Kojima Productions Will Not Work On Third-Party IPs

Like any other form of media, gaming has a lot of visionary creators. From Ed Boon to Hidetaka Miyazaki, these developers have left their eternal mark on video games through their creations. Arguably, the Cristopher Nolan of gaming in this regard and the most popular creator in the gaming industry is none other than Hideo Kojima.

The Japanese game designer has made some historical games like Metal Gear Solid and the demo PT. With the creation of his Kojima Productions studio, he is continuing this trend with triumphs like Death Stranding. But, Kojima has a rule for his new studio fans don’t like: He won’t make games about third-party IPs, just his creations.

Major Takeaways

• Hideo Kojima has said that he won’t work on any third-party IPs at Kojima Productions.
• He will only work on his own IPs, ending hope for a new Metal Gear Solid or Silent Hill.
• He has two projects in the work right now: Death Stranding 2 and a new IP for Xbox.

In a recent interview with IGN, Hideo Kojima talked about this new development. The Kojima Productions founder gave a tour of his new studio and talked about entering the studio’s phase 2. But, one of the most interesting things in the interview was this excerpt. 

When the interviewer asked Kojima about the current projects in works at the studio, he talked about this facet. Kojima Productions is currently working on Death Stranding 2 and a title for Xbox. And while in the middle of his corroborating answer, the developer dropped this bomb: 

We’re going to maintain the stance of making our own IP and not working on IP licensed from others. “

Before this sentence, Kojima does give an explanation for why this is the case. According to him, he has no goals to grow the company into a big powerhouse developing studio. The creator of Meta Gear Solid just wants to make fun video games and leave a legacy:

Kojima Production isn’t publicly traded, so I don’t have some goal of steadily growing the company. I just want to leave behind good work.”

Hence, Hideo Kojima just wants to work in his private bubble and bring his ideas to life. Working on existing IPs for gaming giants like Sony and Microsoft does bring a lot of money, but also unnecessary stress. You can probably thank the Silent Hill debacle for this, and his company being a private studio and not publicly traded.

Kojima does talk about some of his upcoming projects in this same answer. The way he talks about them, we can’t argue about his decision to lay low and produce exciting games. According to the interview, he is developing two games currently: 

Kojima Productions is currently developing DS2 and a title for Xbox, is that correct?

In addition to DS2, we’re making one other unusual title. While making games is hard, they’re also the most fun at the end of the day.

So, Hideo Kojima is making a game for Death Stranding publisher’s direct rival; Microsoft. However, just like the studio’s first game, it will be an in-house IP created by Kojima himself and not a third-party title from Xbox.

Therefore, Kojima is going to work with big studios, but on his terms and by giving his ideas life.

For long-time Hideo Kojima fans, this is no doubt a big letdown. Fans have wanted him to make a sequel to Metal Gear Solid and a new Silent Hill for a long time now. But those IPs are the property of Konami, making them a third-party venture.

Going by this interview, there is no chance Kojima Production’s works on them in the future. But, the studio has some other amazing projects on the way so there is much to be excited about. Kojima talked about some visual projects coming up from the studio in this interview:

 That’s the stance I’m taking while making games, while also considering making other kinds of visual projects.”

We already know about the Death Stranding movie which is apparently going in a different direction. But, the plural makes us this much more in development. Knowing, Hideo Kojima and his creations, these projects are going to be worth the wait. 

So, even though the no-third-part-IP rule is a bummer, Kojima Productions has an exciting future. Unless the creator has a change of heart, this is how things are going to stay. Hopefully, we see some change in the future, whether it is sooner or later.