Konami getting out of console games

[Flare]

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2 ... -at-konami

Apperentally it's because it's console games aren't selling, whereas it's mobile games are.

[Helios Leinheart]

You know, Capcom has had some shitty business practices during that last and current generation of gaming, but at least they're still trying to make games that people love. I am amazed that Konami, a company that used to have a passion for great video games, is actually so business minded that they would stoop down to mobile games. And I'm not even talking about THEIR shitty business practices. They're so bad that they pushed away Hideo Kojima and Koji Igarashi, two of the most iconic creators in the industry. It's like a king who is terrible to his most trusted and skilled knights to the point that the defect to another kingdom.

RIP Konami. You are officially dead to me.

[Pierce]

While I'm disappointed that Konami's opting out of the console game franchise, they still have my personal appeal in one remaining outlet (Slot Machines that is).
Personally, it seems as though alot of the top video game companies are going to crap lately with the business downpour, let alone Konami. I mean, games lately are overpriced, the peripherals are crap and gimmicky, season passes are outrageous wallet-gougers with little to offer as well and the total lack of PR (Public Relations) in any of them. Seems as though every time I get into video game politics, it becomes this negative corporate greed mindset and completely losing sight of what it is to enjoy a game...

[Scrapmaster]

Now we can only hope that the game developers like Hideo Kojima works fin a better publisher.

They also cancelled Silent hill...they're dead to me too.

[Helios Leinheart]

Now we can only hope that the game developers like Hideo Kojima works fin a better publisher.

They also cancelled Silent Hills...they're dead to me too.

Sorry, that was going to bug me all day if I didn't.

[Phantom77]

Now we can only hope that the game developers like Hideo Kojima works fin a better publisher.

They also cancelled Silent Hills...they're dead to me too.

Sorry, that was going to bug me all day if I didn't.

Yep, quite a shame really. It's kinda like Keiji Inafune and Mega Man with Capcom.

I suppose we'll just have to hope the creators that left Konami find better opportunities elsewhere.

[Blake81]

Ho boy... it seems all the stars of the golden age are coming crashing down...

First I gotta say I'm pretty surprised; I was always sure that Square or Capcom would be the first ones to fall, so it sorta surprises me to see Konami leading the way.

Nonetheless, what is Konami without IGAvania-sensei and Kojima? An empty husk, that is. Lately, I've started to make the mental analogy between the Stars of the Golden Age of Games and the Roman Empire on its last decades...

They're the weakened remnants of what once was a grand empire, surrounded by the ruins of their days of glory and with nothing else but the memories of their heyday times.

It really makes you think. How many of those legendary minds from the game world still remain in the company that made them famous? I can only think of Shigeru Miyamoto, and if he ever decides to turn around and leave, god... we'll see the end of an era.

Still, with games, it's not the brand on the box, it's the stuff inside. And with projects like what IGA-sensei is pulling with Bloodstained (Holy Wall Chickens! Two Millions of greenbacks in two days! My jaw made a crater on the floor.) and what is coming soon with Inafune-sensei's MN9 (hope it's as good as the hype was), I think that we'll see a shift in power to happen in the game world soon enough....

Sadly for Konami, it's not easy for today's Game Companies to compete in the Mobile Market, as for every paid game, there are roughly 20 of the same genre and overall experience. So unless you pull a groundbreaking masterpiece, you won't earn half as good as you did in Console World. IMHO, I think they're setting their own gravestone here.

[Scrapmaster]

They'l all go to kickstarter, seems to be the Trend now.

I ain't complainin though, I JUST WANT THOSE GOOD TIMES BACK...

[KillMoves]

Speaking of Keiji Inafune and Kickstarter, I haven't heard of Mighty No. 9 since its announcement and hype on Kickstarter.

P.S. Who do you think is going next? Square-Enix or Nintendo? Don't know what Square is up to right now but Nintendo's selling FE if like it's Pokemon Black and White.

[Kaijin]

Karma is a cruel mistress huh...

Konami literally killed series like Suikoden, Zone of the Enders and Silent Hill, degraded series like Pro Evolution Soccer/Winning Eleven and Castlevania into nothing more than jokes, squeezed the Metal Gear series until they became light novels and blatantly ostracized oustanding series like Rocket Knight/Sparkster, Goemon and Gradius.

You reap what you sow, fare thee well Konami... You won't be missed.

.P.S.:

but Nintendo's selling FE if like it's Pokemon Black and White.

You already said why Nintendo won't ever go out of business... When things don't go the way they expected, they simply exploit and squeeze dry their second parties like Intelligent Systems (Fire Emblem), Game Freak (Pokémon) or HAL (Kirby).
...And in the nigh impossible case that Nintendo found themselves in a critical situation they would simply stop focusing on big consoles and focus entirely on portable ones.

.P.S.II:

Speaking of Keiji Inafune and Kickstarter, I haven't heard of Mighty No. 9 since its announcement and hype on Kickstarter.

As a backer I can tell you that they're still working on it (every now and then they send mails related to Mighty nº9's development).

[Severontous]

Kojima was going to save silent hill, but now it will never see the light of day. I wonder if he will create his own dev startup.

[Blake81]

I wonder if he will create his own dev startup.

Considering how well his colleague IGA is doing, it wouldn't surprise me the least.

[Feathers]

n the age of Kickstarters? yeah probably, I see more and more people want to get paid before finishing the work these days.

[Pierce]

In the age of Kickstarters? yeah probably, I see more and more people want to get paid before finishing the work these days.

Granted they don't end up pulling a Phil Fish with FEZ2 (Cancelling a project yet collecting the money), then sure.

[Helios Leinheart]

I can't wait to see the fools Konami makes of themselves at E3 this year. It's coming up pretty soon I think.

[Flare]

Konami doesn't even have a press conference scheduled for E3, if that says anything.

[Pierce]

I'll take that as a "Save yourself the embarrassment and don't show at all."

[Blake81]

Add the ''and save yourself from the Torch&Pitchfork wielding masses of betrayed MGS and Silent Hill fans who'll come at you with unwavering vengeance''.

Seriously, I've see people react in a certain way to that cancellation. And once that settles down, vengeance comes....

[musical74]

I find it interesting that Konami jumped ship to go with mobile gaming, and it looks like that has come back to bite them in the ass, HARD

[Blake81]

Currently, the Mobile Market is the Capital of Indieland. For every paid game, there are 20 free games, and even if 10 of those are Shovelware, people simply doesn't notice the big titles anymore. (Not to mention that search engines on places like the Appstore or Google Play are useless for finding games.)

I'll drop in these two videos which pretty much sum up what Konami is about to face.

[youtube]E7lD97BxMN0[/youtube]

[youtube]ZfUfUc9fANc[/youtube]

And as you see, this isn't an problem they can tackle on just by pushing UP UP DOWN DOWN LEFT RIGHT LEFT RIGHT B A START...