Turbulence in Metal Gear Solid: Rising’s Production

In June of 2010, legendary video game producer and director Hideo Kojima handed the keys to Metal Gear Solid: Rising’s castle over to Shigenobu Matsuyama. The news was obviously a disappointment to Kojima fans (and to fans of easter eggs), but since then, production on the title was assumed to be coming along smoothly.

Earlier today though, Kojima Productions producer Kenichiro Imaizumi confirmed on his Twitter feed that production of Metal Gear Solid: Rising was just handed over to Yuji Korekado.

Two leadership changes in just over a year can often signify trouble for a game’s development. In the case of Rising, the backing of Kojima Productions can almost assure us that the game won’t be cancelled. But with the narrative following Raiden’s transformation into his “cyborg ninja” persona, it could easily branch off in a multitude of directions depending on who’s at the helm.

Metal Gear Solid: Rising is expected launch in late 2012 for the PC, Xbox 360, and PS3. Perhaps we’ll be able to ascertain more about the game’s direction during the VGA’s on December 10 where it’s predicted to make a showing in some form. For now, let us know what you think about the news in the comments or the forums.