Death threats forced Kojima to lead MGS4 project

by James Ransom-Wiley { Nov 21st 2005 at 2:15PM }

It turns out that a series of deaths threats helped to encourage Hideo Kojima's decision to head the Metal Gear Solid 4 project. Initially, Kojima had planned to take a lesser role, but when the staff caught wind of the death threats he had been receiving, they urged him to return to his position as the series' head. Thankfully, since his transition back to the top, the death threats have ceased, and the staff can now look back on the incident with a smile.

[Thanks, Lost Alley; via ps3today.com]

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Simon @ Dec 18th 2005 10:01PM

Wow, I mean I thought _I_ was serious about games, but this is a whole different league.

sauer @ Dec 18th 2005 10:01PM

What? That's gotta be fake.

Rob @ Dec 18th 2005 10:01PM

How can they look back on that and smile? For one, he's now burdened with a lot of extra responsibility. Two, they're just rewarding and condoning the type of people who make death threats. Death threats about video games, no less.

ry @ Dec 18th 2005 10:01PM

And we all mocked Jack Thompson for saying that video games make people violent...

mat @ Dec 18th 2005 10:01PM

Give me a break! I don't believe that story for one minute...

So Kohima-san just gave in and decided to "announce" a lead role on the development. Thats stupid. Now, for all we know he's just saying he's working on the project.

If you ask me, its bizarre marketing hype from an bizaree eccentric man...

Lyndon @ Dec 18th 2005 10:01PM

Does anyone else think that the the MGS4 team may have sent him the death threats ?

the "dude" @ Dec 18th 2005 10:01PM

Thats BS...Hideo was DYING to head the MGS4 team (no pun intended).
Some fanboy that was probably no older than 12 wrote him a letter telling him how upset he was and just happend to put in "golly jeepers I'm so miffed mr hideo that....that I could...kill you even...sir!"
Kojima just used this to impose his dominance on the franchise and the team...he used these simple empty words in a 12 yr old's letter to put a strangle hold on those who would take his IP into another direction.

Shagi @ Dec 18th 2005 10:01PM

That s the biggest load of BS markerting ever...I dont doubt that he maybe had some phone calls but im sure they've blown it way up and out of proportion...Who would let someone force them to do something they didnt want to?

BS plain and simple...and by the way some of us dont even give a shit about MGS.

Hachi_roku @ Dec 18th 2005 10:01PM

I guess its a inside job, how would the average fan know if he is really working on the project or not unless someone on the inside was able to confirm it. I guess its BS

Truth @ Dec 18th 2005 10:01PM

I'm sorry but the MG series is not that great. Damn! Death threats. lol

mat @ Dec 18th 2005 10:01PM

I'm glad I'm not the only one that thinks this is bogus...

The only thing he should get death threats over are Metal Gear Ac!d and that stupid Metal Gear comic they're coming out with for PSP.

Logicus @ Dec 18th 2005 10:01PM

Yeah I agree, this story seems extremely bizzare. And without more to go with, than this short article, I dont understand why Joystiq would print it.

Truth @ Dec 18th 2005 10:01PM

Now if was the Halo series I could see....lol

MrTroy @ Dec 18th 2005 10:01PM

Ok folks... It's obviously fake

"Source: Game Informer"

Laughing Man @ Dec 18th 2005 10:01PM

Sounds like crap. I met Kojima at E3. He was on his own, waiting for a taxi, no Konami handlers, anything. Just chilling out on his own. Didn't seem like a guy who was worried about death threats at the largest nerd convention in the US. I told him he was the Stanley Kubrick of games. He shook my hand.

Stephen King @ Dec 18th 2005 10:01PM

Have you ever read a little book called 'Misery'? Fans can be pretty obsessive.

TaiZ @ Dec 18th 2005 10:01PM

If I was Kojima, and I really gotten death threats, I would make sure the game sucked more than "Barbie Horse Adventure" just to piss off those that threatened me.

If he really had death threats, did he attempt to contact the athorities?

metal_gear_jello @ Dec 18th 2005 10:01PM

Here is a link to the Game Informer interview with Kojima.

http://www.metalgearsolid.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5115

Quote in question:
"I was going to look to the content like a movie producer. But ever since I announced that, there was a lot of misunderstanding, and I got a lot of mail. I got many calls and fan letters saying that they will kill me if I don�t do Metal Gear. And of course the staff heard about this and got very nervous. We talk today as if it was a joke, but at the time, it was not a joke at all. It was serious. And the staff came to me and said �Mr. Kojima, you have to direct this, just like you�ve always been doing.� So I decided to do Metal Gear Solid 4. And since I am doing Metal Gear Solid 4, I really had to sit down and do it, meaning that the original plan for other games that I had will be pushed a little bit off into the future. "

Crushed @ Dec 18th 2005 10:01PM

Hideo really HAS wanted to leave MGS for a while and put it into new hands who would lead into new directions; WTF do you think the Snake:Raiden:passing on the torch:changing and leaving your mark on history metaphor was all about?

That said, there probably weren't any real death threats. If there were, they came from Masturbate to Kojima HQ, AKA the MGS section on IGN. Those guys make "fanboy" seem like a compliment.

James Montagna (Mario Kart Drift Squad) @ Dec 18th 2005 10:01PM

TaiZ, have you, or anyone else that keeps mentioning it, actually PLAYED Barbie Horse Adventure?!? I mean, come on, for all we know, it could be the masterpiece of this generation!

Anyway... I can't believe Mr. Kojima took that death threat so seriously. I told him I was only kidding, jeeze...

thejoemeister @ Dec 18th 2005 10:01PM

They can look back and smile because they probably wrote them.

1up_clock @ Dec 18th 2005 10:01PM

Source: Game Informer

Yep, it's BS. I mean, these are the people who think Enter the Matrix and Star Fox Adventures are better games than both Paper Marios. And still do.

Venator2000 @ Dec 18th 2005 10:01PM

My guess is it was Krazy Ken Kutaragi after a bad saki bender. "Ohhhh, we have NOTHING to show at E3 for the PS3, and Hideo said he was leaving the Metal Gear series! How can I persuade him to make another one?" Heh.

your enemies friends @ Dec 18th 2005 10:01PM

yes! our plan worked. COBRAAAAAAA!!!!!!

Lansing @ Dec 18th 2005 10:01PM

Now if was the Halo series I could see....lol

Ugg, Halo pales in comparison to the depth MGS offers. Anyway I hope someone does leave the Halo team because that story was piece of crap and their level design after the first 5 of so levels was so pathetic it pissed me off. Come on copy and paist should not be a developers technique when making levels longer on a AAA game.

Sorry, I just don't think Halo is nearly as good as MGS. Keeping one player in mind a bit here since MGS isn't much of a multiplayer game. But if multiplayer is the thing to argue over than I'd say Socom is better than Halo, better stratagy and varriable ways of attacking.

its_a_me....mario! @ Dec 18th 2005 10:01PM

is it me....or does this guy look kind of like an asian johny depp ( with those glasses on) look at the picture.

Babylonian @ Dec 18th 2005 10:01PM

Kojima-san is too honorable. He does not fear things such as mere death.

jacob patrick @ Dec 18th 2005 10:01PM

i was thinking he seemed kinda dispondant.

it was probabley ken.
ken's blatantley part of the yakuza i mean why did nintendo not sue when they got all there best ideas stolen, they're probably to scared of being wacked in the middle of a court hearing. this wouldn't surprise me at all and this probably wasn't the first either. think about this all those times that sony lied to you and all those violent games that they made available to kids, there not very ethical to say the least and being an immoral company is just one step away from being a mafia.

kilo @ Dec 18th 2005 10:01PM

sniff sniff...smell that? yep...

bullshit

Video Game News @ Dec 18th 2005 10:01PM

If this is true, then it sounds like Hideo has involved himself in something he shouldn't have...

It sounds awful strange for a gamer to send out death threats like this.

Chris @ Dec 18th 2005 10:01PM

Ha, I was thinking the Misery thing as well - d

Maybe that's why Snake is getting older - Kojima planned that eventually he will die of old age, but nutty fans will kidnap Kojima and break his ankles until he brings him back from the grave..

just a thought.

and yea, when i saw 'now they can look back and smile' , you can imagine them sat round going ,

'hey kojima, remember when you got those death threats which forced you to make this new Metal Gear Solid'

'yea, jeez, that was a bit ..intense wasn't it. anyway at least everyone will know that I don't bow down and give in to any death threats...oh wait....'