Metal Gear Solid V won several wards at last night's Game Awards show 2015, but Kiefer Sutherland went up to collect them, not the game's main designer, director and creator, Hideo Kojima. He was famously ousted from developer and publisher Konami earlier this year and his name stricken from the game's credits in every way it could legally do.
It looks like the lawyers got involved last night too, as host of the Game Awards show, Geoff Keighley, announced during the presentation that Kojima would have attended if he could, but Konami lawyers banned him from doing so.
"As you noticed," said Keighley (via Kotaku). "Hideo Kojima is not here with us tonight and I want to tell you a little about that."
"Mr. Kojima had every intention of being with us tonight, but unfortunately he was informed by a lawyer representing Konami just recently that he would not be allowed to travel to tonight’s awards ceremony to accept any awards. He’s still under an employment contract. And it’s disappointing and it’s inconceivable to me that an artist like Hideo would not be allowed to come here and celebrate with his peers and his fellow teammates."
During the PlayStation Awards show in Japan that also took place last night, a Konami PR representative also accepted an award for the game on behalf of its creator.
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