Konami

Konami Digital Entertainment is a top international video game developer that publishes games for mobile devices as well as gaming consoles like the Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation 4.

Among the top franchises produced by the company include Pro Evolution Soccer, Metal Gear Solid, Silent Hill, Castlevania, and DanceDanceRevolution. Additionally, Yu-Gi-Oh! TRADING CARD GAME, which has sold over 25 billion cards globally, is also produced by them.

About the Company

Video game developer and entertainment firm Konami Group Corporation is based in Japan. It not only creates and sells video games but also anime, trading cards, arcade cabinets tokusatsu, pachinko machines, and slot machines. They run health and fitness facilities across Japan and own casinos all over the world. It is the world’s nineteenth-largest( by revenue) game developer.

Kagemasa Kozuki, who is still the company’s chairman, founded the company in 1969 as a jukebox renting and maintenance business in Japan. The three founding members’ names—Kagemasa Kozuki, Yoshinobu Nakama, and Tatsuo Miyasako—were combined to create the name Konami. The company is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. It runs its video game division in California and its casinos division from Paradise in Nevada in the United States. The company has 22 consolidated subsidiaries worldwide.

History

Konami was established in 1969, and in 1973, it was formally incorporated under the company name Konami Industry Co. Kagemasa Kozuki, the company’s founder and chairman, had a jukebox renting and maintenance business in Toyonaka, Osaka, before expanding it to become a producer of amusement devices for video arcades.

After releasing the first ever coin-operated video game in 1978, they started distributing products to the US the following year. Scramble, Frogger, Super Cobra, Time Pilot, Roc’n Rope, Track & Field, and Yie Ar Kung-Fu marked the beginning of Konami’s popularity with arcade games during the early 1980s. For US distribution, several of their early games were licensed to firms including Stern Electronics, Sega, and Gremlin Industries. In 1982, they founded Konami of America, Inc., their American subsidiary.

After a brief stint of releasing video games on the Atari 2600 for the American market in 1982, Konami started growing its gaming business into the home consumer sector at this time. In 1983, the business produced a series of games for the MSX home computer system, and in 1985, it did the same for the Nintendo Entertainment System. During this time, Konami established a number of successful franchises on both platforms and in the arcades, including Twin Bee, Gradius, Ganbare Goemon, Castlevania, Metal Gear, and, Contra, in addition to hugely popular licensed titles like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT).

Controversy

In 2015, The Nikkei slammed Konami for its improper treatment of its employees. In 2017, The Nikkei published more information about Konami’s ongoing disputes with Kojima Productions. These conflicts have prevented the studio from obtaining health insurance, and Konami has made it challenging for former employees to find new employment.

In particular, they are not permitted to mention their time spent working for Konami on their resumes. Additionally, Konami began complaining about other game developers who employed former Konami personnel, which led to a well-known large game developer cautioning employees against doing the same.

An ex-Konami employee claimed that if an ex-employee is interviewed by the mainstream press, the corporation will send that individual notice through a legal adviser, in some instances implying that Konami is prepared to take them to court. Another ex-Konami worker claimed the company pressured them into shutting down their new business.

Founder and Chairman – Kagemasa Kōzuki

Konami, a Japanese entertainment corporation, was founded by industrialist Kagemasa Kozuki, who also serves as its chairman. His other name is Kaz Kozuki. In 1969, Kagemasa Kozuki established Konami Industry Co. In 1973, the business started creating amusement equipment for arcades.