Kojima Productions is a Japanese independent video game developer based in Tokyo, Japan. Named after and led by video game director and writer Hideo Kojima, the studio was originally a subsidiary under Konami that was officially formed in 2005 after the merger of several development teams in the company.
Kojima Productions was shut down in 2015 due to internal dispute between Kojima and Konami; prior to its closure, Kojima Productions was best known for the Metal Gear franchise which was synonymous with PlayStation during the late 1990s and early 2000s. In December 2015, Kojima Productions was rebuilt as as independent studio with support from Sony Interactive Entertainment.
Following its re-opening, Kojima Productions developed 2019's Death Stranding as the new studio's debut title. Kojima Productions has maintained working relationship with Sony afterwards, with a sequel titled Death Stranding 2: On the Beach slated for a 2025 release, and a second intellectual property tentatively titled Physint. In addition to Sony, Kojima Productions has strong ties to Guerrilla Games, creators of the Decima game engine that powers the Death Stranding games.
History[]
1987 - 2004: Origins and pre-formation[]
2004 - 2015: As an organized studio[]
2015: Konami-Kojima dispute and closure[]
2015 - 2019: Reformation and Death Stranding[]
On December 16, 2015, Kojima Productions was officially reformed as an independent game studio with support from Sony Computer Entertainment chief executive officer and president Andrew House; as part of the partnership, Kojima Productions would develop a console exclusive title for Sony's PlayStation 4 console, followed by a PC release.[1] In addition to Kojima himself, the new studio was co-founded by longtime collaborators, artist Yoji Shinkawa and designer Kenichiro Imaizumi, alongside Shinji Hirano who would serve as the studio president.[2]
The game was formally announced as Death Stranding at Sony's E3 conference in June 2016.[3] At the time of the announcement, Kojima was still undecided on what engine the game would make use of, having traveled with PlayStation 4 architect Mark Cerny to meet various Sony studios; the teaser trailer was made using one of two game engines Kojima Productions settled on.[4] In December 2016, Kojima announced the studio will collaborate with Sony's Guerrilla Games and use their game engine, Decima.[5]
Death Stranding released in November 2019 to generally positive reviews, though several outlets noted a more divisive reception than originally predicted.[6][7] Prior to the game's release, Kojima confirmed that the game would come to PC, with 505 Games publishing it.[8] By March 2021, combined sales of both versions reached 5 million copies.[9]
2019 - current: Death Stranding 2, further projects[]
On January 31, 2024, Sony Interactive Entertainment and Kojima Productions jointly announced on a new intellectual property, under the working title Physint, which will revisit the "action espionage" genre Kojima worked on in the past.[10]
Relationship with other studios[]
PlayStation Studios[]
Bend Studio[]
Bend Studio provided development support on 2019's Death Stranding.
Guerrilla Games[]
Insomniac Games[]
Insomniac Games provided development support on 2019's Death Stranding.
Games developed[]
Main developer[]
| Game title | Release | Platform | Additional notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Death Stranding | 2019 | PlayStation 4, PC | PC version published in 2020 by 505 Games |
| Death Stranding: Director's Cut | 2021 | PlayStation 5, PC, iOS | Expanded remaster of Death Stranding; PC and iOS versions published by 505 Games |
| Death Stranding 2: On the Beach | 2025 | PlayStation 5 | n / a |
| Physint | TBA | TBA | n / a |
Other titles[]
| Game title | Release | Platform | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Horizon Forbidden West | 2022 | PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 | Special thanks |
References[]
- ↑ https://www.ign.com/articles/2015/12/16/kojima-and-sony-officially-announce-partnership
- ↑ https://www.mcvuk.com/business-news/publishing/shinji-hirano-named-as-new-president-of-kojima-productions/
- ↑ https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/death-stranding-kojima-productions-first-game
- ↑ https://www.polygon.com/e3/2016/6/15/11948540/death-stranding-teaser-playable-hideo-kojima
- ↑ https://www.gamespot.com/articles/kojima-partnering-with-killzone-horizon-dev-guerri/1100-6445954/
- ↑ https://www.gamesindustry.biz/death-stranding-critical-consensus
- ↑ https://www.theguardian.com/games/2019/nov/16/death-stranding-hideo-kojima-the-years-most-divisive-game
- ↑ https://www.theverge.com/2019/10/28/20936020/death-stranding-pc-port-launch-2020-hideo-kojima
- ↑ https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/-i-death-stranding-i-has-reached-5-million-sales-across-ps4-and-pc
- ↑ https://kotaku.com/physint-hideo-kojima-new-game-state-play-1851214597