Jump to content

Konami

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Konami Man)
Not to be confused with Conami or Konani.
For other uses, see Konami (disambiguation).

Konami Group Corporation
Native name
コナミグループ株式会社
Konami Gurūpu kabushiki-gaisha
Formerly
  • Konami Industry Co., Ltd. (1973–1991)
  • Konami Co., Ltd (1991–2000)
  • Konami Corporation (2000–2015)
  • Konami Holdings Corporation (2015–2022)
Company typePublic
ISINJP3300200007
Industry
Founded21 March 1969; 55 years ago (1969-03-21)
FounderKagemasa Kōzuki
Headquarters
Ginza, Chūō, Tokyo
,
Japan
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
  • Kagemasa Kozuki (Chairman)
  • Kimihiko Higashio (President)
ProductsList of Konami games
RevenueIncrease ¥ 262.8 billion[1] (2020)
Decrease ¥ 31 billion[1] (2020)
Decrease ¥ 19.9 billion[1] (2020)
OwnerKozuki family (29%)[2]
Number of employees
Konami (total)
8,941 (2022)[3]
Konami Digital Entertainment
1,874 (2022)[4]
Konami Amusement
872 (2022)[5]
Konami Sports
4,748[6] (2022)
Subsidiaries
  • Konami Digital Entertainment
  • Konami Amusement
  • Konami Gaming
  • Konami Sports Club
  • Konami Sports Life
  • Konami Business Expert
  • Internet Revolution
  • KME
  • Konami Real Estate
  • Konami Cross Media NY
  • Kozuki Foundation
Websitewww.konami.com

Konami Group Corporation (Japanese: コナミグループ株式会社, Hepburn: Konami Gurūpu kabushiki-gaisha), commonly known as Konami,[nb 1] is a Japanese multinational entertainment company and video game developer and publisher headquartered in Chūō, Tokyo. The company also produces and distributes trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, pachinko machines, slot machines, and arcade cabinets. It has casinos around the world, and operates health and physical fitness clubs across Japan.

The company originated in 1969 as a jukebox rental and repair business in Toyonaka, Osaka, Japan, by Kagemasa Kōzuki, who remains the company's chairman. Konami's video game franchises include Metal Gear, Silent Hill, Castlevania, Contra, Frogger, Tokimeki Memorial, Parodius, Gradius, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Suikoden, and eFootball. Additionally, Konami owns Bemani, known for Dance Dance Revolution and Beatmania, as well as the assets of former game developer Hudson Soft, known for Bomberman, Adventure Island, Bonk, Bloody Roar, and Star Soldier. Konami is the nineteenth-largest game company in the world by revenue.[7][unreliable source?] Konami also publishes the Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game, one of the best-selling TCG in history.

History

[edit]
The Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game is developed and published by Konami. In 2011, Guinness World Records called it the top-selling trading card game in history, with 25.2 billion cards sold worldwide.[8]

The company was founded on 21 March 1969 and was officially incorporated under the name Konami Industry Co., Ltd. (コナミ工業株式会社, Konami Kōgyō kabushiki gaisha) on 19 March 1973.[9][10] The company's founder and chairman, Kagemasa Kōzuki (also known as Kaz Kozuki),[11] ran a jukebox rental and repair business in Toyonaka, Osaka, before transforming the business into a manufacturer of amusement machines for video arcades. The name Konami is a portmanteau of the names of three founding members: Kagemasa Kōzuki, Yoshinobu Nakama, and Tatsuo Miyasako.[12][unreliable source?] Their first coin-operated video game was released in 1978, and they began exporting products to the United States the following year.[13][14][unreliable source?]

Konami began to achieve success with arcade games in the early 1980s, starting with Scramble (1981), followed by hits such as Frogger (1981), Super Cobra (1981), Time Pilot (1982), Roc'n Rope (1983), Track & Field (1983), and Yie Ar Kung-Fu (1985).[11] Many of their early games were licensed to other companies for US release, including Centuri, Stern Electronics, Sega, and Gremlin Industries. They established their U.S. subsidiary, Konami Inc. (later Konami of America Inc., and Konami Digital Entertainment Inc.), in November 1982;[15][non-primary source needed] initially based in Torrance, California, they would later move to Buffalo Grove, Illinois, in 1984 following their acquisition of arcade distributor Interlogic, Inc., with Interlogic founder and president Ben Harel serving as president of Konami Inc.[16] It was during this period that Konami began expanding their video game business into the home consumer market following a brief stint releasing video games for the Atari 2600 in 1982 for the U.S. market.[17] The company released numerous games for the MSX home computer standard in 1983, followed by the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1985.[18][19][non-primary source needed] Numerous Konami franchises were established during this period on both platforms, as well as the arcades, such as Gradius, Castlevania, Twin Bee, Ganbare Goemon, Contra, and Metal Gear, in addition to success with hit licensed games such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT). Due to the success of their arcade and NES games, Konami's earnings grew from $10 million in 1987 to $300 million in 1991.[20] The first TMNT arcade game (1989) was Konami's highest-grossing arcade game.[21]

In June 1991, Konami's legal name was changed to Konami Co., Ltd. (コナミ株式会社, Konami kabushiki gaisha) and their headquarters were relocated to Minato, Tokyo, in April 1993.[13][non-primary source needed] The company started supporting the 16-bit video game consoles during this period, starting with the Super NES in 1990, followed by the PC Engine in 1991, and the Sega Genesis in 1992.

After the launch of the Sega Saturn and PlayStation in 1994, Konami became a business divisional organization with the formation of various Konami Computer Entertainment (KCE) subsidiaries, starting with KCE Tokyo and KCE Osaka (later known as KCE Studios) in April 1995, followed by KCE Japan (later known as Kojima Productions) in April 1996. Each KCE subsidiary created different intellectual properties such as KCE Tokyo's Silent Hill series and KCE Japan's Metal Gear Solid series (a revival of the Metal Gear series on MSX). In 1997, Konami started producing rhythm games for arcades under the Bemani brand and branched off into the collectible card game business with the launch of the Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game.[22][23] Konami was not only known for its card games, it also imported into the Pachinko business. Pachinko played a huge role in Konami's success as it started to popularize new never before seen characters.[24]

In July 2000, the company's legal English name was changed to Konami Corporation, but the Japanese legal name remained the same. As the company transitioned into developing video games for the sixth-generation consoles, they branched out into the health and fitness business acquiring People Co., Ltd and Daiei Olympic Sports Club, Inc. which became Konami subsidiaries. In August 2001, the company invested in another video game publisher, Hudson Soft, which became a consolidated subsidiary after Konami accepted new third-party shares issued by them. In January 2003, Avranches Automatique began handling sales of Konami's arcade games in Europe outside the U.K. and Ireland.[25] On February 7, 2003, Betson Enterprises took over distribution and service for Konami's arcade games in the U.S.[26][27][28] Some time later, PMT Sales started handling Konami arcade game sales in the U.K. and Ireland.[25] In March 2006, Konami merged all their video game development divisions into a new subsidiary known as Konami Digital Entertainment Co. (KDE), as the parent company became a pure holding company. Their headquarters were relocated to Minato, Tokyo, in 2007.[13] On January 20, 2009, Electrocoin became the exclusive distributor and after-sale agent of Konami's arcade games in Europe, Russia, the Middle East, and Africa.[29][30]

The absorption of Hudson Soft in 2012 resulted in the addition of several other franchises including: Adventure Island, Bonk, Bloody Roar, Bomberman, Far East of Eden, and Star Soldier.[31][32]

In April 2015, Konami delisted itself from the New York Stock Exchange following the dissolution of their Kojima Productions subsidiary.[33] In a translated interview with Nikkei Trendy Net published in the following month, the newly appointed president of Konami's gaming division, Konami Digital Entertainment, Hideki Hayakawa, announced that Konami would shift their focus towards mobile gaming for a while, claiming that "mobile is where the future of gaming lies."[34] The trade name of the company was changed from Konami Corporation to Konami Holdings Corporation during the same month.[35][non-primary source needed] Konami consolidated its productions teams established in 2004 into their headquarters, including Pawapuro Production, BEMANI Production, Virtual Kiss Production, Loveplus Production, Kojima Productions and others, that year.

In 2017, Konami announced that they would be reviving some of the company's other well-known video game titles following the success of their Nintendo Switch launch title Super Bomberman R.[36][unreliable source?]

In early 2020, Konami moved their headquarters to the Ginza district of Tokyo, which includes a facility for holding esports events as well as a school for esports players.[37]

Konami Digital Entertainment's North American headquarters in Hawthorne, California

Konami announced a major restructuring of Konami Digital Entertainment on 25 January 2021, which including the dissolution of its Product Divisions 1, 2, and 3 to be reconsolidated into a new structure to be announced at a later time. Konami affirmed this would not affect their commitment to video games and was only an internal restructuring.[38] On 1 July 2022 Konami changed their corporate name again from Konami Holdings Corporation to Konami Group Corporation.[35][non-primary source needed]

In April 2023, Konami announced that it has opened a new studio in Osaka, Japan. The new offices, located in the Umeda Sky Building south building, will support the developer in its efforts both grow and endure over the coming decades. Konami suggested that the new building would be a core entity in the studio's current and future projects, noting that it hopes Konami Osaka will encourage "sustainable growth" over the next 50 years.[39]

In February 2024, Konami Digital Entertainment announced the establishment of its own anime studio called Konami Animation. The studio will invest the CG technology and know-how it fostered from game development into animation, and it plans not only to work on Konami's own intellectual properties but in other properties as well. Its first work was a PV for Yu-Gi-Oh! 25th anniversary.[40]

Corporate structure

[edit]

Konami is headquartered in Tokyo. In the United States, Konami manages its digital/arcade/trading card game business from Hawthorne, California, and its casino gaming business from Paradise, Nevada. Its Australian gaming operations are in Sydney. As of March 2019, it owns 22 consolidated subsidiaries around the world.[3]

Japan

[edit]
Konami Digital Entertainment booth at Taipei Game Show 2017
Konami Sports Club in Toyohashi. Konami Sports & Life operates fitness clubs across Japan.
  • Konami Group Corporation[41][42]
  • Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd.
  • Konami Sports & Life Co., Ltd.
  • Konami Amusement Co., Ltd.
  • Konami Real Estate, Inc.
  • KPE, Inc.
  • Konami Manufacturing and Service, Inc.
  • Konami Facility Service, Inc.
  • KME Co., Ltd.
  • Takasago Electric Industry Co., Ltd.
  • Digital Golf, Inc.: On 20 January 2011, Konami Corporation announced the acquisition of Digital Golf via share exchange. Digital Golf became a wholly owned subsidiary of Konami. The exchange became effective on 1 March 2011.[43]
  • Internet Revolution, Inc.
  • Biz Share Corporation
  • Combi Wellness Corporation
  • The Club At Yebisu Garden Co., Ltd.

Australia

[edit]
  • Konami Australia Pty Ltd (established in 1996)

America

[edit]
Konami America booth at E3 2006
  • Konami Corporation of America: Current U.S.-based holding company.
  • Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc.: former American holding company, formerly Konami of America Inc., Konami Corporation of America. On 13 October 2003, Konami Corporation of Redwood City, California, announced it was expanding its operations to El Segundo, California, under the new name of Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. The Redwood City operations have since been consolidated to El Segundo in 2007 and moved to Hawthorne, CA in 2021.[44]

Europe

[edit]
  • Konami Digital Entertainment B.V.: European-based holding company.
  • Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH: former holding company Europe, formerly Konami Limited, Konami Corporation of Europe B.V. On 31 March 2003, Konami of Europe announced it would be renamed as Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH at the start of Konami's new financial year, on 1 April 2003.[45]

Asia

[edit]
  • Konami Digital Entertainment Limited (科樂美數碼娛樂有限公司): Established in September 1994 as Konami (Hong Kong) Limited. Korea and Singapore divisions were established in October 2000. In June 2001, the company changed name to Konami Marketing (Asia) Ltd. (科樂美行銷(亞洲)有限公司). In March 2006, the company was renamed Konami Digital Entertainment Limited.[46][47]
  • Konami Software Shanghai, Inc. (科乐美软件（上海）有限公司): Established in June 2000.[48]
  • Konami Digital Entertainment Co. (주식회사 코나미 디지털 엔터테인먼트): South Korea-based game producer and distributor, originally established as the Korea branch of Konami Digital Entertainment Limited. On 1 May 2008, it became a separate company, and inherited the existing operations of the former Korea branch in June 2008.[49]

On 7 November 2005, Konami Corporation announced restructuring Konami Corporation into a holding company, by moving its Japanese Digital Entertainment Business segment under Konami Corporation. The Digital Entertainment Business became Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd. The newly established Konami Corporation was expected to begin operation on 31 March 2006.[50]

Konami Digital Entertainment

[edit]
Konami Digital Entertainment
Native name
株式会社コナミデジタルエンタテインメント
Company typeSubsidiary
IndustryVideo games
Publishing
FoundedMarch 31, 2006; 18 years ago (2006-03-31)
Headquarters
Ginza, Chūō, Tokyo
,
Japan
ParentKonami
SubsidiariesKonami Animation
Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc.
Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH
Konami Digital Entertainment Limited
KME Co., Ltd
Paseli Charger

Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd. (株式会社コナミデジタルエンタテインメント, Kabushiki-gaisha Konami Dejitaru Entateinmento) is Konami's Japanese video game development and publishing division founded on 31 March 2006.[51] Before Konami Corporation had formally changed to a holding company in 2006, various forms of Konami Digital Entertainment companies had been established either as holding company or publisher. The last of the company, the Japan-based Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd., was split from Konami Corporation during the holding company restructuring process.[52]

Subsidiaries

[edit]
  • Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc.: North American division, established on 13 October 2003.
  • Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH: European division, established on 1 April 2003.
  • Konami Digital Entertainment Limited: Hong Kong division. Established in September 1994 as Konami (Hong Kong) Limited. In March 2006, it was renamed to Konami Digital Entertainment Limited.
  • KME Co., Ltd (KME Corporation): music division established on 1 October 2010.[53]
  • Konami Animation: Anime studio established in 2023.

Technology

[edit]
Main article: Fox Engine

Former subsidiaries

[edit]

Konami Computer Entertainment Nagoya, Inc. (KCEN), founded on 1 October 1996,[54] was dissolved along with Konami Computer Entertainment Kobe, Inc. (KCEK) in December 2002.[55]

On 16 December 2004, Konami Corporation announced Konami Online, Inc., Konami Computer Entertainment Studios, Inc., Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo, Inc. and Konami Computer Entertainment Japan, Inc. would merge into Konami Corporation, effective on 1 March 2005.[56][57]

On 22 February 2005, Konami Corporation announced Konami Media Entertainment, Inc. would merge into Konami Corporation, effective on 1 March 2005.[58] On 11 March 2005, Konami Corporation announced Konami Traumer, Inc would be merged back into Konami Corporation, effective on 1 June 2005.[59]

On 5 January 2006, Konami Corporation announced the merger of Konami Sports Corporation merged with its parent company, Konami Sports Life Corporation. The parent would be dissolved under the merger, and Konami Sports would become the wholly owned subsidiary of Konami Corporation after share exchange between KC and KS. After the share exchange, KS would be renamed Konami Sports & Life Co., Ltd.[60] On 28 February 2006, Konami Sports Corporation merged with its parent company, Konami Sports Life Corporation, and became Konami Sports Corporation.[61]

On 21 September 2010, Konami Corporation announced it has signed an agreement to acquire with Abilit Corporation via share exchange. After the transaction, Abilit Corporation became a wholly owned subsidiary of Konami Corporation, effective 1 January 2011.[62][63] On 1 January 2011, Abilit Corporation was renamed to Takasago Electric Industry Co., Ltd.[64] As part of the acquisition, Biz Share Corporation also became a subsidiary of Konami Corporation.

Megacyber Corporation

[edit]

On 2 October 2006, Konami Corporation announced it had completed the acquisition of mobile phone content developer Megacyber Corporation.[65]

On 6 February 2007, Konami Corporation announced Megacyber Corporation to be merged into Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd., with Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd. being the surviving company, effective on 1 April 2007.[66]

Video games

[edit]
Main article: List of Konami games
A Dance Dance Revolution arcade machine

Major titles by Konami include the action Castlevania series, the survival horror Silent Hill series, the action shooter Contra series, the platform adventure Ganbare Goemon series, the stealth action Metal Gear series, the role-playing Suikoden series, the Bemani rhythm game series (which includes Dance Dance Revolution, Beatmania IIDX, GuitarFreaks, DrumMania, and Pop'n Music, among others), Dancing with the Stars, the dating simulation Tokimeki Memorial series, and football simulation Pro Evolution Soccer.[67]

Konami produced its shoot 'em up arcade games such as Gradius, Life Force, Time Pilot, Gyruss, Parodius, Axelay, and TwinBee. Konami's also licenses games based on cartoons, especially Batman: The Animated Series, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Tiny Toon Adventures, and the Animaniacs series, but other American productions like The Simpsons, Bucky O'Hare, G.I. Joe, X-Men, and The Goonies, and French comic Asterix all have seen release at some point in the past by Konami either on arcades and/or video game consoles.

Some cinematically styled franchises from Konami are Silent Hill survival horror franchise, and the Metal Gear series. Another successful franchise is Winning Eleven, the spiritual sequel to International Superstar Soccer. In Japan, it is known for the popular Jikkyō Powerful Pro Yakyū series baseball series and the Zone of the Enders games. The company had obtained the rights to Saw from Brash Entertainment when the game's production had been suspended due to financial issues.[68]

Konami is known for its password, the Konami Code, which traditionally gives many power-ups in its games.

FIFA recently announced Konami as its new official esports partner. This collaboration allows FIFA to host the FIFAe World Cup using Konami's eFootball instead of EA Sports FC. Players can now participate in qualifying matches for two tournaments scheduled for 2024: one for mobile and one for consoles. This partnership aims to enhance eFootball's visibility and attract new players, particularly those who were deterred by previous issues with the game.[69][70]

Film production

[edit]

In 2006, Konami started producing films based on their franchises. Konami produced the Silent Hill film (released in 2006) and announced that they will produce a Metal Gear Solid film.[71] On 4 December 2020 Deadline reported that Oscar Isaac will star as Solid Snake in the adaptation, which is currently in development at Sony Pictures with Jordan Vogt-Roberts on board to direct.[72]

Personal computing

[edit]

In 2020, Konami launched a PC gaming brand in Japan known as Arespear, which includes desktop computers, keyboards, and headsets (the last of which designed in collaboration with Konami's Bemani musicians).[73][74][75]

Controversies

[edit]

Silent Hills and reduced video game development

[edit]
See also: Silent Hills and P.T. (video game) § Legacy

Silent Hills, set to be the ninth installment of the Silent Hill video game series, was abruptly cancelled in April 2015 without explanation despite the critical acclaim and success of P.T., a playable teaser.[76][77] Hours after the announcement, Konami delisted itself from the New York Stock Exchange.[33]

Game co-director and writer Guillermo del Toro publicly criticized the cancellation as not making any sense and questioned what he described as a "scorched earth" approach to removing the trailer. Due to the experience, del Toro stated that he would never work on another video game.[78][79]

In 2015 Konami Digital Entertainment CEO Hideki Hayakawa announced that, with few exceptions, Konami would stop making console games and instead focus on the mobile gaming platform. The decision was heavily criticized by the video gaming community.[80][81][82][83][84][85] Konami UK community manager Graham Day soon after pushed back against the reporting that Konami would cease AAA game production, stating that he believed the root of the problem to be either a mistranslation or a misinterpretation of Hayakawa's remarks.[86]

Kojima Productions

[edit]
Further information: Kojima Productions § Closure

On 3 March 2015, Konami announced they would be shifting focus away from individual studios, notably Kojima Productions. Internal sources claimed the restructure was due to a clash between Hideo Kojima and Konami.[87][88] References to Kojima were soon stripped from marketing material, and Kojima's position as an executive vice president of Konami Digital Entertainment was removed from the company's official listing of executives.[89]

Later that year, Konami's legal department barred Kojima from accepting the award for Best Action-Adventure for his work on Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain at The Game Awards 2015. When announced during the event, the audience booed in disapproval of Konami's actions. Host Geoff Keighley expressed his disappointment in Konami's actions. After actor Kiefer Sutherland accepted the award in Kojima's stead, a choir sang "Quiet's Theme" from The Phantom Pain as a tribute to the absent Kojima.[90][91][92] Kojima left Konami several days afterwards, re-opening Kojima Productions as an independent company.

Treatment of employees and ex-employees

[edit]

In August 2015, The Nikkei criticized Konami for its unethical treatment of employees.[93][94][95] In June 2017, The Nikkei further reported on Konami's continued clashes with Kojima Productions, preventing the studio's application for health insurance, as well as Konami's actions in making it difficult for former employees to get future jobs; they are notably forbidden from mentioning their work with Konami on their résumés.[96][97] Konami also started filing complaints against other game companies that hired ex-Konami employees, leading to an unspecified major game company warning its staff against doing so. A former employee of Konami stated: "If an ex-[Konami employee] is interviewed by the media, the company will send that person a letter through a legal representative, in some cases indicating that Konami is willing to take them to court"; they also pressured an ex-employee into closing their new business.[97]

See also

[edit]
  • Good-Feel, an independent video game company founded by former Konami employees
  • Treasure, another independent video game company founded by former Konami employees
  • Ultra Games, an American shell corporation and publishing label formed by Konami
  • Kojima Productions, an independent studio from Hideo Kojima with the same name of the previous Konami production team

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ IPA: /koʊˈnɑːmi/ koh-NAH-mee, Japanese: [koꜜnami]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c "Financial Highlights - KONAMI HOLDINGS CORPORATION". Konami.com. 14 May 2020. Archived from the original on 5 December 2018. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
  2. ^ "Shareholders Situation:As of March 31,2016 - KONAMI HOLDINGS CORPORATION". Konami.com. Archived from the original on 9 August 2016. Retrieved 30 December 2016.
  3. ^ a b "Corporate Data - KONAMI HOLDINGS CORPORATION". Konami.com. 31 March 2019. Archived from the original on 25 September 2019. Retrieved 21 July 2019.
  4. ^ "Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd. | Konami Digital Entertainment". www.konami.com. Archived from the original on 21 February 2020. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  5. ^ "Corporate information | Konami Amusement Co., Ltd". Archived from the original on 9 December 2019. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  6. ^ "コナミスポーツ｜企業情報". Archived from the original on 22 April 2016. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  7. ^ "Top 25 gaming companies". Newzoo.com. 2015. Archived from the original on 5 January 2016. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  8. ^ "Best-selling trading card game company - cumulative". Guinness World Records. 31 March 2011. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 5 March 2014.
  9. ^ KONAMI. "Corporate Data - KONAMI HOLDINGS CORPORATION". Konami.com. Archived from the original on 25 September 2019. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
  10. ^ "Konami History". IGN. Archived from the original on 9 September 2012. Retrieved 6 August 2015.
  11. ^ a b "A Conversation With... Kaz Kozuki: the Konami chief who put TNT into video's arsenal with TMNT". RePlay. Vol. 15, no. 6. March 1990. pp. 201–2.
  12. ^ Kelvon Yeezy (2013). "The Stories Behind the Names of 15 Gaming Brands You Know". Hongkiat.com. Archived from the original on 14 July 2019. Retrieved 21 June 2015.
  13. ^ a b c KONAMI. "Corporate History - KONAMI HOLDINGS CORPORATION". www.konami.com. Archived from the original on 25 September 2019. Retrieved 2 October 2018.
  14. ^ "Konami - coin-operated machines". www.arcade-museum.com. Archived from the original on 20 November 2020. Retrieved 2 October 2018.
  15. ^ "Konami Group Corporation: Corporate History". Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  16. ^ "News: Konami Buys Interlogic". Play Meter. Vol. 10, no. 23. December 1984. p. 9.
  17. ^ "Article 12—KONAMI CES BROCHURE (1983)". VIDEO-GAME-EPHEMERA.com. Archived from the original on 3 August 2020. Retrieved 18 May 2017.
  18. ^ "MSX software catalog (1983–1986)". Konami Group Homepage (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 8 November 1996.
  19. ^ "MSX software catalog (1987–1990)". Konami Group Homepage (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 8 November 1996.
  20. ^ "75 Power Players". Next Generation (11). Imagine Media: 69. November 1995.
  21. ^ "Developer Lookback: Konami Part I". Retro Gamer. No. 53. Imagine Publishing. August 2008. p. 29.
  22. ^ "Dance Dance Revolution made watching games fun before Twitch". polygon.com. 28 September 2018. Archived from the original on 25 December 2019. Retrieved 2 October 2018.
  23. ^ "The 25 Rarest Yu-Gi-Oh Cards (And What They're Worth)". thegamer.com. 18 August 2018. Archived from the original on 28 May 2019. Retrieved 2 October 2018.
  24. ^ "Corporate History - KONAMI GROUP CORPORATION". www.konami.com. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
  25. ^ a b "The Konami Corporation of Europe B.V.: Sales". Konami. Archived from the original on 5 December 2004.
  26. ^ "KONAMI Parts and Service". Konami. 7 February 2003. Archived from the original on 2 April 2003.
  27. ^ "Konami Marketing (America)". Konami. Archived from the original on 2 June 2003.
  28. ^ "KONAMI / BETSON TEAM UP TO DISTRIBUTE "WARZAID"". Konami. 7 February 2003. Archived from the original on 10 October 2003.
  29. ^ "Konami Digital Entertainment B.V. Change in Distribution" (PDF). Konami. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 October 2009.
  30. ^ "Konami Digital Entertainment B.V. Change in After Sales Agent" (PDF). Konami. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 October 2009.
  31. ^ "5 Hudson Soft Games Nintendo Should Buy From Konami". pastemagazine.com. 28 April 2015. Archived from the original on 2 October 2018. Retrieved 2 October 2018.
  32. ^ "ゲーム一覧 - 家庭用ゲーム - Wii - KONAMI コナミ製品・サービス情報サイト". KONAMI コナミ製品・サービス情報サイト. Archived from the original on 10 November 2020. Retrieved 2 October 2018.
  33. ^ a b Brian Crecente (27 April 2015). "Konami delists itself from New York Stock Exchange". Polygon. Archived from the original on 8 November 2020. Retrieved 27 April 2015.
  34. ^ Crecente, Brian (14 May 2015). "Konami CEO: 'Mobile is where the future of gaming lies'". Polygon. Archived from the original on 8 November 2020. Retrieved 7 March 2016.
  35. ^ a b "Corporate History". Konami. Archived from the original on 25 September 2019. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
  36. ^ Zarra, Jonathan. "Super Bomberman R Sales Indicate That It's The Best Selling In Its Franchise In Nearly 20 Years". Nintendork. Archived from the original on 8 December 2017. Retrieved 15 March 2017.
  37. ^ Batchelor, James (2 September 2019). "Mobile, PES and esports: The three pillars of Konami". GamesIndustry.biz. Archived from the original on 2 September 2019. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
  38. ^ Skrebels, Joe (25 January 2021). "No, Konami Hasn't Shut Down Its Gaming Division". IGN. Archived from the original on 25 January 2021. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  39. ^ Moyse, Chris (4 April 2023). "Konami opens new studio in Osaka, Japan". Destructoid. Archived from the original on 3 April 2023. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
  40. ^ "KONAMI animation 公式サイト". KONAMI animation 公式サイト (in Japanese). Retrieved 3 February 2024.
  41. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 August 2015. Retrieved 16 September 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  42. ^ "コナミ、10月1日付けで「コナミホールディングス」に商号を変更 - インサイド". Konami.co.jp. 9 May 2015. Archived from the original on 30 July 2017. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
  43. ^ "KONAMI CORPORATION Announces that It will Make DIGITAL GOLF Inc. Its Wholly Owned Subsidiary through Share Exchange" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 April 2013. Retrieved 5 November 2011.
  44. ^ "Konami establishes new computer & video games operation based in Los Angeles, California". Archived from the original on 29 September 2006.
  45. ^ "Introducing Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH". Archived from the original on 29 May 2008.
  46. ^ "About Us (English)". Konami-digital-entertainment.hk. Archived from the original on 29 May 2015. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
  47. ^ "About Us (Chinese)". Konami-digital-entertainment.hk. Archived from the original on 1 April 2013. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
  48. ^ "科乐美软件(上海)有限公司:公司简介". Archived from the original on 27 October 2011. Retrieved 4 November 2011.
  49. ^ "KONAMI DIGITAL ENTERTAINMENT 회사 소개". Archived from the original on 28 June 2008.
  50. ^ "Announcement of Group Restructuring (Merger Between Subsidiaries, Stock Exchange with subsidiary) and Shift to Holding Company Structure by Company Separation". Archived from the original on 4 January 2011.
  51. ^ "株式会社コナミデジタルエンタテインメント - 株式会社コナミデジタルエンタテインメント". Konami.com. Archived from the original on 13 September 2017. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
  52. ^ "Announcement of group restructuring (merger between subsidiaries, share exchange with subsidiary) and shift to holding company structure by company separation - News 2005 KONAMI". 4 January 2011. Archived from the original on 4 January 2011. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
  53. ^ "KME株式会社". 29 May 2011. Archived from the original on 29 May 2011. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
  54. ^ "Company Info". ＫＣＥ名古屋ホームページ. Konami Co., Ltd. Archived from the original on 3 December 2002. Retrieved 21 August 2010.
  55. ^ "Consolidated Financial Results for the Third Quarter and the Nine Months Ended December 31, 2002" (PDF). Investor Relations. Konami Co., Ltd. 13 February 2003. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 January 2011. Retrieved 21 August 2010.
  56. ^ "Konami's Merger with Konami Online". Archived from the original on 4 January 2011.
  57. ^ "Konami's Merger with its Subsidiaries". Archived from the original on 4 January 2011.
  58. ^ "Konami – KME Merger Announcement". Archived from the original on 4 January 2011.
  59. ^ "Announcement: Merger of Konami and Konami Traumer". Archived from the original on 4 January 2011.
  60. ^ "Announcement of official agreement for group restructuring (merger between subsidiaries, share exchange with subsidiary) and shift to holding company structure by company separation". Konami.co.jp. Archived from the original on 9 June 2009. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
  61. ^ "Konami Sports & Life history". Archived from the original on 22 April 2008.
  62. ^ "KONAMI CORPORATION to Acquire Abilit Corporation through Stock Swap". Reuters. Archived from the original on 10 September 2012.
  63. ^ "Execution of Share Exchange Agreement by and between KONAMI CORPORATION and ABILITY CORPORATION" (PDF). Konami.co.jp. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 April 2013. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
  64. ^ "Abilit Corp.: Private Company Information". Investing.businessweek.com. Archived from the original on 28 December 2010. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
  65. ^ "Announcement of Share Acquisition of Megacyber Corporation". Konami.co.jp. Archived from the original on 21 February 2012. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
  66. ^ "Announcement of Merger of Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd. and Megacyber Corporation". Konami.co.jp. Archived from the original on 7 July 2011. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
  67. ^ "A league of their own: six of the best football video games". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 28 August 2018. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
  68. ^ "Saw videogame picked up by Konami?". 5 February 2009. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 6 February 2009.
  69. ^ Lang, Brad (10 October 2024). "Konami Has Officially Replaced EA As FIFA's New Esports Partner". ScreenRant. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
  70. ^ Yin-Poole, Wesley (10 October 2024). "Old Rivals Konami and FIFA Sign eFootball Esports Deal Following EA Sports Split". IGN. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
  71. ^ Thorsen, Tor (10 May 2006). "E3 06: Live-action Metal Gear Solid movie confirmed". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 13 March 2007.
  72. ^ Kroll, Justin (4 December 2020). "Oscar Isaac To Star As Solid Snake In Sony's 'Metal Gear Solid' Movie". Deadline. Archived from the original on 4 December 2020. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
  73. ^ Porter, Jon (29 July 2020). "Apparently Konami makes desktop gaming PCs now?". The Verge. Archived from the original on 30 July 2020. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
  74. ^ 株式会社インプレス (28 July 2020). "コナミ、ゲーミングPC「ARESPEAR」3機種を発売". PC Watch (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 28 July 2020. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
  75. ^ "Konami Launches a Line of Desktop PCs". PCMAG. Archived from the original on 30 July 2020. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
  76. ^ Smith, Dave. "What it's like to play the best game of 2014, which is about to disappear forever in 2 days". Business Insider. Archived from the original on 25 December 2015. Retrieved 24 December 2015.
  77. ^ Orland, Kyle (8 May 2015). "Discontinued PS4 horror demo P.T. worth hundreds on eBay". Ars Technica. Archived from the original on 25 December 2015. Retrieved 24 December 2015.
  78. ^ Parfitt, Ben (15 October 2015). "Del Toro says killing Silent Hills 'makes no f***ing sense'". MCV. Archived from the original on 5 August 2023. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
  79. ^ Kuchera, Ben. Guillermo del Toro has a simple message: 'Fuck Konami' Archived 10 May 2018 at the Wayback Machine. Polygon. Retrieved on May 10, 2018.
  80. ^ Crecente, Brian. Konami CEO: 'Mobile is where the future of gaming lies' Archived 1 June 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Polygon. Retrieved on February 11, 2018. Hideki Hayakawa: "Gaming has spread to many platforms, but at the end of the day, the platform that is always closest to us, is mobile. Mobile is where the future of gaming lies...with multiplatform games, there's no point in dividing the market into categories anymore. Mobiles will take on the new role of linking the general public to the gaming world."(Original interview in Japanese Archived 11 February 2018 at the Wayback Machine)
  81. ^ Andy, Kelly. Konami Doesn't Deserve Silent Hill Archived 5 January 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved on 4 January 2022. The Gamer.
  82. ^ Sinha, Ravi. FOX Engine Overseer Departs From Konami Archived 19 March 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved on 3 March 2021. Gaming Bolt. "Konami's worldwide technology director Julien Merceron, who oversees the FOX Engine used in so many of its games like PES 2016 and Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain, has left the company...Merceron was leaving due to the lack of 'ambitious projects' on consoles."
  83. ^ Usher, William. Konami Will Stop Making Console Games, Report Says Archived 30 January 2018 at the Wayback Machine. Cinemablend. Retrieved on January 29, 2018. "Unfortunately it appears as if Konami cutting off Kojima Productions after several years of development and an $80 million budget was so that they could quickly recoup the funds and get out of the console game production business. The whole thing leaves a very sour taste in the mouths of gamers as the realization hits home that this move from Konami may have tainted the Metal Gear legacy considering that instead of The Phantom Pain being an awesome swan song it now leaves more questions than answers in the hands of gamers...Nevertheless, it seems to be a more bitter than sweet end for a lot of Konami franchises. Silent Hills unfortunately won't get to have a proper ending like Metal Gear Solid, or Castlevania, which concluded the series with Lords of Shadow 2."
  84. ^ Fahey, Rob. What is happening at Konami? Archived 10 April 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Gamesindustry.biz. Retrieved on March 3, 2021. "How does a company like that end up ditching its New York Stock Exchange listing, its most famous developer and the eagerly awaited revival of one of its most-loved game franchises, all in the space of a month? The short answer is simple; this is what happens when a console publisher no longer finds the console game business to be worth its time and investment. After thirty years in the console business (Konami started publishing on the NES in 1985), the negative news around Konami this month is a consequence of it lurching out of the industry that made its name - and knocking over a few flowerpots on the way out."
  85. ^ McFerran, Damien. Konami's Creating A New Castlevania, But It's Not Coming To Consoles Archived 25 April 2018 at the Wayback Machine. Nintendo Life. retrieved on April 25, 2018. "Yes, we're getting a new Castlevania game - but before you get too excited, it's only coming to Apple's iOS...In the meantime, however, we can't help but feel a little disappointed that Konami isn't focusing on making this a AAA console release; the series certainly deserves that much."
  86. ^ Evangelho, Jason. Konami: 'Our Commitment To AAA Console Games Has Never Changed' Archived 4 February 2018 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved on February 9, 2018
  87. ^ "Announcing Official Organizational Restructuring and Personnel Changes". Konami-digital-entertainment.hk. Archived from the original on 4 July 2017. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
  88. ^ Ollie, Barder. "Understanding What Has Really Happened At Konami". Forbes.com. Archived from the original on 21 December 2015. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
  89. ^ Kain, Erik. "Konami Cuts Hideo Kojima From 'Metal Gear' Promo Materials". Forbes. Archived from the original on 21 December 2015. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
  90. ^ Tach, Dave (3 December 2015). "Konami prevented Kojima from attending the Video Game Awards, host says". Polygon. Archived from the original on 5 August 2023. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
  91. ^ Matulef, Jeffrey (4 December 2015). "Konami blocked Hideo Kojima from attending The Game Awards". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on 6 December 2015. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
  92. ^ Klepek, Patrick (4 December 2015). "Geoff Keighley: Konami Barred Hideo Kojima From Accepting Metal Gear Award". Kotaku. Archived from the original on 13 January 2016. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
  93. ^ "コナミ、カリスマ経営のほころび". The Nikkei. 3 August 2015. Archived from the original on 3 July 2016. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  94. ^ Good, Owen S (3 August 2015). "Japanese report says Konami is a deeply unhappy workplace". Polygon. Archived from the original on 25 April 2016. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  95. ^ Ashcraft, Brian (3 August 2015). "Report: Konami Is Treating Its Staff Like Prisoners". Kotaku. Archived from the original on 28 February 2018. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
  96. ^ "コナミを去るクリエーターたち 王国の遠心力". The Nikkei. 12 June 2017. Archived from the original on 26 June 2017. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  97. ^ a b "The Konami exodus". Nikkei Asian Review. 14 June 2017. Archived from the original on 26 June 2017. Retrieved 26 June 2017.

Sources

[edit]

Further reading

[edit]
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Konami.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Konami&oldid=1255395004"