"It was three years and nine months ago that I struck out on my own," Kojima told Famitsu. "At that time, I was 53 years old. That's an age in which you'd retire, right? My family members were also against the idea [of me setting up a new studio]. I was a 53-year-old middle-aged guy, I didn't have any money or much of anything else, and it was just me saying I was going to make this open-world game."
According to Kojima, there were doubters that anyone thought the game would be good. "The reason for that is that there hasn't been a single world-famous game designer who has had success after striking out on their own."
"Even when I went to the bank, I couldn't borrow money," he continued. "They said, 'We know you're renowned, but you don't have any actual results.' This is the kind of country Japan is."
"But then, there was a banker at the biggest bank [in Japan] who was a huge fan of mine, and I got the financing."
To give confidence to the families of the staff he was hiring, Kojima wanted to set up the studio in a nice building. That way, he said, it would look like the company was going to be successful, and husbands and wives of his employees would be less inclined to worry. But usually, whenever he'd find a good building, he'd eventually be asked, "What is Kojima Productions?"
In Japan, Kojima isn't as famous as someone like Hayao Miyazaki, so it seems like many landlords were unfamiliar with the studio's previous iteration and his work. But out of those desirable locations, he once again lucked out in finding a fan and was able to move into the studio's current location.
"The reason why I'm who I am now is because of the thirty years I had at Konami," Kojima told Famitsu. "I am grateful to Konami, and I cannot deny that connection."
Thank Konami if old
