This past March, it was revealed that Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima is leaving Konami after nearly 30 years with the gaming company. Of course, this was terrible news for anyone who loves the Metal Gear series – and really gaming in general.
Kojima has been a staple of the community for so long, and he’ll certainly leave a huge gap in the company when he (and other upper management members) depart following the release of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain in September.
In addition to losing Kojima and members of his team, Konami also recently cancelled the much anticipated new Silent Hill game, Silent Hills, though fans are rallying for its resurrection. As reported by CinemaBlend, more than 63,000 fans have signed a petition to keep Silent Hills alive. They claim it’s the “most heartbreaking thing horror fans had to swallow this year,” and rightfully so, because the game was looking quite excellent.
So what, then, will this mean for the fate of Konami as a company? Well, to some, it’s not necessarily looking good (and with good reason given the above news and the fact the company removed itself from the New York Stock Exchange listings). In writing about Konami at NintendoLife, Damien McFerran posited that the company is getting ready to exit the console game business. That’s not an easy concept to stomach for any gamer, as so many were raised playing critically acclaimed (and much-loved) franchises such as Contra, Castlevania, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Metal Gear… the list goes on.
However, to use a cliche, the writing’s on the wall. It appears that Konami may simply know where they should focus their efforts with all of this bad news surrounding their console-centric efforts. It’s worth noting, however, that the company has made no formal announcement about backing away from consoles; it just, well, seems that it could happen.
If Konami was to pull out of console games, it’s not like they would completely falter as a company – not in the least bit. For one, they could take their stepping away as a means to focus on other assets. As you may already be aware, they have ties to another sector of the gaming industry in gambling, where some of their contemporaries have also dabbled in the past and present.
Konami is known for building a number of different gambling machines, though it appears their presence in the Internet market could use some boosting. Back in 1996, online gaming got its start with the launch of InterCasino, a hub known for its roulette offerings in addition to blackjack and slots. Interestingly enough, fellow gaming developer Capcom worked with IC in creating a Street Fighter II game-so maybe it’s time Konami does the same. The same goes for their presence in the mobile gaming market. As seen on Google Play, Konami isn’t exactly behind when it comes to these types of gaming experiences. There are titles from franchises such as PES and Metal Gear Solid-and a lackluster Contra remix in the past-though the MGS one is merely a companion piece to a full-on console game. They could better take on this market by following the lead of competitors like (again) Capcom and Square Enix, both of whom have made mobile versions of their classics (such as Street Fighter and Final Fantasy).
Clearly, it’s difficult to even think about Konami closing its console branch at this point, but it’s also clear that there’s a distinct possibility for it to happen. What do you think about this news? Let us know in the comments.