It’s not looking good for the future of Silent Hills.
When it was announced that Hideo Kojima would be taking the reins of the series, people were understandably excited by the prospect of the Metal Gear creator pulling the once beloved series from out of the doldrums. P.T., its mysterious playable teaser, confirmed that Kojima knew how to nail down the survival horror genre, and we couldn’t wait to get our hands on the finished product. However, with Kojima reportedly leaving Konami following the release of the upcoming Metal Gear Solid V, the publisher has removed his development studio Kojima Productions’ logo from the official Silent Hills website, which is yet more proof that the game could be in jeopardy.
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While the Fox Engine logo remains on the page, Kojima’s name is nowhere in sight, with Konami releasing a statement which doesn’t exactly fill us with confidence. Speaking to GameSpot, a spokesperson for Konami said: “Konami has switched from a studio-based to a headquarters-based organization, so [Kojima Productions] wouldn’t be listed as a studio anymore. At this time, there are no additional updates to share.”
It’s looking more and more likely that Kojima will severe ties with Konami, with the developer maintaining his radio silence amid reports that his relationship with the publisher has soured. While previous reports have stated that Konami is looking to no longer continue with Kojima Productions being a subsidiary company, they have also suggested that the developer may not want to continue working under the umbrella of the publisher and will look to branch out on their own, as Konami has allegedly forced a number of key developers to move from their salaried positions to become independent contractors. If that’s the case, it’s understandable why the relationship between the two companies would be strained.
Silent Hill fans will be hoping that this issue will be rectified, but Konami’s statement seems to suggest that they are going ahead with the move away from employing Kojima Productions as a subsidiary company. If Kojima does disagree with this move, as reports have suggested, then his work on Silent Hills could be over, as the Silent Hill license belongs to Konami. They could try to purchase the rights to the franchise from the publisher, but as one of the most iconic series in gaming, it’s unlikely that a deal could be made.
If Konami is going to continue to push Kojima and his development team’s buttons, then they are undoubtedly making a huge mistake. Kojima remains the company’s biggest asset, and pushing him into the arms of another publisher would be a woeful business decision.
