During a recent interview, Konami’s European president Masami Saso had something very interesting to say on the company’s plans for the future. Saso states that Konami “believe high-end console games are the most important” and as a result audiences can expect to see releases pertaining to “globally known IPs in the near future,” which could potentially point towards a new Metal Gear or new Silent Hill game coming soon.
The statement was made during an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, causing fans to speculate which IP Saso could be referring to. The only other Konami IP which qualifies as “globally known” is perhaps Castlevania, though, with all three of those franchises largely being left out in the cold in recent years, fans would most likely welcome any of them back with open arms.
Any hypothetical Castlevania reboot or sequel would undoubtedly draw comparisons to Konami alumni and series creator Koji Igarashi’s Bloodstained: Symphony of the Night, which is a crowdfunded release from earlier this year birthed by Konami’s past reluctance to revive the franchise. Perhaps that game’s critical and commercial success has helped the Japanese company to see potential in a Castlevania sequel, be it in the classic 2D or modern 3D vein.
A similar story follows where both Metal Gear and Silent Hill are concerned, with departed director Hideo Kojima now independently working on Death Stranding and drawing plenty of excitement whilst channeling Konami properties in the process.
Gameplay has been compared to Metal Gear on some level, and the pervasive air of mystery and cast evoke the ill-fated Silent Hills, again perhaps persuading Konami to reassess what had become an almost unwavering focus on the so-called “three pillars” of their business.
Much to the chagrin of many long-term Konami fans, those are — or perhaps now have been — mobile, PES, and esports, as outlined in the interview. Diversifying their portfolio could certainly help to improve Konami’s profits, but perhaps more importantly, win them back some favor with angry fans who feel both that they were betrayed by the company’s business shift and that some of their practices are unethical.
