Have you seen this man? His name is Hideo Kojima and he makes video games. And since March 19 he seems to have vanished.
Of course, he hasn't vanished from the internet. There have been various stories about Hideo Kojima and how his production company seems to have vanished. Then, there was, in my opinion, a seemingly canned PR-sounding quote from him. Or something.
But where's Hideo? Since March 19 his Twitter account has been silent. This is a man who used to incessantly tweet his meals. A man who tweeted out things he purchased and places he's been. A man who really fucking likes Twitter.
And yet, radio silence.
Maybe because things are awkward now! That would make sense. On March 19, people noticed a series of things that caused them to think that Koijima was no longer at Konami. What's he supposed to say to fans? He could start with the truth, whatever that is. At the very least, I think they deserve that.
Or maybe this is another Hideo Kojima publicity stunt. If so, it's a pretty shitty thing to do.
Today, Konami announced that this week's episode of Kojima's video podcast has been cancelled. It was supposed to be released tomorrow. Konami apologized to those looking forward to the latest Kojima Station episode, adding that the next episode will be announced once its air date has been decided.
M'kay. What's going on with Hideo Kojima and Konami is weird. On Japanese game blogs like My Game Watch and on Twitter, some said this latest cancellation "seems strange." One Twitter user wrote, "I'm getting a bad feeling," while others demanded a clear explanation about what was going on.
Hey, at least the Kojima Station site hasn't been deleted, right? Yet.
I'm fine with Hideo Kojima never doing another Metal Gear again—and I think MGSV: TPP is probably far enough along that his talented team can finish the game, staying true to his vision. I've wanted him to do something else for a while now. If the rumours are true, and he's leaving Konami, then this could be a blessing in disguise. Unless, you are really looking forward to Silent Hills, then... *insert sad face*
What I'm not fine with is corporate nonsense, smoke and mirrors, and spin.
This is speculation on my part, but I can't help but think we won't hear from him until he's rolled out on stage at E3 to talk about Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, only to be squirrelled away again until who knows when. Or maybe it'll be a video message. That would avoid any awkward questions.
But I hope I'm wrong, since there's no place to hide, and the internet is waiting.
Top photo: Anthony Harvey / Getty Images
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