# Kojima was too expensive apparently (KojimaGate)



## Simon (Jul 27, 2015)

Apparently Kojima was super expensive, he was getting payed a fixed rate regardless of how much the game sells. He also delayed the game because he was unhappy countless times. 
He also just pulled general Kojima-esque things, like have the music composer (I'm guessing Harry Greggson Williams?) make a bunch of songs, then he doesn't like them so he doesn't bother using them after they payed for them.

The source of the info is Rika Muranaka, one of the composers on MGS1-2-3.
She says he was let go for not being business oriented.

(Article in French)(OG Source)()


> *Daley:* "The main reason for the falling out, at least in her opinion, is that Kojima gets paid a salary, and doesn't make any profit share on the game. He gets paid a certain amount no matter what, and he was spending so much money and delaying the project, and adding all these features and making sure the game was the biggest and best thing it could be, and Konami was unhappy with that because [delaying] has no effect on him. He was spending the budget on this and that and upgrading the Fox Engine and then delaying further because the engine wasn't ready, and Konami wasn't happy with that because he gets his salary and he takes a more traditional "Japanese man" approach by not taking a profit share. So in doing that, he gets a little more than a game creator would but doesn't take bonuses from the game selling well."
> *
> Yong:* "So you're telling me that Kojima wanting to make the game the best it can be is what started the conflict?"
> 
> ...


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## Xiammes (Jul 27, 2015)

Kojim'a own greatness was his downfall.

Also its not like the Metal Gear games don't sell well, guy should be given a unlimited budget.


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## Simon (Jul 27, 2015)

Glad he spared no expense and didn't cut corners with his final game.


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## Deathbringerpt (Jul 27, 2015)

Surprising it lasted as long as it did, honestly. This is why Kojima isn't going for low budget indie game dev. He needs big japanese bucks to make his blockbuster shit built around his million dollar whims.


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## Simon (Jul 27, 2015)

Deathbringerpt said:


> Surprising it lasted as long as it did, honestly. This is why Kojima isn't going for low budget indie game dev. He needs big japanese bucks to make his blockbuster shit built around his million dollar whims.


This is why I cant see Kojima staying in video games, no one is going to give him an unlimited budget and that much creative freedom like Konami has, not even the big three.


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## Canute87 (Jul 27, 2015)

Simon said:


> This is why I cant see Kojima staying in video games, no one is going to give an unlimited budget and that much creative freedom like Konami has, not even the big three.



Yeah nobody has money to waste.

But konami caused this.  This is what happens when you give people too much freedom, they take advantage of it.


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## Kathutet (Jul 27, 2015)

He got fired for being too based and wanting to make a really good looking and good working game as opposed to a shitty game that's pretty much the old game running with new skins

And also for squandering a bunch of money 

Kojima
Shine on you crazy diamond


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## itzie4 (Jul 27, 2015)

Kojima needs to go work for Nintendo, rockstar, or Sony. Some kind of place where he gets an unlimited budget and can do what he wants.

I'm not that mad at konami. I get where they're coming from and transitioning into a new company direction is better move in the long run if they can't afford projects like silent hills. I'll still support them if they make metal gear solid 6 or metal gear rising 2 or whatever.


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## The World (Jul 27, 2015)

Kenneth said:


> He got fired for being too based and wanting to make a really good looking and good working game as opposed to a shitty game that's pretty much the old game running with new skins
> 
> And also for squandering a bunch of money
> 
> ...



kojima shine bright like a diamond


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## Krory (Jul 30, 2015)

inb4 EA acquires Kojima, too.


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## Canute87 (Aug 2, 2015)

itzie4 said:


> Kojima needs to go work for Nintendo, rockstar, or Sony. Some kind of place where he gets an unlimited budget and can do what he wants.
> 
> I'm not that mad at konami. I get where they're coming from and transitioning into a new company direction is better move in the long run if they can't afford projects like silent hills. I'll still support them if they make metal gear solid 6 or metal gear rising 2 or whatever.



Nintendo is not giving Kojima an unlimited budget.

Rockstar doesn't need Kojima, not even in the slightest.

Sony can't afford to be wasting money.


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## Deathbringerpt (Aug 2, 2015)

I doubt any publisher is going to give Kojima any budget for an open world game. It's one thing to make a linear game with heavy content density but cheap open world games are one of the most expensive games to make in the industry, much less a AAA open world game and even less if it's a Kojima AAA open world game.


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## Nemesis (Aug 2, 2015)

Simon said:


> This is why I cant see Kojima staying in video games, no one is going to give him an unlimited budget and that much creative freedom like Konami has, not even the big three.



I would have to disagree.

Sony and Microsoft could be on to a multi generational winner if they tie up Kojima's signature to the point that they could give him an unlimited budget and realise that his games literally print money, will sell consoles etc.

People need to also get off the SONY is broke train of thought.  They're not.  Parts of Sony may be struggling BUT their console/gaming division is always pulling good profits.  Sony can compete when it comes to $$$s and could afford Kojima budgets.


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## Simon (Aug 2, 2015)

I'm not saying the big three can't afford to give him an unlimited budget, but giving him that budget to do something that's not MGS? Sounds risky.


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## Canute87 (Aug 2, 2015)

Nemesis said:


> I would have to disagree.
> 
> Sony and Microsoft could be on to a multi generational winner if they tie up Kojima's signature to the point that they could give him an unlimited budget and realise that his games literally print money, will sell consoles etc.
> 
> People need to also get off the SONY is broke train of thought.  They're not.  Parts of Sony may be struggling BUT their console/gaming division is always pulling good profits.  Sony can compete when it comes to $$$s and could afford Kojima budgets.



If Kojima's games...... I mean metal gear were pulling the weight of Rockstar you'd have a point.


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## Simon (Aug 3, 2015)

Holy shit I feel bad for people who work at Konami.

Also MGSV had a $80 million development budget, I stand by my statement. NO ONE is ever going to give him that much money to make a game again.


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## Xiammes (Aug 3, 2015)

Does the $80 million count ground zero's, pretty sure they made a pretty penny for whats considered a tech demo.


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## Simon (Aug 3, 2015)

Xiammes said:


> Does the $80 million count ground zero's, pretty sure they made a pretty penny for whats considered a tech demo.


Not sure, but MGS4 development cost was around $70 million alone. I can't imagine how much it cost to develop the fox engine on top of that $80 million.


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## Jake CENA (Aug 3, 2015)

Kojima might be going insane and was probably having nightmares that his last MGS game wont surpass anything that came before it lol


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## SionBarsod (Aug 3, 2015)

Simon said:


> Holy shit I feel bad for people who work at Konami.
> 
> Also MGSV had a $80 million development budget, I stand by my statement. NO ONE is ever going to give him that much money to make a game again.






> Employees deemed useless have been known to do assembly line work, security guard detail, cleanup at fitness clubs.




Holy shit.


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## Krory (Aug 3, 2015)

All this proves is that Konami is cheap because a game like Tomb Raider had a $100 million budget.  I mean, he's not making shit like Gears 1 which only ran for $10 million.

I mean, MGS4 sold 5 million copies which is generally considered the low point of what could make up for a budget like $100 million... *and that was on one console*. MGS5 is hitting two consoles and PC, and the series has grown exponentially more popular since then.

Literally any other publisher (that can afford it, mind you) except probably Activision and Ubisoft would give Kojima that kind of bank at this point, considering his reputation.

(For the record, Tomb Raider is now considered successful with only 8.5 million sales - the reason it was considered a flop previously is because Square completely overshot its expectations, looking at *15 million* sales - they literally wanted CoD numbers, and because they based it solely on only initial sales)


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## Krory (Aug 3, 2015)

NEvermind the fact Konami is getting as greedy as Capcom and Square thought they should be, since they saw a big income on a sub-$1 million budget game and thought, "Hey, we should do this WITH ALL OF OUR STUFF!"


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## the_notorious_Z.É. (Aug 3, 2015)

With an 80.000.000 budget they only need to sell around 1.600.000 copies to cover that cost, I'm sure MGS5 is going to sell a lot more than that, I don't see what's their problem.


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## Simon (Aug 3, 2015)

Krorypheus said:


> All this proves is that Konami is cheap because a game like Tomb Raider had a $100 million budget.


That $80 million doesn't include the fox engine development cost, definitely far more than $100 million together. An engine then don't plan on ever using again.


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## the_notorious_Z.É. (Aug 3, 2015)

They already used the Fox Engine on last year Pro Evolution Soccer and are using it again this year.


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## Simon (Aug 3, 2015)

the_notorious_Z.?. said:


> They already used the Fox Engine on last year Pro Evolution Soccer and are using it again this year.


I had no idea, still my point was that they aren't cheap, but incredibly stupid.


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## Nemesis (Aug 3, 2015)

the_notorious_Z.?. said:


> They already used the Fox Engine on last year Pro Evolution Soccer and are using it again this year.



THIS and like always will also be their biggest seller meaning the fox engine via PES will have likely paid for itself twice over.


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