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[Victor Omega]

Title: Keiji Inafune vs Kojima: why did one loose relevance leaving Capcom but the other gain relevance leaving [Konami] and become "overrated'?

Inafune left Capcom in 2010 while Kojima left Konami on 2015.

Both were in the height of their career. Also take into the cultural impact in japan where leaving a big company was somewhat taboo at the time.

For Inafune, why was he not able to find success post capcom? Can we pinpoint the moment where his relevance in shifted?

For Kojima, what did he do to different to avoid failure yet also becoming infamous of being overrated?

At each of those turning point, what would Inafune have done to still be relevant today and what would Kojima have done to not become overrated as some may suggest?

 

[Comandr]

One was a hack whose talent dried up a long time ago and spent many years trying to recapture the success of his youth. The other was Hideo Kojima.

Edit for moar:

Kojima also wasn’t afraid to tell complicated stories with interesting characters. This gave him a great deal of narrative and gameplay freedom.

The most interesting development to ever happen in a Inafune game is the red robot was made by the bad guy. Hey wait didn’t he do that already..? Case in point.

 

[Woopah]

Kojima was always a bigger name, and he was able to get funding from major publishers to start fresh.

Inafune had to rely on crowd funding, and ended up with Mighty No. 9.

 

[Gaiff]

You're comparing guys with very different roles. Kojima is a game designer and director. He's the driving force behind the concepts of the games he's credited for.

Inafune started off as an artist and then became a producer. I don't think he ever directed a game before the mediocre Mighty No 9.

Kojima is comparable to someone like Miyazaki in terms of their importance to their studios. Inafune isn't on that level and was never such a critical part of the games he worked on. Metal Gear or Death Stranding simply wouldn't exist without Kojima. Mega Man would still be just fine without Inafune but different.

 

[Alexios]

Kojima had the millions, means and contacts (and sycophants like Geoff) to build his own AAA studio. His name was plastered all over your screen when playing games he worked on @ Konami. Nobody knows Inafune and he clearly didn't have the means to go on to make an indie AAA game.

At least other than the Mighty dud that studio also made cool stuff like Gunvolt, Bloodstained and Blaster Master games. Inafune is just working at Level 5 now so obviously not getting his name out there like Kojima was and is, like most workers that good or bad don't achieve any recognition.

 

[SF Kosmo]

Because Kojima is an auteur writer/director, and Inafune is an executive. Kojima simply has a much larger creative footprint on the works his company produces.

I mean there are a lot of other reasons based on the choices each made. Kojima had the benefit of taking a lot of his best collaborators with him, much in the way Mikami and Kamiya did when they formed Platinum. And Inafune made some really bad decisions that tarnished his reputation.

 

[Toots]

Im one of the worst Kojima haters here, but even i cannot deny his track record.

Kojima wrote, designed and directed metal gear and it was his second game, he only had 1 year of assistant producer experience that's wild.
Inafune is known for franchise (megaman, RE, etc.) where he had mostly minor roles at first (ie when its difficult to create story, gameplay, etc.) and became more important overtime. Of course Inafune did RE4 but that doesn't count because it messes up my demonstration.

 

[yurinka]

Can't be compared.

Hideo Kojima always has been and continues being a game designer and game director. He is also a very rare and unique case in AAA where he has a lot of influence in many creative areas of the game.

Keiji Inafune did stop being a game designer and artist in the SNES and since then he became a producer or executive producer, so he hasn't been involved in the creative side of the games since then but instead has been more involved on managing teams and budgets.

Like Miyamoto, who did stop designing games in the NES and directing games in Mario 64, and since then he became producer/general producer/executive producer.

And there's another big difference between Kojima and Inafune. When Kojima left he brought with him most of the talented people of his Konami team to his new studio. Inafune didn't, the talented people of his Capcom teams remained at Capcom.

 

[IAmRei]

You're comparing guys with very different roles. Kojima is a game designer and director. He's the driving force behind the concepts of the games he's credited for.

Inafune started off as an artist and then became a producer. I don't think he ever directed a game before the mediocre Mighty No 9.

Kojima is comparable to someone like Miyazaki in terms of their importance to their studios. Inafune isn't on that level and was never such a critical part of the games he worked on. Metal Gear or Death Stranding simply wouldn't exist without Kojima. Mega Man would still be just fine without Inafune but different.

Did you do some research? Inafune is director of lot of games, including dead rising, megaman x as well

 

[Gaiff]

Did you do some research? Inafune is director of lot of games, including dead rising, megaman x as well

He doesn't have a single directorial credit. Only as producer/executive producer.

 

[Adam_802]

They're both overrated, lol

 

[TGO]

Despite how much you have disrespect for Kojima, They're not even on the same level.
Inafune is someone who would be working with multiple teams and would sometimes get his own project to supervise.
Kojima is always the director, writer, producer and lead on the project and has his own team.
He is what Druckmann wants to be even if certain people actually put Neil up there on that pedestal , but in reality he ain't even close to Inafune, let alone Kojima or Shinji Mikami

 

[tomato shrub]

 

[Dacvak]

Kojima is friends with Jordan Peele, and I have it on good authority that they are both GOATs. So I guess he wins.

 

[a multicultural team of v]

Everything that has already been said is valid, but I will just add that Kojima's producing record is also exceptional.

 

[Terenty]

Who's Inafune?

 

[Astral Dog]

Those two have very little to do with each other tbh

On Inafune, Hideki Kamiya called him more of a businessman than a creative game developer, and it shows ,he was involved in MegaMan and i believe Dead Rising as well, but is known more for trying to push Capcom into an effort to appeal to the West, with controversial results

After that failed he moved to sell his own projects to MegaMan fans, presumably to gain some goodwill, but it ended a disaster, (maybe because most of the actual talent stayed at Capcom/Inti)

Hideo Kojima had a groundbreaking career at Konami ,known for his cinematic games ,narrative style but also gameplay innovations ,he left Konami but unlike Inafune his newest project while different (many gamers would like to see a return to a more traditional approach since they miss MGS) has been considered a success, maybe he asked for too much money or was difficult to work with idk, but none can deny his projects turned out quality and were mostly popular, he is a creative but knows how to manage a big proyect the scale Inafune never will.

 

[deriks]

Kojima was the bigger name and got big projects. Inafune was mostly quantity

Both are overrated, not making a great game since the early 2000's, still, Kojima got a pass because people are more into popularity than real stuff, which is dumb

 

[German Hops]

They're both overrated, lol

 

[mckmas8808]

You're comparing guys with very different roles. Kojima is a game designer and director. He's the driving force behind the concepts of the games he's credited for.

Inafune started off as an artist and then became a producer. I don't think he ever directed a game before the mediocre Mighty No 9.

Kojima is comparable to someone like Miyazaki in terms of their importance to their studios. Inafune isn't on that level and was never such a critical part of the games he worked on. Metal Gear or Death Stranding simply wouldn't exist without Kojima. Mega Man would still be just fine without Inafune but different.

THIS! And to say Kojima is over rated is just pure hate.

 

[Shut0wen]

Everyones missing the point with kenji, he never had his own studio was more like a freelance producer, hes never opened his own studio, but kenji has way more of a legacy then kojima, kojima has produce good games such as zone of enders and shit but as a director hes only got metal gear to his name

 

[justiceiro]

Kojima cared for the quality of the releases under his name, inafune simply tried to milk it dry at every opportunity. Remember when he tried to do like 3 Kickstarters at once? Before delivering any game?

 

[DevilMayFlyForAWhiteGuy]

Im one of the worst Kojima haters here, but even i cannot deny his track record.

Kojima wrote, designed and directed metal gear and it was his second game, he only had 1 year of assistant producer experience that's wild.
Inafune is known for franchise (megaman, RE, etc.) where he had mostly minor roles at first (ie when its difficult to create story, gameplay, etc.) and became more important overtime. Of course Inafune did RE4 but that doesn't count because it messes up my demonstration.

Mikami directed RE4. Also I don’t think Inafune ever had any hand in any RE games, but I could be wrong.

 

[Gaiff]

Everyones missing the point with kenji, he never had his own studio was more like a freelance producer, hes never opened his own studio, but kenji has way more of a legacy then kojima, kojima has produce good games such as zone of enders and shit but as a director hes only got metal gear to his name

Nice try, "Kenji". We know it's your account.

 

[Arachnid]

Kojima was big and well loved long before he left Konami.

 

[SHA]

It's his choice, k I did something special and more frequently than any other in the industry but it wasn't easy, current market doesn't value taking risks, what H K did is injecting movie elements into video games, as many people know, movies don't really cost much and barely demands any effort, it's just creative, creativity without effort doesn't age badly luckily.

 

[Toots]

Mikami directed RE4. Also I don’t think Inafune ever had any hand in any RE games, but I could’ve wrong.

In my defense they kind of look alike don't they ?

Anyway you're right Inafune was only executive producer on the ps2 port... He was also "promotion producer", on re2 so yeah more of a businessman than anything.

 

[CGNoire]

You're comparing guys with very different roles. Kojima is a game designer and director. He's the driving force behind the concepts of the games he's credited for.

Inafune started off as an artist and then became a producer. I don't think he ever directed a game before the mediocre Mighty No 9.

Kojima is comparable to someone like Miyazaki in terms of their importance to their studios. Inafune isn't on that level and was never such a critical part of the games he worked on. Metal Gear or Death Stranding simply wouldn't exist without Kojima. Mega Man would still be just fine without Inafune but different.

This.

 

[genesisblock]

Overrated? MGS 1-3 were pure bliss in the stealth genre. Don't get me started on the gameplay of 5 *chefs kiss.

Then he went for an Amazon simulator and.... I it has a surprising deep gameplay loop and one of the best melancholic endings in a video game as well and the soundtrack.. woah.

If that's overrated, please name some non-overated developers. Especially one that can switch genres without falling apart.

 

[Angry_Megalodon]

Comparing the two should be a criminal offense.

 

[kunonabi]

It's his choice, k I did something special and more frequently than any other in the industry but it wasn't easy, current market doesn't value taking risks, what H K did is injecting movie elements into video games, as many people know, movies don't really cost much and barely demands any effort, it's just creative, creativity without effort doesn't age badly luckily.

While Kojima absolutely does love his cutscenes and playing Hollywood director he also pushes the interactivity of video games far more than just about anybody working currently and it drives his storytelling just as much as his cutscenes.

 

[Terenty]

Kojima is one of the best things that happened to video games period

 

[Werewolf Jones]

One got famous ripping off movies the other got famous ripping off Casshern and Astroboy. The well was gonna dry up on one of them.

 

[TheThreadsThatBindUs]

Title: Keiji Inafune vs Kojima: why did one loose relevance leaving Capcom but the other gain relevance leaving [Konami] and become "overrated'?

Kojima created Policenauts, Death Stranding and Metal Gear. It's objectively impossible for him to be overrated when he creates some of the most god-tier games in the industry.

Anyway, to answer your question without the rage bait, Keiji Inafune failed to recapture his successes at Capcom after leaving; while Kojima left Konami and made Death Stranding, i,e one of the best games of the gen. and he continues on to make ever more creative, and genre-defining games.

 

[SHA]

While Kojima absolutely does love his cutscenes and playing Hollywood director he also pushes the interactivity of video games far more than just about anybody working currently and it drives his storytelling just as much as his cutscenes.

But that doesn't happen 20 times in their career, what k I did is odd and rare.

 

[Heimdall_Xtreme]

Title: Keiji Inafune vs Kojima: why did one loose relevance leaving Capcom but the other gain relevance leaving [Konami] and become "overrated'?

Inafune left Capcom in 2010 while Kojima left Konami on 2015.

Both were in the height of their career. Also take into the cultural impact in japan where leaving a big company was somewhat taboo at the time.

For Inafune, why was he not able to find success post capcom? Can we pinpoint the moment where his relevance in shifted?

For Kojima, what did he do to different to avoid failure yet also becoming infamous of being overrated?

At each of those turning point, what would Inafune have done to still be relevant today and what would Kojima have done to not become overrated as some may suggest?

I met Inafune in Mexico City when he attended an event and I was disappointed by his attitude, he is a lying and arrogant person..And I am a person who loves Japanese people and their culture very much..... And it is a shame since Megaman is one of my favorite sagas.

 

[radewagon]

Y'know, I don't think it's necessarily that Inafune needed crowdfunding. I'm sure he could have tried to get hired by a publisher or by a dev team. He simply chose not to. His crowdfunding, btw, was wildly successful at raising money. He had a LOT of good will from people that he then promptly (maybe not promptly ) squandered and wasted by releasing a terrible game with an insulting marketing campaign and releasing it so late that it made people take pause when looking at his two new crowdfunded projects being started before the release of his first.

Seriously, people loved this guy. Not sure why, given his disdain for Japanese development before leaving Capcom, but he took all that adoration and wasted it. He pissed off his most ardent fans and took forever to release a bad game.

A much more interesting director to look at would be someone like Koji Igarashi. Another, like Kojima, Konami guy who left and did his own thing. Understandably, he never had the reach of Kojima, but certainly did better for himself than Inafune.

 

[AeonGaidenRaiden]

Last time I checked Kojima was fired, he never "left" Konami on his own.

 

[Griffon]

Because Keiji Inafune was a talentless hack and Capcom under his tenure was a complete disaster, a constant chain of horrible production choices.

He's nowhere near the level of Kojima.

 

[tkscz]

Mighty No. 9 vs Death Stranding pretty much answers this. While Kojima was the bigger name due to how Capcom was handling Megaman at the time, Inafune still was well enough known in the world of gaming that the crowd funding for MN9 was hugely successful. Thing is, Kojima delivered and Inafune did not. Kojima also kept his sights focused while Inafune was already trying to do too much. Kojima is the better developer while, as Kamiya once said, Inafune was a business man.

 

[Shut0wen]

Mikami directed RE4. Also I don’t think Inafune ever had any hand in any RE games, but I could be wrong.

Pretty sure hes produced quite afew so more then likely hed have some say