So the voice of Japanese Snake as said that Kojima Productions is no more:

'The Japanese voice actor for Solid Snake, Akio Otsuka, has confirmed the closure of Kojima Productions.

"Kojima Productions was forced to disband, but it appears that the work that the team has been putting their utmost effort into is nearly complete," Otsuka said in a post on Twitter (via Gematsu).

"I’m not exaggerating when I say that I expect it will become their greatest masterpiece. I couldn’t help it. I just wanted to say 'Kept you waiting, huh?' (Laughs.) But even if this is the end, Metal Gear Solid is immortal!"

Kojima Productions' final game, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, is set to release on September 1. While you patiently wait for launch day to arrive, check out these 19 awesome details we noticed about the gameand then give Konami's 40-minute gameplay demonstration from E3 a look below.

- Via IGN.

I don't know why exactly but it feels like a massive piece of my video game heart as been ripped out. I could always be comforted by the fact that Mr Kojima and crew we're working on something. Sad days, thanks Konami. Whilst I'm excited to see what Hideo Kojima does next, the Metal Gear Solid will seem hollow after Phantom Pain.

This isn't a big surprise to be honest. Konami has said repeatedly they will begin to focus more on mobile games and you don't keep a 'AAA' developer around to make mobile games. Also after Kojima and other senior staff were put onto contracts and restricted access to phones and emails the writing was on the wall for Kojima Productions. If they didn't close the studio they were at least going to have some major changes.

It is a shame and I wish Konami will at least license out some of those old IPs we all love but for now they're just trying to make money again. It sucks but it happens.

Already people are predicting a Hideo Kojima kickstarter for 2016.

I imagine he would be in high demand, I'd actually love to see him have a go at films. It'd be crazy!

After what we heard earlier this year, this seems to make sense. The question now is: what happens next? I can't imagine Kojima going the scrappy indie dev (plus eventual kickstarter) route the same way Igarashi and Inafune did. Do Microsoft and Sony line up with large piles of cash?

The next phase: Hideo Kojima and John Carmack create the next big... Something.

I imagine a bunch of big companies are offering a lot of money to Kojima to create a new studio under them right now.

No surprises here. Their project is in the books and the director is now winding down the remainder of his contract. I feel for the guys losing their jobs. Especially as Japan's market is not as brimming as it used to be.

It was pretty clear when they became listed as contractors, and I'm sure the team will be fine, but yeah, still pretty sad that the name is dead.

Are metal gear games even that profitable? I'm almost certain they at least break even but they certainly can't make enough to justify their extravagant budgets.

It's sad that it seems more and more companies are being motivated by easy profits rather that providing great gaming experiences (well, it at least feels that way...)

@ripelivejam: Metal Gear Solid series sales hit 33 million. So not CoD numbers per game, but yeah they sell very well.

Even though I haven't gotten the chance to play the games myself I always thought that they were kind of cool. Too bad it had to end this way though..

Welcome to March 2015? Konami doesn't recognize Kojima Productions are existing anymore. The team still exists, and are making the game. But as far as Konami is concerned, the developer of this game are employees that work for Konami.

Good luck to everybody that worked there.

I hope Koijima joins Platinum.

Yeah, I figured that was just a matter of time. Still a bummer.

Zone of the Enders 3: Revendereance.

@machofantastico: As much as Kojima seems to want to make films, the level of interactivity and easter egg stuff in MGS is incredible. That kind of stuff would be lost if Kojima made films, and I'd rather he work on a crazy new game. He should team up with Swery.

Shame, but I'm glad he'll be able to make other stuff now.

Hopefully, by the end of September, we'll know what he's doing next or at least what he wants to do.

So what does this say about the support the new Metal Gear Online is gonna get? MGO 3.0 dead on arrival?

It sucks, for sure. I'm sure all of those guys can leave Konami and get work pretty easily with the Metal Gear franchise under their belt.

I only know one thing for sure, though. Kojima's next project had better involve HIGH SPEED ROBOT ACTION

What happens with post release support exactly? MGS4 and MGO had minor but nice patches and stuff that helped smoothing things out for the game(s).

So who owns the FOX engine? It would be a huge shame for them to spend so much time on developing it just to be used for 1 game.