Konami has announced the opening of a “major production centre” in Osaka, with the new studio “fully equipped for product development.”
Konami has opened a major new studio in Osaka, the company has announced. Called (logically enough) Konami Osaka Studio, the facility will be a place where “creators can demonstrate their full potential.”
First spotted by VGC, Konami’s press release talks about a “Creators First” concept, and adds that the studio will be kitted out with “motion capture equipments [sic] and sound studios necessary for product development.”
The words “video game” are conspicuously absent from the press release, but the announcement nevertheless reads like the latest stage in Konami’s decision to put its focus back on game development. While the Japanese firm has some of the biggest names in the medium under its IP parasol – Silent Hill, Metal Gear, and Parodius are just a few – the 2010s has seen it make headlines for casinos, pachinko machines, and reports of poor treatment of staff.
The departure of Hideo Kojima in 2015, in particular, felt like the end of an era for Konami; that same year, the company announced a major restructure, while its then-boss Hideki Hayakawa announced a new drive to make mobile games.
More recently, however, Konami has shown renewed interest in making games. Late 2022 saw it announce a string of Silent Hill projects, largely in collaboration with external studios, including the UK’s No Code. There have also been rumours that a new Castlevania title and a remake of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater are also in the works.
The opening of a major studio in Osaka is a further sign that Konami is taking an active interest in making high-profile games in-house again. Nor is it the end of the company’s plans; Konami also has a “next generation R&D centre” called Konami Creative Front Tokyo Bay, due to open in 2025.
Konami is also aware of its less-than-stellar reputation as an employer, if its latest statement is anything to go by. As well as raising its staff salaries, the company states that it’s “taken various steps to promote management emphasised on human capital, improve employee engagement, and enhance its competitiveness.”
The steps are all part of Konami’s aim to “continue sustainable growth in the next 50 years.”
Those are Konami’s plans; now we’ll have to wait and see the results.
