Kojima is officially out of Konami and starting a new studio

The word on the street, which is what I like to call this Nikkei report that's been translated by NeoGAF, is that Metal Gear mastermind Hideo Kojima is now officially, finally, for realsies out of Konami. He's also apparently in the process of kicking off a new studio, with its first game expected to "debut" on Sony's PlayStation platform.

The plan is to "release on platforms such as Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE)'s PlayStation," it says. "Final negotiations with SCE are underway for this new game to debut on PlayStation."

Regardless of how it shakes out, it's a long-overdue end to one of the ugliest game development controversies in recent years. Kojima has handled the dispute with what feels like quite grace, (possibly due to stipulations in his contract), but Konami has come across as an almost cartoonish villain, from its ham-fisted efforts to scrub his name from MGS5 to its refusal to allow him to attend The Game Awards earlier this month. In October, it even denied that Kojima was leaving at all, despite the preceding months of clear suggestions to the contrary, insisting he was still an employee and simply on vacation. Despite what you may have read or seen, there was also no farewell party.

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.