Hideo Kojima says he rejects ‘ridiculous’ offers for his studio daily

Hideo Kojima would like people to understand that he is an independent developer of video games. That is, not only does his studio have “no affiliations with anyone,” but also “every day” the Death Stranding The author refuses buyout offers from any other company.

“Some of those offers are ridiculously high prices,” Kojima said in his latest edition of Brain Structure, a podcast available through Spotify. Kojima’s accent is in Japanese. “But it’s not that I want money. It’s not that I don’t want money. I just want to do what I love. That’s why I created this studio.”

Kojima hosts the podcast, and his guest this week was his good friend Geoff Keighley, himself the host of The Game Awards — so, Kojima ostensibly leading the discussion. (Disclosure: Kojima is a member of The Game Awards’ advisory board.)

Keighley quickly assumed the role as interviewer and asked Kojima questions about the latest developments in the gaming industry. “There are so many rumors about games, on social media especially, and I thought maybe we would talk about some of the rumors that are out there, and some of the truth that are behind those rumors,” Keighley said.

They then had a long discussion about rumor culture and entertainment products as well as social media. After mentioning this summer’s announcement that Kojima was working on a game for Microsoft’s Xbox Game Studios, Keighley brought up Kojima’s already-close working relationship with PlayStation and Sony Interactive Entertainment (Death Stranding He was (and still is) a PlayStation exclusive), and whether he had ever made promises to any console maker over the years.

“I think a lot of people have a misunderstanding about Kojima Productions,” he said. “I created this company in 2015 after leaving Konami. I paid 100% of the cost. There was no funding. So, we’re independent.”

Kojima acknowledged that his studio’s actual, physical proximity to both Sony’s worldwide headquarters (in Shibuya, Tokyo), as well as Sony Interactive Entertainment’s HQ, means “people tend to think we are part of Sony.” But as this summer’s announcement regarding Microsoft indicates, “we are indies. We are independent and have no affiliations. […]Every day I get approached by people from all corners of the globe to purchase our studio.

“Some of those offers are ridiculously high prices, but it’s not that I want the money,” Kojima said. “I want to make what I want to make. That’s why I created this studio.”

In other words, for those expecting Kojima Productions (and mascot Ludens) to be the latest big-name acquisition in a year shot through with them, don’t hold your breath. “As long as I’m alive, I don’t think I will ever accept those offers,” Kojima said.

One assumes Kojima’s posture comes from how his tenure ended with Konami in 2015, when the publisher jettisoned him and his ideas in favor of making pachinko machines and burning Pro Evolution Soccer to the ground.

Kojima is also an artist of 35+ years, who knows how to make creative capital.