Hideo Kojima Sends Impassioned Message to His Loyal Fans

On December 15, Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima finally revealed he has setup is own independent studio along with former members of the team he worked with at Konami.

The studio has revealed its new logo, which was designed by Metal Gear character artist Yoji Shinkawa, suggesting he is part of the new studio. Take a look at it above.

The new studio has also launched its official website, which prominently features a message from Kojima addressing the gaming community and laying out a mission statement for the new Kojima Productions. Read it in full below.

We are Homo Ludens (Those who play).

From the moment we enter this world, we instinctively invent ways to have "fun," and share our inventions with those around us. We are not asked to do this, nor do we need reasons to create. It is simply who we are.

We find one another and compete with one another. We laugh together and cry together; all while playing together. Our experiences bind us and liberate us. To share our most valuable experiences, we create stories, invent tools, and evolve the art of play. Play has been our ally since the dawn of civilisation.

"Playing" is not simply a pastime, it is the primordial basis of imagination and creation. Truth be told, Homo Ludens (Those who Play) are simultaneously Homo Faber (Those who Create).

Even if the earth were stripped of life and reduced to a barren wasteland, our imagination and desire to create would survive--beyond survival, it would provide hope that flowers may one day bloom again. Through the invention of play, our new evolution awaits.

Kojima Productions -- We are Homo Ludens. We are those who play.

Hideo Kojima

Currently, the website has a number of job opportunities, ranging from character, weapons, and environment artists to lead programmer, game designer, music composer, and concept artist.

This news follows months of speculation about Kojima's status with his ex-employer Konami. At The Game Awards, host Geoff Keighley revealed lawyers were keeping Kojima from attending the show.

In November, Konami denied the claims that Kojima had left the company, saying that he was on vacation.