Hideo Kojima is one of the most prolific and artistic developers of this generation. A petition was created recently to potentially block a partnership between Kojima and Xbox. This petition came to light thanks to a rumor about Kojima Productions developing a cloud-based game for Xbox.Even though Kojima Productions’ first game was a PlayStation exclusive, that doesn’t mean Kojima Productions is a PlayStation Exclusive Studio.
Kojima is Not Exclusive
During the fallout between Konami and Kojima in 2015, many people and loyal fans of Kojima were wondering where the legendary game developer would land next. Fans didn’t have to wait long, as it only took a few months for Kojima to announce Kojima Productions and its first game will be exclusive to PlayStation 4.The partnership between Sony and Kojima Productions made sense.Kojima Productions and Sony are based out of Japan. Microsoft never had success with Japanese developers so they wouldn’t have the upper hand if they had even attempted to partner with Kojima. Many people forgot that Kojima Productions is still a stand-alone studio. Kojima is allowed to partner with any console it wants to, or it can even develop a title for all consoles. Each title Kojima has created, whether it be the Metal Gear Solid franchise or Death Stranding, the games offer a unique spin on gameplay. Each one of the games has also had a unique story, whether it be complex like Metal Gear or hold a deeper meaning like Death Stranding.Kojima and his games aren’t tied to a single platform or franchise. The most recent rumor of Kojima partnering with Xbox for a title is nothing to be frustrated about.Most of the Metal Gear Solid titles have been exclusive to the PlayStation console besides a certain few.Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes, which was a remake of the original Metal Gear Solid, was released for the Nintendo GameCube in 2004. The Metal Gear Solid franchise would not release on a Nintendo console again post this release. The first Metal Gear Solid title to release for the Xbox consoles didn’t come out until 2014 with Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes.Now that Kojima is able to develop titles with his own development studio, exclusivity and loyalty to a certain platform is not a problem or a rulebook for the studio.
Xbox on the Rise
It was revealed recently that Xbox has been performing better than its previous generations with the Xbox Series X and S consoles.Xbox has yet to purchase a Japan-based studio, so they are turning to the next viable options to help with the brand’s relationship with the country. Their partnership plans to bring the Yakuza series to Game Pass, as well as bringing localization to its first-party titles. This has helped the company have a more positive view in the eyes of Japan’s gaming community.A partnership with Kojima makes a lot of sense.As the team at Xbox, as well as most of the country, was working from home for the past year, eager-eyed fans began to see clues in the background of video calls featuring Phil Spencer.The first easter egg highlighted in Spencer’s background was the Xbox Series S, which would end up being officially announced just a few months later.Another major easter egg connects Xbox to Kojima Productions.During a stream where Spencer talked about the future of gaming. He mentioned how cloud gaming will play a huge part in the future and how xCloud will be part of that plan.On the shelves behind him was a Kojima Production’s Ludens figure. Kojima Productions has only developed one game, Death Stranding, and it was for PlayStation. Fans began to believe that this was in fact a clue and now many assume that a partnership between Xbox and Kojima is legitimate.
The Petition Itself
The petition to cancel the partnership arose last week and is addressed to Sony and Microsoft, amongst others.The petition’s description states, “Kojima is betraying his loyal fans. He has been blinded by greed. We must help him come back to the winning side. PLEASE SHARE THIS PETITION EVERYWHERE. Not everyone has good enough internet to stream games. Not everyone has enough money to buy a new console or build a new pc. Please Kojima, dont leave us.”Looking past the poor grammar, the creator of the petition believes that Kojima has been blinded by greed, and he has to come back to the winning side.Console Wars will always be a thing, but occurrences like this are ridiculous in their own right.Development studios, no matter how big or small, are all motivated by money. They want to create the best games and to do that, they require a budget that is usually provided by a long list of sources whether it be a parent company like Sony or Microsoft, or by a crowdfunding page like Kickstarter or Fig.As of this article, the petition has 920 signatures and its goal is to reach 1000.PlayStation fans need to get used to the idea of Xbox competing in the market.Xbox has been behind for a while in terms of console sales and that is due in part to the lack of exclusives to its console.The only way to put a stop to this narrative is to create exclusive games. Whether it’s through its own studios like The Initiative, or through buying and partnering with other studios. If Xbox has the money to bolster its first-party line-up, they will spend that money.Xbox is not stealing Kojima from Sony because Kojima does not belong to Sony. Kojima Productions is an independent studio that will partner with Sony or Microsoft, or even Nintendo to make games. The money the studio makes from those deals can help fund future projects that can be released on all consoles. Kojima is not an Xbox-only developer. He is not developing only for Sony. Kojima makes games, and ultimately money will decide where those games land.
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