Konami Issues DMCA Takedown of Video Discussing Situation with Hideo Kojima
By: On May 11, 2015, 11:58 am EDT @brandonorselli

hideo kojima 05-11-15-1

If you’ve been following the entire debacle with Konami and legendary game developer Hideo Kojima, you’d know that the company is mostly keeping things quiet. However, a recent DMCA takedown by the company has led us to believe they’re now actively silencing discussion of the company proper, and Kojima himself.

The video, (now removed, but here’s a mirror upload), was produced by Youtuber George Weidman, who goes by the username of Super Bunnyhop. The video talked about the rumors surrounding the company and Kojima, but this apparently was grounds for the company to flag it with a copyright notice.

Here’s a screen capture of the video, from the NeoGAF thread made for the discussion:

konami kojima 05-11-15-1

We’ve seen Youtube videos regarding video games taken down for excessive nudity, or even from game developers to silence criticism of critics, but this is a bit much. We’ve reached out to Konami for a comment.

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Brandon Orselli

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Founder & Editor-in-Chief at Niche Gamer. Italian, but I love Asian culture. I also write about music, comedy, noodles and beer.

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  • Audie Bakerson

    “Super Bunnyhop”
    As a member of GJP he’s the last person who should be pitied for conspiracy working against him.

  • Electrobeard

    He was always neutral and fair about things, though–remember that William Usher was on the list, too.

    I saw the video myself and it was fascinating. There was nothing there that truly justified a takedown, but I can understand why Konami wanted it gone–it went deep, and made them look pretty bad.

  • beerhammer

    Any alternate links for the video? Its time for the Streisand effect to kick in.

  • Carlos Roberto

    Koijma should’ve been fired after the nonsense called MGS4.

    But anyway, now he’s free and can make more cinematic games full of plot holes. Maybe he should work with David Cage.

  • Audie Bakerson

    Did SB leak anything? No? Fuck him.

  • Added it to the OP. Sorry about that!

  • landlock

    This make them look pretty bad to, not that they seem to care anymore.

  • British_Otaku

    Let us not dismiss every member of the GJP, not only did he give GamerGate a fairer shot than most but he has yet to do anything questionable but happen to be on the list.

  • Demetirus

    I have to agree. I don’t believe in guilt by association, even if it is to something as scummy as the GJP. Just doesn’t sit right with me.

    As for Konami doing this, poor suckers don’t realize that this will only draw more attention to it. Some folks just don’t understand that good ole Streisand effect.

  • Nonscpo

    Oh shoot, did someone say damage control on steroids?

  • British_Otaku

    It shouldn’t be necessary for SB or any other GJP member to burn bridges simply to prove they aren’t corrupt or their investigations which put professionals to shame are worthy of staying on YouTube or up for discussion.

  • MT Silver

    This ain’t damage control. This is pouring gasoline on the fire. Taking the video down with a false copyright claim sends the message that there’s truth to SuperBunnyhop’s claims.

  • BeholdMyPower

    Konami has lost their fucking mind. At this rate I wouldn’t be surprised to hear they’re cancelling MGS5

  • Dom The Elegy

    And now you go after one of your biggest and most loyal fans (SuperBunnyHop)? Goddamn Konami. You really raise being assholes to a whole new level.

  • Phelan

    … I see people mentioning this “konami”… so… is that supposed to be some kind of sushi or something?

    I once knew a company where great guy named Kojima worked… but it can’t be them…

  • mmcookjr

    I guess Super Bunnyhop had more on Konami that can put a very questionable light on their CEO.

  • Cecilthedarknight_28

    Konami what the fuck happened to you?!

  • Lucas Osse
  • Dammage

    Really hope Koji Pro leaves together and forms a new studio. Maybe Capcom can take them under their wing, I’m sure anything would be better than Konami

  • Audie Bakerson

    There’s a difference between “guilt by association” and “guilt by voluntary membership in group of bad actors”

    He voluntarily choose to be a member of a group dedicated to journalistic conspiracy and has never said anything against it. Taking this to mean he supports said conspiracy is entirely reasonable.

  • Doc Hammer

    Holy shit Konami. DMCA abuses were a huge factor in kicking off GamerGate and now you want to piss those same people off by silencing fair content? Yeah, smart.

    And to those who are for some reason okay with this because SBH was in GJP: that doesn’t matter at all. He’s the victim of the same type of things that upset us last year. Not only is he totally in the right, but he produced the video which included the interview with the journalism professor that spelled out, in black and white, that what was being done in gaming journalism was unethical.

  • Demetirus

    It may be naive of me, but I don’t believe that people joined that group with any sort of ill intent. The fact that there were those in the group who used it for ill does not speak anything to me about the others in the group who were not shown to have been using it for collusion or anything else untoward.

    Does it raise questions about them? Sure. I can’t fault any one for now being suspicious of folks in that group, particularly if they didn’t call out the bad things that were happening, but I can’t paint them as guilty of the same crimes as those who were actively doing wrong. It just doesn’t work for me on a personal level.

    I do think you’re being a bit hyperbolic here, particularly with the comparison to the KKK, but I also think I can see why. Members of that group have really treated gamers/consumers with the utmost contempt and I really can’t fault you your position of giving them and those that associate with them the same. I just can’t feel the same way no matter how hard I try. I’d rather judge them by their own actions, not by the actions of those they associate with.

  • Random45

    I remember watching this video and thinking a LOT of it was really far fetched, but now that Konami actively took it down, it makes me wonder how close to the truth it actually was.

    They had absolutely no grounds for removing the video either. Youtube has such a bullshit system.

  • Akumanoid

    Nothing says “guilty” like trying to cover up mere rumors.

  • NuclearCherries

    Fucking hell Konami what are you doing?

  • Akumanoid

    GJP was a collusive group, but it clearly wasn’t the borg.

  • tccboss

    That video must have gotten something right for them to take that down, I think it may have struck a nerve.

  • phagette

    BARBRA STREISAND
    A
    R
    B
    R
    A

  • British_Otaku

    Konami were already having a really bad year following some others which were merely okay, so perhaps they could have had a bit of dignity if Kojima’s last work was great and he left with some KojiPro folks and others like we’ve been expecting.

    Odds are that we wouldn’t hear them speak of their employment issues in 2015 for years to come if ever, much like Hideki Kamiya doesn’t hate Capcom or enjoy people talking shit about them.

    Seems they couldn’t restrict adding to the flames. I can expect even more people to support Igarashi’s Bloodstained emblazed by Konami’s recent actions.

  • Dewey Defeats Truman

    I love me some SuperBunnyhop so when I saw this happen this morning before I went to work I thought some serious shit was going down. Get back to see it’s back up, which is good, but the fact it got pulled at all is still sketchy as fuck. Either way I’ve been firmly on the “don’t trust Konami” side for a while on this whole issue and this only confirms it in my eyes.

  • Turt

    Thanks copywrong.

  • 4rch1m3d35

    What you don’t know is that Konami is trying to be the first corporation to commit Seppuku.

  • 21603

    Wouldn’t be the first time a game has been cancelled just before release.

  • Matthew Dolby

    Happy Console Gamer was hit with a DMCA by Konami recently to.

  • Dave

    And on that note, Konami is pretty much dead to me.

  • Random Dude

    To quote the infamous hiimdaisy webcomic: CONSPIRACY THEORY CONSPIRACY THEORY CONSPIRACY THEORY !!!!1!!

  • buddyluv324

    I would say its between Konami, Sega and Capcom

  • Zanard Bell

    If you do this, Sega, I will hunt you bitches down.

    You have the 40K license, use it wisely.

  • Darkslicer

    Konami’s quickly going the way of Capcom, but even WORSE it seems. Stupid decision making at the highest levels, disconnected from what gamers actually want, filing copyright claims against FAIR USE content, and all-around insanity.

  • plasmacutter

    And to think these big houses used to be the niche developer upstarts 25 years ago.

    You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain.

  • chaoguy

    “Should we discuss this and tell people what happened-”
    “No! Silence discussion! They’ll get bored or distracted by games eventually!”

  • メタラーにゃあ～

    If anything, the best course of action for the team is to go indie. I believe it’s been made clear that working for these old Japanese companies is not beneficial to developers whatsoever.

  • Dammage

    I really don’t think they can afford that though. They have a huge team, where will they get the money to pay their staff?

  • Thanatos2k

    What a goddamn disgrace of a company.

  • Thanatos2k

    Seriously. Who says they didn’t join just to lurk and watch the discussions of others? Is signing up for a forum approving anything posted in it now?

  • A Real Libertarian

    Offering shares would help with that.

    Don’t know about other expenses.

  • TeLin特林

    I didn’t even know SBH, or any YT people, were on GJP…

    But yeah, it doesn’t, or shouldn’t, matter if it’s done to someone who is or isn’t an “SJW” as some say.