metal gear solid

Even if you hate where you work, count your lucky stars that you don't work for Konami.

A report from the Japanese outlet Nikkei recently found out some terrible employment practices from the legacy video game company behind some enormous titles like the Metal Gear Solid and Silent Hill franchises. Kotaku kindly translated it for our English consumption.

Nikkei's report alleges that the culture at the corporation's video game division, famous for its console games, worsened in around 2010 when a mobile title called Dragon Collection became a smash hit. As a social game for phones, development costs were low and profit returns were huge. Not long after, the report says, Konami's corporate bosses shifted the company's focus away from traditional, hardcore games and towards cheaper, and potentially more lucrative social titles.

The allegations from the report cover some of the following crazy details:

• The studio behind the upcoming Metal Gear Solid V use computers allegedly not connected to the internet and are only able to send internal messages.



• Employees are monitored during their lunch break with time cards and if they take too long, their names are announced to the whole company.



• There are cameras in the office not for security, but rather to monitor the movements of the company's employees.



• Most Konami employees don't have their own permanent company email addresses, instead are given a randomized one that changes every few months.



• If game developers aren't thought to be useful at that time, they are reassigned to jobs as security guards, cleaners or in pachinko machine factories.



• The report describes one former employee who announced leaving the company on Facebook and then all the fellow employees who "liked" the status were reassigned into new jobs within the company.

CRAZY, right?

And it sounds like it's at least partly true from game journalists in the know.

The Nikkei report on Konami lines up very well with a lot of what I've heard from employees before. It sounds rough there.

— Mitch Dyer (@MitchyD) August 3, 2015

Konami has run into a swath of recent fan turmoil. First by systematically removing Metal Gear Solid mastermind Hideo Kojima from having anything to do with the company. And second, by ending the Guillermo Del Toro revamp of the Silent Hill series after the well-received P.T.demo.

Many speculate that Kojima is trying to focus on its less costly business endeavors like it's chain of fitness centers and its many pachinko machines.

I am so confused...

Via Videogamer:

Konami appears to be in the process of reinstating references to Hideo Kojima back into Metal Gear Solid branding.

Branding for Metal Gear Solid: The Legacy Collection appears to have been updated tonight to include the line 'A Hideo Kojima Game', with the game's product page now also featuring multiple references to Kojima."

From the critically acclaimed director, Hideo Kojima, METAL GEAR SOLID: The Legacy Collection offers the most complete METAL GEAR SOLID experience ever," the product page currently reads, later adding: "The 'Metal Gear' series is the seminal work of Hideo Kojima, Japan's master game creator, and the progenitor of the stealth action game genre."

The references to Kojima on the Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain and Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes had not been reinserted at the time of writing.

Rumors have been floating around that Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima is leaving Konami, after he said he's done with the series, and the brand is attempting to minimalize the appearance of his name on the latest Metal Gear Solid game:

Kojima's games typically feature heavy branding as "A Hideo Kojima Game," but advertisements of The Phantom Pain have recently been changed to remove that branding.  Additionally, news has surfaced that Kojima will no longer be an executive at Konami as of April 1st.  Though they haven't explicitly stated he's leaving the company, Konami released the following statement that all but confims it:

To Customers,

Thank you for your continued patronage of KONAMI products and services.

The latest title in the METAL GEAR series,“METAL GEAR SOLID V: THE PHANTOM PAIN” (below, “MGSV: TPP”), will be released as planned starting on Tuesday, September 1^st, 2015 in North America, Latin America, and Europe, followed by Japan and Asia on Wednesday, September 2^nd. Hideo Kojima will remain involved throughout.

Hideo Kojima stated, "I want to reassure fans that I am 100% involved and will continue working on METAL GEAR SOLID V: THE PHANTOM PAIN; I’m determined to make it the greatest game I’ve directed to date. Don’t miss it!"

In addition, KONAMI will continue to develop and distribute top-quality content in the METAL GEAR series following “MGSV: TPP.” We greatly anticipate and deeply appreciate your ongoing support for METAL GEAR.

As the next step in the series, KONAMI has already resolved to develop new “METAL GEAR”.

We will be conducting interviews for main staff to lead the development.

In an interview with IGN, creator Hideo Kojima claims Metal Gear is over:

I always say 'this will be my last Metal Gear,' but the games in the series that I've personally designed and produced -- Metal Gear on MSX, MG2, MGS1, 2, 3, 4, Peace Walker, and now MGSV -- are what constitute a single 'Metal Gear Saga.' With MGSV, I'm finally closing the loop on that saga.  In that sense, this will be the final 'Metal Gear Solid.' Even if the 'Metal Gear' franchise continues, this is the last 'Metal Gear.'

To be fair, this isn't the first time he's said this.  Kojima's been trying to get away from the series since Metal Gear Solid 2, but he was forced to go back when MGS3 wasn't going well.

The release date wasn't supposed to be announced for until tomorrow, but it's leaked and it's soon(ish): the worldwide release is scheduled for September 1, 2015.  Phantom Pain will be released for Xbox One/360, PlayStation 4/3, and PC. 

Head to the 50 minute mark to get to the game.

Not convinced you're getting your money's worth with next gen consoles? Check out these side by side comparisons between PS3/4, and Xbox 360/One. Also get a look at the next Metal Gear Solid game, Ground Zeroes, out March 18th.

This special edition PS4 drops March 20th in Japan to mark the release of Metal Gear Solid V.