After intense speculation, Hideo Kojima has denied that his studio is being acquired by PlayStation and clarified that Kojima Productions is still an independent company.
Hideo Kojima Denies PlayStation Acquisition Rumors
According to ComicBook.com, PlayStation changed its PlayStation Studios banner image earlier this week to feature Death Stranding.
Despite the fact that it is a PlayStation exclusive, many people were surprised because every other game on the list was from a PlayStation-owned studio. As a result, many people assumed the image was a teaser for a bigger announcement.
One of the greatest gaming developers Hideo Kojima tweeted a photo of the PlayStation Studios banner, which featured games from all of Sony's first-party studios as well as Death Stranding. However, the perceived mysterious tweet sparked rumors that Kojima Productions had officially joined PlayStation Studios, IGN reported.
— 小島秀夫 (@Kojima_Hideo) April 15, 2022
After much speculation, Kojima tweeted again 10 minutes later, explaining that Kojima Productions is still an independent company, hence denying that his studio is being acquired by PlayStation.
誤解を招いたようですが、コジプロはこれまでも、これからも独立系の制作スタジオです。 https://t.co/RySjZrCHkM
— 小島秀夫 (@Kojima_Hideo) April 15, 2022
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What Is Hideo Kojima's Relationship With PlayStation?
Since the end of 2015, Kojima has been working closely with PlayStation because the latter funded his first project, Death Stranding, as per the report of ComicBook.com.
Kojima has not disclosed any specific games at this time, however, he is rumored to be working on two. Death Stranding 2 is rumored to be one of them, but nothing has been confirmed. Kojima is expected to unveil his next game at The Game Awards at the end of the year.
Why Did People Speculate That Kojima Productions Is Being Acquired by PlayStation?
Comicbook mentioned that there is speculation that a large PlayStation acquisition is on the way, but no one knows when or for whom. Kojima is also relocating to a new office, adding fuel to the fire of fan hypotheses. That may seem insignificant on its own, but the timing of it all has sent Kojima fans into a tailspin.
Today is the day we say goodbye to the entrance, the Ludens hallway, and the kitchen that have been our home for a little over five years. Many memories come to mind. Farewell 😭🙏 pic.twitter.com/TONnpq7JXa
— HIDEO_KOJIMA (@HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN) March 31, 2022
Matt Kim of IGN said that a possible explanation for this tweet could be from Kojima Productions' already close ties with Sony. At the 2015 PlayStation E3 presentation, Kojima unveiled his new studio alongside Sony, and Death Stranding used a variant of Guerrilla Games' Decima Engine.
Sony is currently on a buying spree, having acquired Housemarque and Valkyrie Entertainment, fueling speculation about more PlayStation acquisitions. Bungie was also purchased by Sony, albeit the Destiny developer is not a part of PlayStation Studios, Kim explained.
Kojima Productions Launches New Website
On March 31, as reported by The Illuminerdi, Kojima officially launched a new website for Kojima Productions. The website for Kojima Productions is now up at https://www.kojimaproductions.jp.
The website has a plethora of studio-related news and announcements resources, as well as up-to-date product information such as employment openings, behind-the-scenes interviews, official merchandise, and special deals.
The director's cut of Death Stranding, which has been released on PC, Steam, and PS5, is the only main product on the site.
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