Kojima Productions

Kojima Productions Co., Ltd. (株式会社コジマプロダクション) is a Japanese video game development and film production studio founded in 2015 by Hideo Kojima, creator of the Metal Gear franchise.[3] It is the spiritual successor to a production team inside Konami also known as Kojima Productions originally founded in 2005. The independent Kojima Productions has a slightly altered Japanese name and is based in Shinagawa, Tokyo.[4][5]

The studio partnered with publisher Sony Interactive Entertainment to develop and release their first game, Death Stranding, in 2019. That same year, the studio announced their plans to enter the film production industry. Their second game and collaboration with Sony, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, was released in 2025. The studio are currently developing the horror game OD and the "action-espionage" title Physint, alongside co-producing three Death Stranding adaptations: a live-action feature film with A24, an animated feature film in partnership with

History

Background

The original Kojima Productions was formed as a subsidiary of Konami in April 2005, after the merger of several subsidiaries including Kojima's group at Konami Computer Entertainment Japan.[6] The name of the team followed Konami's naming style used between 2004 and 2015. Other production teams include Pawapuro Production, BEMANI Production, Virtual Kiss Production, and Loveplus Production. The team had around 100 employees, but grew to over 200 for Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots.[7][8] Kojima said the merger relieved him of business management and administrative burdens he had as Konami's vice president, and that as head of Kojima Productions he could focus on making games.[6] While having a position on the Konami board, Kojima wanted to persuade the staff and invest the company in his idea.[9] As well as developing Metal Gear titles, Kojima Productions developed the Fox Engine.

In March 2013, the company established Kojima Productions Los Angeles, the secondary studio in Playa Vista, Los Angeles.[10] However, the studio was shut down as part of Konami's plan to restructure the company in 2015.[11]

On March 16, 2015, Konami announced that it had restructured the game development operations to change the production structure to a headquarters-controlled system, "in order to establish a steadfast operating base capable of responding to the rapid market changes that surround our digital entertainment business". The Kojima Productions branding was quietly removed from company websites and buildings. A few days later, an anonymous Konami employee stated that Kojima and the studio's senior staff had planned to leave Konami in December 2015 following the conclusion of their contracts and the release of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain.[12] Konami denied that Kojima was leaving the company and stated that he would still be involved with the company and the Metal Gear franchise.[13][14] Kojima affirmed that he was still "100% involved" in The Phantom Pain and was determined to make it the greatest game he could.[15] In December 2015, the production team was nominated for Developer of the Year at The Game Awards 2015, but lost to CD Projekt Red.[16] Kojima was reportedly blocked from attending the event by Konami's lawyers, requiring

Independent studio

On December 16, 2015, in a joint announcement with Sony Computer Entertainment, Kojima announced that he would start an independent studio—also named Kojima Productions—alongside Yoji Shinkawa and Kenichiro Imaizumi.[18][19][20] The studio announced that it would develop a new franchise for PlayStation 4.[21] Kojima stated that he "will be taking on a new challenge by establishing my own independent studio, and I am thrilled to be able to embark on this journey with PlayStation, who I have continued to work with all these past years".[22] In contrast to most Japanese development studios, which he likened to "armies" due to strict hierarchy and the lack of respect given to employees, Kojima sought to establish "an intimate kind of studio" that "feel[s] like it's family". Kojima visited Media Molecule

Film production

In November 2019, Kojima Productions announced their plans to make film adaptations.[36] Two years later, in November 2021, the studio announced that it would open a new business division for films and television series in Los Angeles.[37] In December 2022, it was announced that Kojima Productions was partnering with Hammerstone Studios to produce a film based on Death Stranding, with Hammerstone providing funding.[38] It was also announced that A24 is working on the film.

native name	株式会社コジマプロダクション
native name lang	ja
romanized name	Kabushiki gaisha Kojima Purodakushon
type	Private
industry	Video games
foundation	December 16, 2015
founder	Hideo Kojima
location city	Shinagawa, Tokyo
location country	Japan
key people	Hideo Kojima (director) Shinji Hirano (president) Yoji Shinkawa (art director)
num employees	200‡R1R‡
num employees year	2025
divisions	Kojima Productions Amsterdam‡R2R‡
homepage	https://kojimaproductions.jp/

History

Background

Independent studio

Film production

Games

Filmography

Films

Series

External links

References