Hideo Kojima Says Farewell to Metal Gear in New Video
"I'm sorry it took so long..." Hideo Kojima says goodbye to Metal Gear in a new 10 minute video...
Could this be an olive branch from Konami to its most famous game designer? The run-up to Metal Gear Solid V's launch has been mired in what appeared from the outside to be a very public falling out between series creator Hideo Kojima and his publisher, Konami.
This took in the removal of Kojima's name from The Phantom Pain's packaging and marketing materials, the dissolution of the designer's internal studio, Kojima Productions, and the cancellation of his horror game (designed in collaboration with director Guillermo del Toro), Silent Hills.
But Konami has been taking a more conciliatory tone over the past few days. The Phantom Pain's final trailer, released last week, was directed by Kojima himself, and felt very much like a nostalgic farewell to the series on the part of its creator.
Then came a tweet from Konami's official Twitter account, congratulating Kojima on "an amazing game."
And finally, we have this 10-minute "Debriefing," in which Kojima visits some of the personnel who've made the Metal Gear franchise such a success. Most poignantly, Kojima meets the family of Sean Paul Gillespie, a fan of the series who lost his battle with cancer in February.
"I'm sorry it took so long," Kojima says towards the end of the video. "But I feel we've created something very special, and I hope everyone will enjoy it."
There's a clear air of finality about the film, and while Kojima's talked about winding up the Metal Gear series before, this really does seem to mark the end of an era. We're hoping it isn't too long before Kojima announces some new, equally cinematic video game project.