This past Friday, Shinzo Abe, Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, was shot and killed while campaigning for a candidate in the Upper House of Parliament. News of the assassination quickly spread, and in the frantic news cycle, game directorHideo Kojimawas falsely identified as the person behind the assassination. Kojima Productions is now considering legal action against those perpetuating the false narrative surrounding Kojima’s involvement with the shooting.Hideo Kojima was swept up in the news regarding Abe due to multiple bad actors and “trolls” propping up racist posts saying that Abe’s killer and Kojima looked a lot alike. Eventually, far-right French politician Damien Rieu echoed one of these posts with the caption “The extreme left kills,” while showing images of Kojima. At which point, theKojima narrativewent viral. Not long after that, ANT1 News, a Greek news broadcast station, picked up the story and used images of Hideo Kojima while discussing the confessed assassin, Tetsuya Yamagami. Rieu and ANT1 News have since deleted their posts and rescinded their statements regarding the matter.RELATED:Hideo Kojima Mistaken as the Shinzo Abe AssassinFollowing the many viral posts that made the rounds yesterday, Kojima Productions has stated its intent to pursue legal action against those that continue to perpetuate this false narrative. In a Twitter post by the officialKojima Productionsaccount, the company states that it “condemns the spread of fake news and rumors that convey false information.” The company also says it will not tolerate libel and will consider legal action moving forward. To what extent Kojima plans to take legal action and towards whom is unknown at the time of this writing, but this tweet can also be considered a general warning to those who persist in false accusations.
False accusations to this extent are damaging and potentially life-threatening at such a vulnerable time following such tragic news. Across the internet, fans are shocked and upset that libel, to this extent, has spread so rapidly and confidently regarding one of the most well-known developers in the video game industry. Many are showing theirsupport for Kojima Productionsand are happy that some sort of justice could potentially come to the parties involved.
On a lighter note, Hideo Kojima is often celebrated as one of the industry’s prolific and thought-provoking storytellers. His writings often reflect social issues or how culture will move forward. In 2001, Kojima directedMetal Gear Solid 2, a game with heavy themes regarding the dangers of misinformation and how quickly it can spread as humanity enters the digital age. Many fans have pointed out the parallels between Kojima’sMGS2and recent events, making the game all the more poignant over twenty years later. Despite the string of bad news and misinformation, fans have rallied around the auteur and continue to find new ways to appreciate his works.
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