Hideo Kojima says he was “opposed by peers, colleagues, and relatives” when he decided to go independent

Hideo Kojima says that when he parted ways with Konami, he was “opposed” by peers, colleagues, and relatives” who told him that going independent would “never work”.

In a statement shared to X/Twitter overnight, Kojima also reflected on why he continues to make games, saying that one of the reasons he became an independent developer was because creating games “is living” and “no longer a job”.

“The reason why I am independent and advocate a life-long career is because for me, ‘creating things’ is no longer a job,” Kojima said in the lengthy tweet.

“That’s why there is no retirement. Creating things is living. One more thing. In the game industry, there are very few people who have succeeded in becoming independent from a major game production studio, whether in Japan or abroad. Even eight years ago, when I started my own company, I was opposed by everyone, including my peers, colleagues, and relatives, who said, ‘It will never work!’. They said it was impossible without the financial and organizational strength of a company.

“However, someone must prove that that is an old-fashioned way of thinking,” he added. “Young creators must be given freedom of choice. This is one of the reasons why I continue to ‘create things’.”

ICYMI, A24 has partnered with Kojima Productions to bring the live-action Death Stranding film to life.

The American film and TV production company is known for its surreal work, making it a good fit for Kojima (in my opinion). It also acts as a distributor for films, with titles such as the Oscar-winning Everything Everywhere All At Once and the brilliant (also in my opinion) Ex Machina included in its library.

“A24 was born into this world about 10 years ago, their presence is singular within the industry, they are like no other. The films they are delivering to the world are high in quality and very innovative,” Death Stranding creator Hideo Kojima said following the announcement.

Did you notice the references to the Silent Hill series in the first trailer for Hideo Kojima’s Xbox project OD?