NEWS
Konami Did Not Allow Kojima to Attend the Game Awards
Hideo Kojima, a supporter and adviser for Geoff Keigley's Game Awards, did not attend the Game Awards last night. When Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain won the award for the category of Best Action/Adventure game, Kiefer Sutherland, voice of Snake in MGSV, accepted the award on Kojima's behalf. The camera then went to Geoff Keighley who announced for the live audience what was going on.
"As you noticed, Hideo Kojima is not with us here tonight," Keighley told the world, "And I want to tell you a little bit about that. Mr. Kojima had every intention of being with us tonight, but unfortunately he was informed by a lawyer representing Konami, just recently, that he would not be allowed to travel to tonight's award ceremony to accept any awards." The live crowd began booing at this point, "Yeah. He's still under employment contract. It's disappointing, and it's inconceivable to me that an artist like Hideo would not be allowed to come here and celebrate with his peers and his team mates... Hideo is in Tokyo, watching the show, so we want you to know, Hideo, that we're thinking of you. We miss you."
Hideo Kojima tweeted in response, "Thank you very much."
Earlier this week, in a similar incident, a Konami PR employee accepted an award for MGSV in Japan, with no member of Kojima Productions or Kojima present.