Konami didn't shut down its gaming division — raises concerns over popular IPs

Konami
(Image credit: Konami)

Konami has been in the spotlight after releasing an announcement to investors on the Konami website that it will be "dissolving the Production Divisions to respond to the rapid market."

This quickly turned into an announcement that Konami would be dissolving its entire gaming division. Of course, concerns immediately jumped to Konami's highly-esteemed IPs, including Metal Gear Solid, Silent Hill and Castlevania.

It was later revealed in a statement by Konami released to IGN that it had not shut down its gaming division, "The announcement made refers to an internal restructure, with Production Divisions being consolidated."

Konami is going through a restructuring, effective February 1, with the announcement also showing executives that previously had run the Production Divisions had either been placed in a new position or running a Production Department. Trimming the fat of divisions, so to speak. 

No shut down, no change in IPs

Konami's accidental misdirection caused concern for its own IPs, seeing as its gaming division hasn't announced any upcoming Triple A sequels or titles, with it's latest title being Frogger in Toy Town for iOS (not hate for Frogger intended).

Fans have spoken up about their thoughts, and despite Konami's gaming division not shutting down, they still believe certain IPs should be taken off Konami's hands. 

Konami has seen success with its development of mobile games including its Pro Evolution Soccer, along with the controversial Metal Gear Solid pachinko machines back in 2016. However, In 2019, Konami's European president Masami Saso stated, "Even with new platforms coming out, we believe high-end console games are the most important."

We still haven't heard of any upcoming IPs since, despite the many rumours of Silent Hills being remade. Still, this fluster of news may give Konami the kick it needs to bring back some favourites for next-gen consoles

Darragh Murphy
Editor

Darragh Murphy is fascinated by all things bizarre, which usually leads to assorted coverage varying from washing machines designed for AirPods to the mischievous world of cyberattacks. Whether it's connecting Scar from The Lion King to two-factor authentication or turning his love for gadgets into a fabricated rap battle from 8 Mile, he believes there’s always a quirky spin to be made. With a Master’s degree in Magazine Journalism from The University of Sheffield, along with short stints at Kerrang! and Exposed Magazine, Darragh started his career writing about the tech industry at Time Out Dubai and ShortList Dubai, covering everything from the latest iPhone models and Huawei laptops to massive Esports events in the Middle East. Now, he can be found proudly diving into gaming, gadgets, and letting readers know the joys of docking stations for Laptop Mag.