Even Hideo Kojima's relatives didn't agree with him going independent after leaving Konami

Acclaimed video game maker Hideo Kojima has touched on how those around him reacted after he planned to go independent following his departure from Konami.

If you know Kojima, you probably know the whole drama involving him leaving Konami, resulting in the cancellation of the highly anticipated Silent Hills. After a bit of time exploring the world, Kojima then went on to found his own studio, Kojima Productions, which has obviously gone on to make Death Stranding. Now, in a recent tweet shared to his English language Twitter, the Metal Gear Solid creator explained why he made this change. "The reason why I am independent and advocate a life-long career is because for me, 'creating things' is no longer a job," Kojima wrote.

"That's why there is no retirement. Creating things is living. One more thing. In the game industry, there are very few people who have succeeded in becoming independent from a major game production studio, whether in Japan or abroad. Even eight years ago, when I started my own company, I was opposed by everyone, including my peers, colleagues, and relatives, who said, 'It will never work!'

"They said it was impossible without the financial and organisational strength of a company. However, someone must prove that that is an old-fashioned way of thinking. Young creators must be given freedom of choice. This is one of the reasons why I continue to 'create things'."

Of course, a couple of things that Kojima is missing here is that 1. he's literally Hideo Kojima, often framed as the first video game auteur, and 2. even in 2015 there were several successful indie game studios, though obviously that is operating at a different scale.

Earlier this month, Kojima revealed his next game, OD, a horror game that apparently isn't quite a game, or a movie, but something else maybe? Who knows, it's Kojima, it'll be weird whatever it is - there's just the question of whether it'll be the P.T. we always wanted.