Kojima leaves Konami to start new Studio *Confirmed*

[Deleted member 11852]

All this means is that listing for trading isn't worth the bother. The sceptical would say this is simply prevent Konami being imminently delisted should their financial situation drastically change, say for example you just fired your most successful team and just cancelled a highly anticipated game. I wouldn't say that though. No, siree!

 

[Cyan]

All this means is that listing for trading isn't worth the bother. The sceptical would say this is simply prevent Konami being imminently delisted should their financial situation drastically change, say for example you just fired your most successful team and just cancelled a highly anticipated game. I wouldn't say that though. No, siree!

Financial woes aside, it never rains but it pours it seems, because the other day Metal Gear won several prizes at Famitsu Awards but no one at Konami (nor Kojima nor anyone from his team) went there to attend the event and accept them. Don't they have money to pay for the plane to the Famitsu Awards either?

http://www.metalgearinformer.com/?p=19164

 

[Nesh]

This is not the only time Kojima and his team did not attend an event,

I have a revelation to make. In my home country Konami (or was it Kojima productions?) were planning to make a HUGE event (probably for MGSV because the game's setting partly takes place there) where Kojima and his team would have attended. Everything was set and done and it was going to be a surprise. Very very few knew about it.
The date was set also. For some reason the event was canceled near its fruition, when all necessary preparations were already made to accommodate Konami (or Kojima's team?) and the event.
The excuse they used for the cancellation was outright strange.
At the same time we got leaks that the game's launch would be in September and some time later we hear the shocking news that Hideo Kojima and his team will no longer be with Konami. Originally the game was rumored to be released earlier.
Apparently their excuse for the very sudden cancellation was covering the bitter truth

 

[Silent_Buddha]

All this means is that listing for trading isn't worth the bother. The sceptical would say this is simply prevent Konami being imminently delisted should their financial situation drastically change, say for example you just fired your most successful team and just cancelled a highly anticipated game. I wouldn't say that though. No, siree!

It's purely a money saving move. Their stock price and performance are a LONG way away from any possibility of forced delisting. As noted by other publications, many Japanese game developers have done the same in the recent past.

This is only notable because of the recent, and unrelated, events with regards to Kojima, otherwise it isn't a terribly noteworthy event.

Regards,
SB

 

[Deleted member 11852]

It's purely a money saving move. Their stock price and performance are a LONG way away from any possibility of forced delisting. As noted by other publications, many Japanese game developers have done the same in the recent past.

How does this save money?

Maybe you didn't read Konami's last quarter report dated 5 February (the next one is due next week) but they reported half the profit they reported in the previous year's quarter and their predicted income for the full FY is 19% of what it was last year. If that sounds bad consider that last year's profits were 38% profits of the preceding year. Konami's finances have not been good for a long time and are going only one way, rapidly down. PES is not highly-selling franchise, Konami just lost their A Team and cancelled a hotly anticipated survival horror game. Generally these are not good for your finances

 

[London Geezer]

I haven't seen this posted on here, so here is everything you needed to know about whatever the frack is going on at Konami... Funny and sad at the same time.

 

[dobwal]

With Kojima Pro mostly out the door, it probably will make their financials look really good for the near future. Once MGS 5 hits, the revenue will roll in without Konami having to deal with supporting Kojima Pro going forward.

Its not Kojima Pro was a prolific producer of games. Its been like 7 years since MGS4 was released and Kojima Pro was mostly putting out ports of old titles, which is work easily outsourced.

The biggest problem is how will Konami replace all the revenue MGS will generate over the next few years. Its not a guarantee that MGS without Kojima will still be a massive revenue generator for the company.

 

[Deleted member 11852]

With Kojima Pro mostly out the door, it probably will make their financials look really good for the near future. Once MGS 5 hits, the revenue will roll in without Konami having to deal with supporting Kojima Pro going forward.

Or disastrous if they ship the game then find some tricky support issue when Kojima Productions are gone. I'm fairly used to PS4 games receiving updates for bug fixes, improvements and new OS functions for months afterwards.

 

[dobwal]

Or disastrous if they ship the game then find some tricky support issue when Kojima Productions are gone. I'm fairly used to PS4 games receiving updates for bug fixes, improvements and new OS functions for months afterwards.

Hopefully they are smart not to have let all of them go. I would hate for MGS 5 to turn out to be a disaster because Konami didn't think they needed at least some staff to provide on going technical support.

 

[Nesh]

Well probably Konami is indeed run by stupid corporate figures. I had this one chance to meet Kojima in person in a surprise event that would have made MGS fans go nuts and they ruined it. We had the opportunity to eventually get a proper Silent Hill sequel in years featuring some big names of the gaming and hollywood industry and they kill it as if it was nothing. Before that they had an amazing franchise handled very well by Team Silent and they outsourced it to western houses that had no clue about Silent Hill. What good games had Konami produced the recent years that didnt carry the Kojipro logo besides Pro Evo?
Even Castlevania Lords of Shadow was designed by Kojima and it was a masterpiece in art and atmosphere. They later handed over the sequel solely to Mercury Steam and we got a mediocre sequel.
Konami was essentially Kojipro for the past years and they dismantled their best human capital for unknown reasons

 

[Silent_Buddha]

If Konami's financial situation is as dire as DSoup mentions above (I don't currently have the time to look myself), then perhaps they should try to see outside financial help. Perhaps trying to negotiate platform exclusives.

Then again looking at their current library. I don't really see anything, other than maybe MGS, that would entice any of the console developers into investing heavily into development just to secure a platform exclusive. I hadn't realized just how barebones their product lineup is now (at least for outside Japan).

Regards,
SB

 

[London Geezer]

If they're in such a mess financially, then surely they should have asked for outside cash to finance Silent Hills, which was bound to make a good return. Now it's cancelled and the only cash cow they have this year and in the foreseeable future is MGS.
If you need cash, you don't kill your cash cows!

 

[Cyan]

How does this save money?

Maybe you didn't read Konami's last quarter report dated 5 February (the next one is due next week) but they reported half the profit they reported in the previous year's quarter and their predicted income for the full FY is 19% of what it was last year. If that sounds bad consider that last year's profits were 38% profits of the preceding year. Konami's finances have not been good for a long time and are going only one way, rapidly down. PES is not highly-selling franchise, Konami just lost their A Team and cancelled a hotly anticipated survival horror game. Generally these are not good for your finances

It saddens me to see that one of the most popular franchises, PES, is not selling like it used to.

Last PES game I had was PES 2014. I also have FIFA 14. Anyways, people don't seem to realise how unrealistic football (soccer) games are nowadays. As long as you know how to use the controls any player can become a Cristiano Ronaldo in every play. This is most notably common in FIFA games.

I gotta admit that I can't stand football games these days, too fake.

I haven't seen this posted on here, so here is everything you needed to know about whatever the frack is going on at Konami... Funny and sad at the same time.

Jimquisition is pretty cool

 

[tuna]

Even Castlevania Lords of Shadow was designed by Kojima and it was a masterpiece in art and atmosphere. They later handed over the sequel solely to Mercury Steam and we got a mediocre sequel.

You got the situation wrong here. Mercury Steam did both the original and the sequel and it only had Kojima's name attached to it (for publicity reasons I would guess).

 

[DieH@rd]

Kojima was game and PR consultant. He did not contribute much to those Castlevania games.

 

[Nesh]

You got the situation wrong here. Mercury Steam did both the original and the sequel and it only had Kojima's name attached to it (for publicity reasons I would guess).

Lords of Shadow
Producers: Jose Raluy, Hideo Kojima, Dave Cox
Developers: Mercury Steam, Kojima Productions

Lords of Shadow 2
Producer: Dave Cox
Developers: Mercury Steam

 

[orangpelupa]

but isnt kojima-san famous for being perfectionist and too willing to "take the business to his own hand"?

 

[tuna]

Lords of Shadow
Producers: Jose Raluy, Hideo Kojima, Dave Cox
Developers: Mercury Steam, Kojima Productions

Lords of Shadow 2
Producer: Dave Cox
Developers: Mercury Steam

Is this supposed to add something to the discussion?

 

[joker454]

Lords of Shadow
Producers: Jose Raluy, Hideo Kojima, Dave Cox
Developers: Mercury Steam, Kojima Productions

Lords of Shadow 2
Producer: Dave Cox
Developers: Mercury Steam

Credits don't necessarily reflect people that actually worked on a game alas. Sometimes they are political, sometimes contractual, and sometimes just silly (we had strippers on a credits list once for example). It's deceptive, but it's been that way forever.

 

[DieH@rd]

(we had strippers on a credits list once for example)

We require details. In-depth highly descriptive details.