Hermen Hulst is another CEO psychopath. He’s just using Hideo Kojima for personal gain. He’s used emotional manipulation to get Hideo Kojima on his side. He presented him with a box that contained the source code as soon as he saw him without any introductions. Before anything, he presented Kojima with an ultimatum. “Either you accept my love or you be an asshole and deny it”.
OPINION: Hideo Kojima Shouldn’t have signed up with Hermen Hulst
Kojima couldn’t say no. It would be like saying no to a gift your grandmother gave you. We know a CEO and a grandmother aren’t exactly the same but the vulnerability certainly is there. Your grandmother gave you a heartfelt gift and the CEO gave you the source code to what his company was built on. Except your grandmother is doing it out of love and the CEO basically playing a chess game.
And you’re an important piece he doesn’t want to pass up. UNLESS your grandmother is a CEO then it may be right to question why she bought you that sweater. It’s what a chess player might call a fork but on an emotional level. Either lose one or the other. Either lose what may be your only chance for a game engine or your freedom. Kojima chose to lose his freedom.
We know it may be dramatic to say he lost his freedom as he may have made that decision because he had to work ASAP. But nonetheless it was greatly influenced by that move Hermen pulled on him. You can hear it in the silence of the audience at the PSX 2016 panel when Hermen says “it worked”. The audience knew he pulled the trick.