But after soldiering through his messy split with Konami, it only seemed appropriate that Kojima was rewarded for his valiant efforts, with the DICE Awards honoring the father of Metal Gear Solid with a lifetime achievement award. But while the presentation of his prestigious award went off without a hitch, the same could not be said for the award presented to Metal Gear Solid V.
After receiving a standing ovation upon accepting the lifetime achievement award from Guillermo del Toro at the 19th annual DICE Awards, it was expected that Kojima would return to the stage to accept when Metal Gear Solid V won for best adventure game. However, after Prince of Persia creator Jordan Mechner and 343 Industries executive producer Kiki Wolfkill announced the game as the winner, Kojima did not take the stage and was nowhere to be found.
With an awkward chuckle, the presenters announced that they would be accepting the award on Konami’s behalf, but viewers were left scratching their head as to what had just happened. Rumors spread that Konami had once again barred Kojima from accepting a MGS award, a la the debacle at last years Game Awards, or that Kojima had left the ceremony in a huff.
But as it turns out, the odd moment wasn’t caused by Konami interference; rather, it came down to a mix-up of sorts. Speaking with Polygon, Terrence Myers, the executive producer of the DICE Awards, revealed:
With Konami neglecting to send a representative to accept the award and Kojima opting not to accept an award for his final Metal Gear Solid game, the DICE academy was left to come up with a solution, with Myers stating:
As Konami has worked to wipe Kojima from the Metal Gear Solid franchise, it’s understandable that Kojima would want to distance himself from the title. But with the recently founded Kojima Productions already working on a new game, Kojima seems eager to leave the ugliness of Konami behind and forge ahead with a new chapter in his life.
Source: Polygon
