Konami returns to video games and leaves bets in Japan

A few weeks ago they presented the list of new chapters of 'Silent Hill', one of their best-selling franchises, and this week the company presented the new episode of its 'Metal Gear Solid' saga: a remake of the third installment, perhaps the most acclaimed of the entire series, and has begun to flirt with reviving 'Contra' and 'Castlevania'. It is a demonstration of a medium that continues to grow and gain strength, although some of its areas have proven not to be as profitable as previously believed.

It really makes sense. Since the game's launch in 2019, 'Metal Gear Solid V', the latest installment in the Konami saga, has sold almost 60 million copies, and that's without focusing on advertising after the game's immediate release. It is an industry that can generate more than cinema, and even has the advantage of not depending on immediate box office sales, but can live on those sales for a long time, which makes it an interesting investment. But the striking thing is to see them return to this type of big productions after focusing on lower-cost markets such as betting and mobile games.

On the ground, it's an interesting business giant, but it's also good news for media fans and company shareholders. According to the results document for the fourth quarter of 2022, mobile games had begun to drop their sales and their work with Japanese casinos is limited to the Asian country, which is definitely a limitation for a company used to having a significant presence on the Internet. international level, and the latter driven precisely by its large franchises.

THEY ARE PRODUCING GAMES AGAIN BUT NOT NEW FRANCHISES

Although they have returned to console and PC video games, their big announcements are for franchises that have already demonstrated commercial success, one of them both in the interactive medium and in the cinema (Silent Hill). In addition, the announcements include two remakes, Silent Hill 2 and Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, two of the most popular games in their respective interactive series.

KONAMI RETURNS BUT WITHOUT HIDEO KOJIMA

The truth is that Kojima and Konami are developing games specifically for the Sony PlayStation. Seen in this way, what is expected is that they have to compete with each other for the console public, fortunately for both perhaps the most popular of the new generation. It will be interesting to see how this competition plays out between one of the biggest companies in the industry and the creative that gave them their creative identity. At the same time, it would not be strange that as the company fully returns, they begin to develop work for other consoles.

In any case, it is too soon to know the details, but in principle the reaction has been quite positive, so for now there are good feelings about the future.

By Ernesto Rodríguez