Post
The publisher that owns Metal Gear, Silent Hill, and Castlevania — and spent a decade making people wonder if it was still in the games business.
Founded in 1969 as a jukebox rental company, Konami became one of Japan's biggest publishers across arcade, console, and trading-card games. After the very public 2015 falling-out with Hideo Kojima (during the development of Metal Gear Solid V), Konami was widely accused of pivoting to pachinko machines and abandoning its console franchises. The 2020s saw a reversal: Silent Hill 2 Remake (2024, by Bloober Team) was a critical hit, the Metal Gear Solid Master Collection shipped, MGS Delta: Snake Eater is in development, and Castlevania returned via the Netflix animated series.
Example
Konami's 2015 statement that ended Kojima's tenure famously omitted his name from Metal Gear Solid V's marketing despite him being the director — a public corporate move so unusual it became a permanent cultural reference for studio mismanagement.
Why it matters
Konami is the case study for how legacy IP can be parked for a decade and then revived through external developer partnerships. The Silent Hill 2 Remake's success has made publishers reconsider mothballed franchises across the industry.
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