Former Square Enix President Says Konami’s Treatment of Kojima is ‘Cruel’, Bad for Business

Yoichi Wada, the former presient of Square Enix, has voiced his opinion on Konami's reported treatment of Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima.

“As I know Mr. Kojima, I want to say, ‘I can’t believe this cruel treatment!’ But, here I’m going to give my thoughts as a corporate exec,” Wada commented on his Facebook page, as translated by Kotaku.

He continued, “However you think about this, this is a negative for business.”

“Maybe leaving the home console market is management’s plan, but going out of your way to make enemies with the world has no meaning.”

“Generally, this kind of thing happens when there’s a lack of leadership. I think, perhaps, there isn’t someone in charge who is paying attention and laying out all the little details for whole enterprise.” Wada said the problems seem to stem from a lack of direction.

With issues being given to lower level administrators, issues may not get the attention they deserve. “When you are not aware that the feelings of your own department aren’t aligned with the world at large, the results can be deplorable.”

At a recent event in Tokyo, a Konami PR rep picked up a Metal Gear Solid 5 award rather than Kojima. The Game Awards host Geoff Keighley also said Konami lawyers prevented Kojima from attending the show. There have been frequent reports of poor treatment of Kojima and his staff.