2015 Gaming Odds & Ends Awards | GameSided Recap

2015 Gaming Odds & Ends Awards – Dumbest Gaming Decision of the Year: Konami

Oh my god, how could another company screw up pretty much on every aspect of a decision in its fallout like Konami? Let’s make it clear; we will probably never know the full extent or the full story behind why Konami and Hideo Kojima parted ways this year. Konami’s handling of the situation, however, is as undoubtedly one-sided in its abject horror.

First there was the denial; “Everything’s fine. Kojima-san is still a Konami employee, and Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain will arrive on schedule.” Then came removing the Kojima Productions logo from the box. Then came the dismantling of Konami LA roughly a year after launch. Then came the Nikkei reports describing the work situation at Konami similar to that of a prison. Then came Konami’s denial. That was followed by pictures of Kojima toasting his team at what was obviously a farewell party. Then came another denial by Konami.

This was all going down as Konami delisted itself from the New York Stock Exchange, doubling efforts on Pachinko machines and pretty much getting out of AAA games development (sans Yu-Gi-Oh! and Pro Evolution Soccer) altogether.

Then, in the pettiest act of all, Hideo Kojima was set to accept the award for Best Action-Adventure Game at The Game Awards, with Keifer Sutherland accepting in his place. Geoff Keighley made it abundantly clear to everyone that Kojima would have been there to accept the award among his peers hadn’t Konami explicitly denying him from attending the event as part of his employment contract.

Thankfully, Hideo Kojima has left to create Kojima Productions on his own, and hopefully we can go without having to bother with Konami’s gross, petty, disturbing, childish and ultimately self-defeating behavior ever again.