Konami

Konami Holdings Corporation is a Japanese entertainment conglomerate headquartered in Tokyo, founded in 1969 by Kagemasa Kozuki as an amusement machine rental and repair business. They are one of the most historically significant publishers in the games industry, responsible for franchises including Metal Gear Solid, Silent Hill, Castlevania, Contra, Frogger, Pro Evolution Soccer, Yu-Gi-Oh, and Suikoden. Their relationship with gaming has been turbulent in recent years following the public and acrimonious departure of creator Hideo Kojima in 2015 and a subsequent period where the company appeared to be retreating from major game development. They have returned to form in recent years.

Konami Key Franchises

Metal Gear Solid

Hideo Kojima’s Metal Gear Solid series is one of the most critically acclaimed franchises in gaming history. Metal Gear Solid, Sons of Liberty, Snake Eater, and Guns of the Patriots are all considered landmark titles. The public falling out between Kojima and Konami in 2015, which included removing his name from Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain’s marketing and cancelling the anticipated Silent Hills project in collaboration with Guillermo del Toro, damaged Konami’s reputation significantly. Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, a remake of Snake Eater, is currently in development.

Silent Hill

Silent Hill is one of the defining franchises in psychological horror. Silent Hill 2 in particular is considered a masterpiece. After years of dormancy, Konami announced multiple new Silent Hill projects in 2022 including the Silent Hill 2 Remake developed by Bloober Team, which released in 2024 to strong reviews and effectively rehabilitated both Bloober’s and Konami’s reputations in the horror space.

Castlevania

One of gaming’s oldest franchises, with roots in 1986. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night in 1997 is one of the most influential games ever made, defining the Metroidvania subgenre. The Netflix animated series revived mainstream interest in the franchise. Castlevania: Nocturne on Netflix has continued that. A new Castlevania game has not been announced despite fan demand.

Konami Today

Konami has returned to active game publishing with the Silent Hill 2 Remake, the Metal Gear Solid remake in development, and other projects. Their card game division through Yu-Gi-Oh remains enormously profitable. The pachinko and gaming machine business that caused so much friction with creative talent during the Kojima era continues to be a significant revenue source. Whether Konami can rebuild trust with the game development community and creative talent after the events of 2015 is an ongoing question.