Konami What Happened?

[tension]

I feel that Konami has become a slave ship to satisfy one master, Kojima, and one franchise, Metal Gear. I think this is a problem because the rest of the company is essentially melting away.

Metal Gear is the only game from Konami that is making money. Every year Konami does not release a Metal Gear game, Konami reports massive financial losses. Silent Hill was one of my favorite games but it has seen a loss in quality ever since Western Developers were signed on. I'll say not all of them were bad, but the quality of the series has seen a noticeable decline. Castlevania has not achieved the quality it should have and despite the success of Lords of Shadow it does not necessarily "feel" like a Castlevania title. The only Castlevania title to be released was an online Xbox 360 exclusive. I'm sure it did well, but where are the true Konami titles? And what about the other genre's? Where's the Konami published fighting game?

Japanese fighting games are at their height. Where is the konami published Japanese fighting game? Tecmo and Sega have the right idea (regardless of how the cards are dealt) but Konami still has yet to put forward a fighting game effort. I will give them credit for snatching up the publishing rights to Skull Girls but I don't see much in terms of a committment to the genre.

Konami seems to be making the same mistake that Square Enix made a few years ago and that was handing the development tasks of a Japanese game to a Western developer. Unfortunately, it would appear that you really do get what you pay for in this industry. Square Enix and Konami as well as a few other Japanese developers are guilty of taking a tried and true Japanese franchise and handing development over to a Western studio. This unfortunately has had mixed results. Front Mission Evolved was an obvious failure to be the next Armored Core or military based shooter and Silent Hill Homecoming clearly wasn't Silent Hill. Reviews were lukewarm across the board for games that typically achieve 7 and above. Considering both of these franchises came from niche markets to begin with, it is a wonder what they were thinking. Who were they trying to satisfy? If the fanbase is niche to begin with, and new people are unlikely to jump on board BECAUSE it is a niche franchise, why try at all? You end up losing the base and since the reviews are bad, you won't attract new people to the series.

Obviously you can't count the Western market out because it is the largest market. I think what is working best right now is the EA method. No not buying up smaller studios and raping them. Square Enix has finally hit that happy medium and I hope they stick to it. By purchasing Eidos and a few other Western studios and letting them make Western games and not letting them make Japanese franchises (Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, Dragon Quest), I think they will continue to see great success.

So that is one option they could take. Buy up a small American studio and have them make American style games for Americans that are based on American franchises. Or just have them make something new.

Of course they did the smart thing and hired Platinum and pushed them as hard as possible. (scumbag kojima). I can easily hear him saying at E3 -YOU BETTER RIKE IT!

But I guess it doesn't answer the question of what the hell Konami is going to do? Silent Hill is best handled by Team Silent. Siren for PS3 is proof of that.

Zone of the Enders is ripe since mech games are finally popular again. It would be the ideal compliment to Armored Core 5 and Mechwarrior Online.

They already got little kids with Yu Gi Oh 'n stuff. Dance Dance I'm sure still fills arcades somewhere.

Maybe they need an FPS. I think a FPS RPG is in order.

Fighting and FPS are really the only two genre's that Konami hasn't done and honestly, with the right money, design, and direction it could be successful. Fighting has always been risky but FPS is a sure deal. First order of business - - Western studio make it. Obviously copycating Call of Duty will land you in the bargain bin so really think this one through.

Fighting Game I shrug at. Skull Girls may be the best it's gonna get for Konami and company. Though personally I'd love to see a Metal Gear based Fighting Game, it's probably not going to happen.

Konami used to be Metal Gear, Silent Hill, castelvania, and thier classics.

Now however, it's all Metal Gear. SH and C-vania just ain't what they used to be.

[dfsdaf]

I've seen quite a few games from Konami recently. They typically have an good amount of sleeper games.

Blades of Time, Silent Hill: Downpour, Skullgirls, No more heroes.

[Hairy Armpits]

They have games, they just have no idea how to market them, or invest in them, or promote them. Jim Sterling, as much as I have issues with his views or style at times, made a good point about them a few weeks back regarding the release of their Silent Hill titles in the same month without any promotion whatsoever.

They really don't seem to even exist, unless they have to shout "Metal Gear!" or "Pro Evolution Soccer!"

This after business Kojima became the vice president of the company no less.

[Lyonardo]

Konami, in short, bows down to Kojima.

Konami needs a new IP as soon as possible, it will happen when Kojima decides to move on from MGS series once and for all.

[Hairy Armpits]

[Lyonardo]

[InsiderHell]

[Lyonardo]

[Hairy Armpits]

I think it's not so much a matter of "trend" as it is a matter of exposure. It seems that this is what this "divide" between the Western games industry and the Japanese one has led to. It seems Japanese companies have focused most their resources and creativity and titles exclusive to Japanese audiences and milk the big franchises they know for a fact appeal to the West for the international releases (like MGS, SF etc).

[Lyonardo]

[tension]

i still consider nintendo the last of its breed.

[FRANKASTER]

well remember that konami dosn't make just console games, they also do shit like trading cards, casinos, gyms, even some health-care products, also remember they got lost of japan-exclusive shit like luv-puss. but for some reason they haven't bring Contra to home consoles, (they teased something last year but i bet my ass is just a 3ds remake) they also used to do a lot of licenced games on the early 90's some of my first game boy games where some tiny toons/ looney tunes and animaniacs, they whera average but... you know they also did cool things like the original arcade ninja turtles games and some recent shit was the battle of los angeles (was kinda cool but the cutscenes where terrible). ho there's also that thing they call silent hill...

[Lyonardo]

My fondest memories about Konami was during the SNES era. They had the best games, Turtles in Time and Sunset Riders come to mind

Oh and this one aswell:

[tension]

I think there's actually a lot of ego driven infighting in the Japanese games industry right now.

Like making Ninja gaiden 3 super easy, cancelling mega man games (and poking fun at it), handing japanese titles to western developers, japanese game directors quitting major studios and creating their own.....etc

I don't think things are goin so well.

[jdnation]

One would hope Kojima was the one driving Konami... Lord knows they need somebody!
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/jimquisition/5524-Konami