It doesn't matter how many times you see the Metal Gear Solid Delta trailers and how good it looks compared to the original: at no time is the iconic phrase read 'A Hideo Kojima Game'. Four words that, to be fair, we are not sure that they are even relevant despite the fact that in many aspects it is considered the best game of its creator. There were already problems regarding the covers of the latest instalments and the departure of the creative from Konami, the company and owner of the franchise, was not exactly discreet. Have tempers cooled since then?
First things first: despite it sounding like a huge obviousness, Hideo Kojima's name will be present in the credits of Metal Gear Solid Delta along with that of all the developers who participated in the original Metal Gear Solid 3 from 2004. This has been confirmed Noriaki Okamurathe current producer of the entire series, at a special event in which the development of the game was discussed in depth. During the event, a question and answer session was held, and Okamura said that he would love to work with Kojima and the rest of the original team again.
Noriaki Okamura has his own career with the Metal Gear saga that goes back a long way, for the record. He produced games like Metal Gear Acid 2, Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops and a not so interesting Metal Gear Survive, the first game created and released after Kojima's departure. And although, as he commented, he, along with Virtuous, many of those who worked on Metal Gear Solid 3 have returned, for him it would be a dream to do a Snake adventure again with the creator of the saga.
“Speaking for myself, I would like nothing more than to work with Mr. Kojima and the rest of the team again. If that could happen, it would be a dream come true.”
“But people have moved on to new things and now have new commitments, so that is our current reality. We can’t just take it for granted that everyone will come back to work with us, nor can we completely depend on them.”
“I just don't think it's right for us to be the ones making that kind of demand of anyone. So we work with the expectation that whatever we do, it's up to us, it's on our shoulders to do a good job.”
The other reality is that Hideo Kojima currently has his hands fullHis studio, Kojima Productions, is working on no less than three games including the sequel to Death Stranding, the mysterious OD for Xbox Game Studios and a new, unnamed game announced for PlayStation that will mark his return to the tactical espionage of the Metal Gear saga. Another thing is that he has turned the page on the Solid Snake saga: he is involved in the film adaptation and frequently mentions it on his social networks.
Almost ten years after the divorce between the creative and the company, Noriaki Okamura leaves the door open for Hideo Kojima's return to the saga. Which, needless to say, does not represent the global vision of a Konami that for all intents and purposes has the last word. The new plans are to revitalize the franchise, as is the case with Silent Hill, being Metal Gear Solid Delta both the battering ram and the starting point. But let's not kid ourselves, at some point in the future we will have to tackle the challenge of a sixth installment of Metal Gear Solidso we are left with the essential: the first modest steps for that to happen one day are being taken.
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