Hive Division, the folks behind the 2009 fan film Metal Gear Solid Philanthropy – Part 1, has announced that its sequel project is no more.
The news comes via press release, which states that, a mere few days before the project’s IndieGoGo campaign was to begin, word came down that the project could not proceed. Details are scarce and vague (likely on purpose), but Hive Division says, “The end-result is that MGSP2 cannot be officially authorized and, unlike when we made MGSP1, the risk we would face if we proceeded without proper authorization would be too great.”
Konami’s final word may have been that any side project which stands to profit from the Metal Gear license has to be authorized, and Hive Division did not receive that authorization. The difficulty in demonstrating that no profit would be generated from production, that all crowd-sourced funds would only be put toward the film, could entail some of the “risk” Hive mentions.
It’s also possible that an existing license to adapt Metal Gear Solid into a film prevents other projects from receiving authorization. Director Jordan Vogt-Roberts was rumored to be at the helm as recently as June 2014.
It’s a strange finality for a group who won Hideo Kojima’s approval, who in 2013 expressed his admiration of the film and desire to see a sequel.
However, Philanthropy fans have a consolation prize: Hive today released a 12-minute preview of MGS Philanthropy – Part 2, titled “The Land Where Truth Was Born.” Check it out below, and sound off in the comments with your thoughts on the restrictions fan projects deal with.