The financial results are for Konami’s first quarter, which ended June 30, of its 2018 fiscal year. While Konami saw minor revenue decreases in Health & Fitness and Gaming & Systems compared to the same quarter last year, revenue increased 18.7% in Amusement and 33.5% in Digital Entertainment. The Amusement category includes video games at arcades, but the Digital Entertainment category is where Konami’s video games fit in. The financial release mentions that Konami has “high hopes for the game industry” as it relates to Konami’s Digital Entertainment market.
Konami has previously indicated that it will continue to work on major AAA franchises like Metal Gear, Silent Hill, Castlevania, and Pro Evolution Soccer. These financial results were credited to mobile games like PES 2017 and Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links, as well as Super Bomberman R on the Nintendo Switch. So, while there is clear incentive for Konami to keep pushing in the video game market, it’s not so clear what sorts of games the company will turn out. Metal Gear Survive hasn’t won over the hearts of a lot of Metal Gear fans, and Konami’s abandonment of its Guillermo Del Toro and Hideo Kojima-led Silent Hill game may suggest its looking to take the franchise in a different direction despite high praise for P.T.
While Super Bomberman R may be a fun game for the Nintendo Switch, it’s very different from the sort of experience fans of Metal Gear or Silent Hills are hoping for from Konami. The financial results are good news for gamers still worried that Konami would pull out of the video game industry entirely, but they don’t give any clear hints at Konami pushing out more mature and cinematic games. The loss of Hideo Kojima and the Konami developers joining him all but guarantees we won’t get the sort of Metal Gear experiences we’re all used to.
For fans of Konami’s mobile games and Super Bomberman R, the picture is a lot brighter. The financial successes with these mean Konami is far more likely to continue pursuing new games in this category.
Source: Konami
