We can see other people
Hideo Kojima, Metal Gear creator and all-around eccentric game-making dude, has offered further clarification on his studio’s relationship with industry giants PlayStation and Xbox, following on from his recent announcement that he will be working with the latter on an as-yet-unannounced new game.
Kojima made the initial announcement during Sunday’s Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase, where the auteur appeared in a pre-recorded video to reveal that he would be working with Xbox to make a challenging, “never-before-seen” title that will be at the cutting-edge of Xbox technology.
“It’s a completely new game that no one has ever experienced or seen before,” noted Kojima in the video. “I’ve waited very long for the day when I could finally start to create it.”
And that was that. Except it wasn’t.
Because The Internet, a small cabal of PlayStation users took Kojima’s comments as some kind of bizarre “betrayal” toward them, seeing his new Xbox project as a sign that he had left Sony behind to “chase the money” with some strange non-sentient idealization of a new lover. Many of these infuriated “fans” took to social media to voice their abject rage concern, with one aggrieved party going so far as to found a Change.org petition calling for the cancellation of the new Xbox project.
After the announcement of our partnership with Microsoft using the cloud technology, many people have asked us about our collaboration with SIE. Please be assured that we continue to have a very good partnership with PlayStation® as well.#KojimaProductions https://t.co/mVOELwDuk9
— KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS (Eng) (@KojiPro2015_EN) June 13, 2022
Following this online outburst, Kojima Productions took to Twitter yesterday in a bid to allay fears that the studio had become an Xbox-exclusive company.
“After the announcement of our partnership with Microsoft using the cloud technology, many people have asked us about our collaboration with SIE,” reads the tweet. “Please be assured that we continue to have a very good partnership with PlayStation as well.”
“As an independent creative studio, #KojimaProductions will continue pursuing work on creations for our fans. We will explore various possibilities with games, movies, and music through platforms that evolve with time and technology. We look forward to your continued support!”
While Kojima has now clearly clarified that he will continue to work with PlayStation and Xbox (as well as any platform he or his studio chooses), it is likely that this still will not be enough for the naysayers. Y’see, for some people, it’s not even just about Kojima Productions being Xbox-exclusive. It’s simply about Kojima Productions collaborating with Xbox period. PlayStation vs. Xbox, WWE vs. AEW, Cat vs. Dog. Online tribalism in action. Come back Team Edward vs. Team Jacob, all is forgiven.
Kojima Productions’ Xbox project is in development. We will no doubt hear more details later in 2022.
