Konami Plans No More Metal Gear or AAA Games - Rumor

[John Keefer]

Konami Plans No More Metal Gear or AAA Games - Rumor

The loss of Hideo Kojima may have been the beginning of the end for Konami as we know it, as rumors surface that AAA games will no longer be coming from the publisher, including Metal Gear titles.

Rumors have been circling around Konami for the last several months, and few of them good. From the removal of Kojima's name [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/141524-Kojima-Productions-Disbandment-Confirmed-By-Voice-Actor] from the box of Metal Gear Solid V, the signs have been building that something was happening deep within the hierarchy of the Japanese publisher.

Now rumors have surfaced [http://www.gameblog.fr/news/53518-konami-arrete-les-jeux-aaa-console-aucun-metal-gear-en-prepa] that Konami may be halting all AAA game production in favor of mobile titles and its Winning Eleven/Pro Evolution Soccer franchise. The rumors also say that Technology Director Julien Merceron, who was a driving force in the Fox Engine for the Metal Gear Solid series, has left the company over a dispute with management on the future direction of the company.

According to the report from the French site Gameblog, and supposedly confirmed by Eurogamer [http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2015-09-18-konami-ceases-triple-a-console-production-on-all-but-pes-report], no new Metal Gear titles are in the works, and the only AAA game in pre-production is PES. And apparently no AAA game is on the horizon before 2017. There is no mention of the Castlevania or Silent Hill franchises either.

Now, that's not to say that Konami might not license those franchises out to third-party developers, but at this point, unless you like PES or mobile games, Konami could have very well dropped from the landscape as a company that video game enthusiasts would keep track of.

Keep in mind that this is all rumor and "sources" at this point, and we have reached out to Konami PR for some sort of official comment. We will update if we hear anything back.

Source: Eurogamer [http://www.gameblog.fr/news/53518-konami-arrete-les-jeux-aaa-console-aucun-metal-gear-en-prepa#at_pco=smlwn-1.0&at_si=55fbd757d7d1feb7&at_ab=per-14&at_pos=0&at_tot=1])





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[Mikeybb]

I'm starting to think that right now the best possible resolution for all would be Konami licensing out or selling on their IP for games.
With Kojima gone and the developer you mention, Merceron, heading for the hills it seems like any will to make games has fled the company.
Tone at the top will drive out what little remains.

 

[Something Amyss]

They pretty much had nothing I cared about anyway. Especially now that we have a "spiritual successor" to Castlevania upcoming.

 

[Karadalis]

PULL THE LEVER!

Seriously thats not that surprising.. seeing how konami is lead by the business equivalent of pinky from pinky and the brain. And brain just left the company.

Are they seriously believing that they as a company can actually grow by focusing on bloody gambling machines? Oh well...

Darwinism in the gaming industry seems to be actually a thing... go figure

 

[Aiddon_v1legacy]

I get the feeling they're just going to dig themselves into a hole what with obsessing over short-term profits which always lead to bad decisions from a fiscal perspective.

 

[Charli]

I've seen those rumors and they're all but confirmed, employee testimonials and respected game journalists have been peddling this bike the last few months.

I'm inclined to believe it's true. In which case, cya later konami it was nice...not really being into any of your games I guess.
Except I suppose Yu-gi-oh when I was 15. Whom I was only interested in because of the show and manga back in the day anyway so whatever keep your little card game.

 

[Callate]

I can't say it would surprise me. Maybe some day they'll come back onto the market when the scene is different and management has changed. Or when they no longer have well-remembered IP to shamelessly turn into pachinko/slot machines.

It's kind of a pity, but to be honest, they haven't been doing honor to most of their franchises for some time now. It sounds like the relative successes of Metal Gear Solid 5 have occurred around and despite the company culture and management, rather than because of them, and Castlevania and Silent Hill really just haven't had a chance.

 

[Adam Locking]

Lets be honest, all of us were expecting this already. A shame it had to be this way. That said, I haven't played, but I hope MGS V works as an ending to the franchise because I don't think anybody could pick up the reins of it.

The actual ending for the game was cut, but the cutscenes and bits of art are available on the collectors edition/youtube. It still raises enough questions for another game though.

 

[visiblenoise]

Yea, they'd better not try to make more Metal Gear on their own...

 

[Soviet Heavy]

HIT THE LEVER

*Pachinko machine starts wailing Snake Eater*

 

[hermes]

I don't think so.
Maybe Konami is out of the scale of AAA that MGS generally are (which would be the best case scenario), but I don't think we are not going to keep getting the regular PES or some cheap Castlevania spin-off.

 

[Sniper Team 4]

This is still considered a rumor? I thought we all agreed that Konami had up and quit. A pity, because it means that I'll probably never get another Suikoden game. I really liked that series.

 

[Ishigami]

Yes please go away Konami.
Finally someone leaves. And don't come back.

 

[happyninja42]

PULL THE LEVER!

Seriously thats not that surprising.. seeing how konami is lead by the business equivalent of pinky from pinky and the brain. And brain just left the company.

Are they seriously believing that they as a company can actually grow by focusing on bloody gambling machines? Oh well...

Darwinism in the gaming industry seems to be actually a thing... go figure

Hey, don't bad mouth Pinky or Brain by comparing them to Konami. At least Brain's plans would mostly make sense, they just wouldn't work. And Pinky was more intelligent than we give him credit for. xD

 

[Scars Unseen]

Although such a move wouldn't surprise me, I'm not sure I believe the rumor just yet, as Konami only just recently ran a survey asking people what they wanted regarding different game franchises, even going back to franchises such as Gradius and Sunset Riders.

I'll wait until confirmation, but I suppose the reality is that they aren't until they are. It's not like they'll suddenly not own the IP to any of those games.

 

[Dr. Thrax]

Konami gets most of its money from video game themed pachinko machines nowadays, it's really only a matter of time.
We can pretty much say "Buh-bye" to all their IPs, unless we plan on playing pachinko.

 

[Sheo_Dagana]

So Konami basically goes the way of Capcom, but worse. And I doubt they'll release their hold on the intellectual properties they own back into the hands of their creators so that we, the fans, can continue to enjoy them even if Konami has no interest in making the money.

I compare Konami to Capcom because, like Capcom, Konami holds licensing to many of my most beloved game franchises, all of which will have to reinvented elsewhere. Also, Capcom cashing in on Mega Man by allowing Fox to make a live action movie may as well be them making a goddamn pachinko machine.

If this rumor proves true, which we've all pretty much been expecting it at this point anyway, not only will I be sad to see Castlevania and Silent Hill go by the wayside (I don't care about spiritual successors), but I will most of all lament the fact that Metal Gear Solid V will be the final entry in the series.

 

[IamLEAM1983]

PULL THE LEVER!

Seriously thats not that surprising.. seeing how konami is lead by the business equivalent of pinky from pinky and the brain. And brain just left the company.

Are they seriously believing that they as a company can actually grow by focusing on bloody gambling machines? Oh well...

Darwinism in the gaming industry seems to be actually a thing... go figure

I'm just itching for someone at Konami to pull an Ocean Marketing, at this point. Is there a Japanese equivalent to the 'roided-up blue-collar bro with delusions of self-importance and an oblivious relationship with his customer base?

 

[Ylla]

Oh Konami.... We arent mad at you because of the pachinko machines or because you want to make mobile games.

We are mad at you because you threat your talent like crap and because you dont want to make more AAA games.

Why oh why you fools couldnt just look at Bethesda for instance? They suddenly decided to make a mobile game, and they had the nerve to announce it right after Fallout 4. Did we got mad? NO, WE WERE HAPPY, BECAUSE WE WERE GETTING AN AWESOME GAME AND THE STUDIO WAS GETTING EVEN RICHER FARMING THOSE MOBILE WHALES!!

You dig yourselves a hole doing exactly the opposite of what Bethesda did to turn itself into a respectable publisher. All you needed to do was support Kojima and make Silent Hills, then build a bunch of acceptable mobiles games (and pachinko machines, if they pay for the next Castlevania then why the hell not?) and get insanely rich and loved by your fans.... But you didnt