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Sony announces exclusive partnership with newly-independent 'Metal Gear' creator Hideo Kojima

Even before Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain hit store shelves earlier this year, it was rumored that series creator Hideo Kojima was on his way out of Konami. The developer has been backing away from big budget video game development for some time, and rumors (and horror stories) swirled around the fate of its employees.

Now, finally, Kojima has confirmed that he has left Konami. And he's clearly hit the ground running, because he has also announced the creation of a new game studio, Kojima Productions (not to be confused with his last studio, called, uh ... Kojima Productions) and a new game. What's more, he'll be getting help for this new venture from Sony Computer Entertainment. The game, which will be a new franchise and not a sequel to any of Kojima's previous work, will be exclusive to the PlayStation 4. Kojima hopes that it will give players a "new and innovative gaming experience."

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While news of the deal was reported earlier on Tuesday, the new was confirmed by a very late-day press release and video from the official PlayStation YouTube channel. In it, Sony Computer Entertainment President and Global CEO Andrew House introduces Kojima as "the creator of a distinguished franchise that has contributed to the history of PlayStation [Metal Gear Solid]," and says he is "one of the most creative talents in the history of games.

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In a press release, House said, "PlayStation's history is one of game innovation and great new franchises. Hideo Kojima has been a huge part of that history, and we are therefore delighted that he has chosen to bring his brand new project to life in partnership with PlayStation. We look forward to working with him on an exciting new game and warmly welcome him to the PlayStation family."

Kojima added, "I 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. I cannot wait to deliver, with PlayStation, a game that will become a compelling franchise."

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While he's been involved with other games throughout his long career, Kojima is most well-known for Metal Gear Solid, which combines stealth gameplay with long, over-the-top cutscenes that tell a complex (and convoluted) tale of military power struggles. And nuclear weapons. And clones. And AI systems that might control the entire world. And ... Uh, it's complicated.

There's no hint as to what this new game will be, but considering the new studio was formed "today," in Kojima's words, it's probably a long ways off, even if it's much smaller in scale than a Metal Gear game.