website, named Kojima Productions, has launched a website with a message written by Kojima to fans on the front page. The message is directed towards the gaming community and relates Kojima’s plans for the new studio and his goals moving forward after his separation from Konami:
We are Homo Ludens (Those who play).
From the moment we enter this world, we instinctively invent ways to have “fun,” and share our inventions with those around us. We are not asked to do this, nor do we need reasons to create. It is simply who we are.
We find one another and compete with one another. We laugh together and cry together; all while playing together. Our experiences bind us and liberate us. To share our most valuable experiences, we create stories, invent tools, and evolve the art of play. Play has been our ally since the dawn of civilization.
“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).
Even if the earth were stripped of life and reduced to a barren wasteland, our imagination and desire to create would survive–beyond survival, it would provide hope that flowers may one day bloom again. Through the invention of play, our new evolution awaits.
Kojima Productions — We are Homo Ludens. We are those who play.
Hideo Kojima
Kojima Productions seems to be moving ahead at full steam with plenty of job opportunities displayed upon the front page of its website, ranging from graphic artists, programmers to music composers. Those that are familiar with the unique artwork of the Metal Gear Solid series, done by Yoji Shinkawa, may recognize the new logo for the studio.
It’s comforting to see that Hideo Kojima has not lost faith despite the past year. It was only recently that his absence was noted at The Game Awards. It was later revealed by Geoff Keighley that Konami lawyers advised him not to show.