Konami used to be a very well-known name in the gaming industry, highlighted by its work with the Silent Hill and Metal Gear Solid franchises. However, with no major releases from these popular franchises making their way to gamers in recent years, the company has not been in the spotlight for quite some time. The firm"s PES football games are still being released in their usual annual release cadence, but have a relatively smaller playerbase compared to EA"s FIFA.
Recently, rumors emerged that Konami has shut down its gaming division, but the firm has now swiftly denied these allegations.
Reports of the closure of Konami"s gaming division emerged based on an official news release from January 15, in which the company highlighted some internal restructuring and personnel changes. What triggered the rumor was a statement at the bottom, which stated that Konami is dissolving three of its "Product Divisions", which were considered to be the company"s game development divisions.
Likely fueled by Konami"s quiet presence in the gaming industry, many considered this to be a submission of defeat from the firm, and an announcement that it is phasing out of game development. However, in a statement to IGN, the company has denied these rumors, saying that:
The announcement made refers to an internal restructure, with Production Divisions being consolidated. We have not ‘shut down’ our video gaming division.
The brief but clear statement indicates that this is a mere restructuring and Konami is not shutting down its game studios. However, it remains to be seen what major titles the company has in store for gamers, especially with the advent of a new console generation.