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Major collaborations are always something to look out for in the gaming industry. When a famous developer works with a new studio, they can produce something very unique and exciting. Hideo Kojima proved he could do that for Konami with PT, but he never got to make the full Silent Hills project that he and Konami once planned together. Kojima has already moved to greener pastures with Death Stranding, a strange but unique game that showcases his ideas and what could come of a collaboration with him. It’s clear that Microsoft has noticed, because reports suggest that Kojima has finally sealed a deal to make a new game for Xbox.
For months now, rumors about Kojima and Microsoft working together have floated around the game industry. At last it looks like that’s coming to fruition. A formal contract hasn’t been signed, but reports suggest that Kojima and Xbox signed letters of intent to work together. That’s a great sign; it sounds like they’ll get down to business and start planning Kojima’s next game very soon. However, some Kojima fans aren’t too happy about his new partnership. In fact, someone created a Change.org petition that wants Kojima and Xbox to cancel their collaboration. Although it doesn’t look like the petition will go anywhere, it could say something about the future of Kojima’s new game.
The Anti-Xbox Kojima Petition
The petition to cancel the Xbox-Kojima game only has a brief description, but the message is clear. Supporters of the petition believe that Kojima is working with Microsoft out of “greed,” and want him to come back to “the winning side” — namely, Sony. In other words, the petition is seemingly created by Kojima-loving PlayStation users who are upset that they won’t be able to play his next game on their platform of choice.
Unfortunately for believers in the petition, it doesn’t appear to be going anywhere fast. It only has a few hundred supporters right now, which isn’t nearly enough to make a difference. It should also be noted that, out of those hundreds of supporters, many don’t actually support it. In fact, quite a few people have signed the anti-Xbox petition to criticize the petition’s creators and praise Kojima for trying new things and experimenting with different collaborations after his falling-out with Konami. Seeing how many people are signing the Change.org petition ironically, odds are very low that the Xbox-Kojima collaboration will budge in any way because of it.
What’s Ahead for Kojima and Xbox
One does wonder if the petition says anything about how the Kojima-Xbox game will be received. If this ire remains in place, Microsoft might have to account for review bombing or other negative commentary from PlayStation users who are angry about Kojima’s deal. There’s also a question about how much of Kojima’s original audience Microsoft can actually reach. It’s hard to say how much of his fanbase doesn’t have a PC or an Xbox that could play his next game, or at least might obtain one by the time Kojima’s game is done.
Overall, though, Microsoft probably has nothing to worry about. Kojima isn’t just famous among PlayStation fans. Thanks to his work on the Metal Gear franchise, he’s known in every corner of the game industry, and not just with PlayStation names. Even if some Xbox users haven’t played his previous works, there’s a good chance that they’ll recognize his name and develop some interest based on that. Besides, it’s impossible to call a game a failure before anybody knows what it’s about or how its development is going. If anything, reports of Microsoft already preparing materials for Konami are a good sign.
As for Kojima’s disgruntled fans, the situation is pretty much out of their hands. Change.org petitions are a good way to spread a message and raise awareness, but they rarely influence a person or a company to change what they’re doing. Even if the anti-Xbox petition suddenly gets hundreds of thousands of signatures, Microsoft and Kojima won’t just drop their plans, especially since they’ve already signed statements in search of a formal contract. The ball is already rolling. Frustrated Kojima fans will have to accept that this is what he wants to do, and that they probably can’t change his mind.
Source: https://gamerant.com