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So what's up with Konami? Do they even care about gaming at all these days?

entremet

entremet

You wouldn't toast a NES cartridge
Member
Oct 26, 2017
60,197
I've been a fan of Konami since the NES/Famicoms days. I think they peaked during the PS1 days due to stuff like SOTN, MGS, Silent Hill, and Suikoden.

My long pre-ordered TG16 Classic recently came in and boy, they were a beast in the 16-bit generation--Rondo, LifeForce, Gradius II, and so on.

And recently, they've seen multimedia success with Netflix's Castlevania series. But the last original Castlevania game on a console six years ago. The last MGS game was an embarrassment. Silent Hill had some hype with Kojima's P.T. demo, but it was sacrificed in the divorce with Kojima.

Let's not forget they also own the Hudson IPs too.

I remember when I saw Konami and Capcom as an amazing one-two punch of action gaming perfection in the 8/16bit eras. Capcom has been dong amazingly, while Konami has just lost interest in AAA game development.

RIP, Konami.

We'll always have that amazing opening from the 16 bit days:



MGS also had an amazing one.

 
Bigkrev

Bigkrev

Member
Oct 25, 2017
12,327
They realized that there is money to be made using their IPs- hence the re-releases of Castlevania/Contra the last year, PC Engine Mini, etc- but that apart from Soccer, the cost of making a AAA game isn't worth the return, so they don't do those anymore
 
EggmaniMN

EggmaniMN

Banned
May 17, 2020
3,465
They have PES, I mean eFootball, YuGiOh, rhythm arcade games, some re-releases and mobile games and that's really all they need to make a ton of money.
 
werezompire

werezompire

Zeboyd Games
Verified
Oct 26, 2017
11,382
From what I understand, they'd rather license their IPs out these days than make their own games.
 
KtotheRoc

KtotheRoc

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 27, 2017
56,671
They don't care about spending money making new games. We're lucky that there are individuals at Konami who do care about their legacy titles.
 
PlanetSmasher

PlanetSmasher

The Abominable Showman
Member
Oct 25, 2017
115,809
I imagine this coming generation will see a turnaround in their position on console gaming overall.
 
Wariobenotware

Wariobenotware

Alt Account
Banned
Apr 2, 2020
1,869
Given how most devs that used to work there left. It should give a pretty clear answer about how much Koniami cares about gaming.
 
Hanbei

Hanbei

Member
Nov 11, 2017
4,089
entremet said:
I've been a fan of Konami since the NES/Famicoms days. I think they peaked during the PS1 days due to stuff like SOTN, MGS, Silent Hill, and Suikoden.
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The Konami you once knew is long dead. Now, there is only the Konami that don't give a fuck about developing new video games, only care about money they'll make by exploiting their IP through pachinko machines, which, if I might add, is also the reason they will never sell any of their franchises.
 
Euler007

Euler007

Member
Jan 10, 2018
5,045
Hanbei said:
The Konami you once knew is long dead. Now, there is only the Konami that don't give a fuck about developing new video games, only care about money they'll make by exploiting their IP through pachinko machines, which, if I might add, is also the reason they will never sell any of their franchises.
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They could sell the rights to create console games, with the caveat that they have free use of any IP created under the licenses for their pachinko machines.
 
Hanbei

Hanbei

Member
Nov 11, 2017
4,089
Euler007 said:
They could sell the rights to create console games, with the caveat that they have free use of any IP created under the licenses for their pachinko machines.
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Of course they could. But if they wanted to, they would have done so already. They have abandoned video game development for years, and not a single game from any Konami IP has been treated that way. I assume none will ever.
 
Nairume

Nairume

SaGa Sage
Member
Oct 25, 2017
6,941
I think it's less that they don't care about gaming and more that they don't care about AAA gaming anymore and are still very much in a long and tortuous process of reforming their production pipeline around the hard break from AAA game development.
 
Dooble

Dooble

Member
Oct 28, 2017
2,469
all these people mad about pachinko - you'll never play or see those anyway. everything has a pachinko machine.
 
hikarutilmitt

hikarutilmitt

Member
Dec 16, 2017
11,429
Their arcade systems are booming, particularly the pachislot games. Along with the aforementioned YGO and other mobile games they have out there.

Truthfully, I'm surprised we haven't gotten Bombergirl on the Switch, but they seem to want to keep that in arcades. I don't care about the moe or whatever, I would like to be able to play it and maybe Otomedius ports again.
 
sweetmini

sweetmini

Member
Jun 12, 2019
3,921
They care very much about their legacy


and if i cheat, an older one (sequel) i am still very very bitter about
 
PancakeFlip

PancakeFlip

Member
Oct 26, 2017
7,923
Hanbei said:
The Konami you once knew is long dead. Now, there is only the Konami that don't give a fuck about developing new video games, only care about money they'll make by exploiting their IP through pachinko machines, which, if I might add, is also the reason they will never sell any of their franchises.
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How much overlap is there for this though? I'm not going to gamble just because Snake is plastered on a machine.
 

Deleted member 60989

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 31, 2019
51
Port👏all👏MGS👏to👏modern👏platforms👏now👏. Please.

And remake MGS3... please. It still hurts. Kojima was probably working on this and they turned it into a pachinko. No way they'd invest that much in a pachinko. There's even a soundtrack release.

 
BrickArts295

BrickArts295

GOTY Tracking Thread Master
Member
Oct 26, 2017
13,777
I recommend watching this video...


to understand why Konami is the way it is right now. Kojima was pretty much the last pillar of the company that wanted to make traditional games. With him gone, the company is pretty much run by business suits following the money of mobile games & PES. Pretty much anyone involved in the their big franchises are either not with the company or not in a position of power. And those brave veteran developers who are still there have make do with what little budget they get.
 
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hikarutilmitt

hikarutilmitt

Member
Dec 16, 2017
11,429
sweetmini said:
They care very much about their legacy


and if i cheat, an older one (sequel) i am still very very bitter about
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Click to shrink...

Goddammit. As much as I seem to be one of the very few who actually enjoyed Oromedius, if only to give us a Parodius adjacent series, I would rather have had another Parodius game. Now you've made me want to hook up my Saturn again. :(
 
Aurica

Aurica

音楽オタク - Comics Council 2020
The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
23,497
A mountain in the US
Luckily, Bemani still puts out extremely high quality stuff. I love Sound Voltex and jubeat. I've heard great things about Museca, but I've never played that, BeatStream, Nostalgia, or Dancerush. Newest versions of Pop'n Music and IIDX are also excellent!

Unfortunately, Konami doesn't publish any of their games on console anymore, and I don't see that changing much. It's cool that there are PC versions of Beatmania and Sound Voltex, but I won't sub to those until I eventually get my custom IIDX controller and maybe one for SV, and I doubt that'll be for a few years. Hope the services are still going then...
 
PancakeBurglar

PancakeBurglar

Member
Feb 16, 2018
1,561
Give me a Castlevania Collection 2 and a proper Silent Hill collection please. So many great games not available on current gen.
 
sweetmini

sweetmini

Member
Jun 12, 2019
3,921
hikarutilmitt said:
Goddammit. As much as I seem to be one of the very few who actually enjoyed Oromedius, if only to give us a Parodius adjacent series, I would rather have had another Parodius game. Now you've made me want to hook up my Saturn again. :(
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I'll do the same tomorrow :)

Have fun !
penpen6hk21.png


Say hi to Honey Mikayo for me~♪

In case you've never read it:
shmuplations.com

Gokujou Parodius! – 1994 Developer Interview - shmuplations.com

This humorous interview with the Gokujou Parodius development team was originally featured in a mook published by Gamest in 1994. Gokujou Parodius was the second Parodius game released for arcade, and this interview shows the big difference between 1990 (pre-SFII, when Parodius Da! was released)...
shmuplations.com shmuplations.com
 
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PhantomArtifice

PhantomArtifice

Lead Administrator at Final Weapon
Verified
Apr 24, 2019
393
USA
Seems they really only care about mobile these days outside of PES.

Their other IPs are just being licensed at this point.
 
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