The METAL GEAR Series Should Die With Hideo Kojima's Departure
This morning, news broke confirming the fears of gaming fans worldwide. After silently removing his name from all Metal Gear V promotional sites, Konami posted a listing for a new lead for the franchise in lieu of creator Hideo Kojima's departure. Reports citing "power struggles" earlier in the week suggested that maybe the two had parted ways, but no one truly wanted to believe one of the best game developers of the last 20+ years had walked away from his pride and joy. While many games have experienced success apart from their original creators, I believe Metal Gear series should end with Hideo Kojima.
In the heyday of the console wars, it was a system seller for Sony. Before its launch, developers of MGS4 said the game would have to sell a million copies to justify the cost they spent on production of the game. On the day of its launch, Konami reported it sold 3 million copies. Its best competition in the market, Splinter Cell, is listed on the top selling games for Xbox having sold 3 million copies. Each Sony console lists MGS in it's top ten sellers with around 7 million copies sold for each title. So when Konami says they're going to continue making Metal Gear without Kojima, I can't fault them for that. I can fault them for thinking they can do it without Kojima.
Publishers don't avoid attempting to create the next Metal Gear because it's not profitable, it's because they can't. Very few can attempt a game with the level of depth, story, and gameplay Hideo Kojima has built over the past 30 years. Play Metal Gear Solid 2 if you don't believe me. Years later it remains on my list of top three games and if there were a vote to determine games to be inducted into an art museum, it would be at the top of my list. I rank the Metal Gear franchise alongside the likes of Zelda, Mario, and Sonic. I'm sure, in fact, many people would.
It takes a special kind of person to keep a story engaging over the course of 30 years. It takes a really special kind of person to keep a gamer engaged in a game that has over 8 hours of cinematics. It takes a one of a kind individual to place a character in a game that places easter eggs and special events so obscure you can play through the game seven times before you encounter it. It takes an unbelievable god-like developer for more fans to outcry his release from a series than the game's main voice actor (David Hayter) being removed from the series. It takes Hideo Kojima to make Metal Gear, and Konami are fools to think gamers don't know that.
For that reason I hope they wise up and at the very worst just shelve the series until the dust settles and they work something out, or just abandon the series altogether. To keep it alive and try with anyone else would result in a massive disappointment for both parties.