Support NeoGAF

[Thick Thighs Save Lives]

Via TechRaptor:

Konami has announced its financial results for the 2023-24 fiscal year, and it looks like it's been a year of record profits for the Metal Gear Solid and Silent Hill publisher.

Per Konami's official statement, the company raked in a 69.6% profit increase over the previous year, bringing in 59.2 billion yen in profits and 360.3 billion in overall revenue (the latter representing a 14.6% increase over last year).

According to Konami's report, this rise was driven in large part by "record highs in the Digital Entertainment business", i.e. PC, console, and mobile games, plus ancillary titles.

In the Digital Entertainment sector in particular, Konami reports revenues of 249.1 billion yen, representing a 16.7% increase on last year's total.

Specifically, Konami says the launches of major projects like Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 and Silent Hill: The Short Message have contributed to its success (although it's worth noting that The Short Message is a free-to-play game).

Konami also points to eFootball 2024, which was released as a major update to the ongoing eFootball live-service project back in September. At least it's doing better than eFootball 2022, right?

Anime tie-in game Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel has also been received well, racking up 60 million downloads to date, according to Konami. Maybe all of this combined will finally convince the company to release another Castlevania game. We can but hope.

Konami also saw major leaps forward in the Amusement space this year, with a jump in revenue of 35.3% over last year (26.4 billion yen compared to 19.5 billion in 2023).

As you've probably guessed, "amusement" refers to pachislot and pachinko games, but it also encapsulates arcade games and even esports.

The year has been rosy enough that Konami is predicting another increase in revenue for next year, forecasting a revenue figure of 380 billion yen and a further profit increase, albeit a rather modest one at 2.2%.

 

[00_Zer0]

Revive Castlevania and don't give it to a generic western studio or Wayforward. Bring back IGA.

 

[Generic]

Revive Castlevania and don't give it to a generic western studio or Wayforward. Bring back IGA.

I would like to see a new Metroidvania by Mercury Steam

 

[Alebrije]

Konamy left consoles years ago, Yea most of said "fuck Konami". But they are business and follow the money...it seems they have been doing well without the use of their Big IPs on consoles.
They have returned with the SH and MGS remasters, of those games deliver money to them maybe they Will keep doing new games.

 

[Katatonic]

I would like to see a new Metroidvania by Mercury Steam

 

[kiphalfton]

Revive Castlevania and don't give it to a generic western studio or Wayforward. Bring back IGA.

Castlevania LoS 1 is great. It's not old Castlevania obviously, but a good solid 3D entry. How many of those are there again.

You do realize they made Metroid Dread? Right?

 

[Arachnid]

Please don't fuck up Silent Hill 2 or the MGS3 remakes.

Also, new mainline titles for both. Super hyped for SHf, but give MGS some love.

 

[kanjobazooie]

Ecclesia port, baby.

 

[Gambit2483]

This bodes well for the probability of a MGS Master Collection Vol. 2. Also still going to remain cautiously optimistic for the SH2 and MGS3 remakes.

 

[Heimdall_Xtreme]

But how is it possible, if they have done things wrong like that Silent hill mobile game.

 

[Davevil]

where is suikoden 1-2 remaster ? eh ?

 

[West Texas CEO]

Still waiting on that Suikoden goodness, though.

 

[tomato shrub]

You do realize they made Metroid Dread? Right?

It's true, they sucked the atmosphere out of Metroid with shitty music, lame environments and no interesting secrets. Not what Castlevania needs right now.

 

[TheInfamousKira]

Game company discovers that putting out products will, inevitably, make money.

 

[kiphalfton]

It's true, they sucked the atmosphere out of Metroid with shitty music, lame environments and no interesting secrets. Not what Castlevania needs right now.

Okay. What dev can reasonably do better? Emphasis on reasonable, because it don't mean shit if it's some dev that is defunct, doesn't have the bandwidth, wouldn't otherwise touch the game, some pipe dream dev, etc.

 

[March Climber]

Okay. What dev can reasonably do better? Emphasis on reasonable, because it don't mean shit if it's some dev that is defunct, doesn't have the bandwidth, wouldn't otherwise touch the game, some pipe dream dev, etc.

I don't even know why you've asked this question. You already know he's going to name a Japanese studio as an answer.

 

[nani17]

Please don't fuck up Silent Hill 2 or the MGS3 remakes.

Also, new mainline titles for both. Super hyped for SHf, but give MGS some love.

 

[CuteFaceJay]

By games pretty sure that means their gambling type.

 

[bender]

It's true, they sucked the atmosphere out of Metroid with shitty music, lame environments and no interesting secrets. Not what Castlevania needs right now.

You forgot the lame ass parry system they added to both of their Metroid efforts.

What everyone is forgetting is Konami are cheap ass bastards so as terrible of a choice as Mercury Steam would be, they are probably way more than Konami would pony up.

 

[tomato shrub]

Okay. What dev can reasonably do better? Emphasis on reasonable, because it don't mean shit if it's some dev that is defunct, doesn't have the bandwidth, wouldn't otherwise touch the game, some pipe dream dev, etc.

tbf Bloodstained was the real deal, but sadly they seemingly have become another victim of getting lost in delivering stupid Kickstarter goals forever instead of actually building a good spiritual successor franchise out of it.

 

[Miyazaki’s Slave]

I would like to see a new Metroidvania by Mercury Steam

The only thing that ruined the Lords of Shadows games was Kojima and his atrocious rat stealth sections.
THE ONLY THING!!!11111

Narrator: "There are some others but the rat thing really was the worst."

I hope Mercury Steam is working on something hot for Q2 of next year!

 

[ultrazilla]

Been waiting 32 years to play the sequel.

 

[kiphalfton]

The only thing that ruined the Lords of Shadows games was Kojima and his atrocious rat stealth sections.
THE ONLY THING!!!11111

Narrator: "There are some others but the rat thing really was the worst."

I hope Mercury Steam is working on something hot for Q2 of next year!

Not real sure WTF they were thinking for the 2nd game. I mean Gabriel literally kills monsters that are like 10x the size of some of the monsters in the sequel, that he's sneaking past. Maybe I'm forgetting some "crucial" plot point that show horned the rat stealth parts in, but even then it didn't make any sense.

 

[Miyazaki’s Slave]

Not real sure WTF they were thinking for the 2nd game. I mean Gabriel literally kills monsters that are like 10x the size of some of the monsters in the sequel, that he's sneaking past. Maybe I'm forgetting some "crucial" plot point that show horned the rat stealth parts in, but even then it didn't make any sense.

Yeah...I didn't know what was going on. I just kept dying to some frayed electrical cable walking past some sun beams or whatever it was.

 

[FoxMcChief]

It's true, they sucked the atmosphere out of Metroid with shitty music, lame environments and no interesting secrets. Not what Castlevania needs right now.

 

[Arachnid]

 

[dezzy8]

Cuz they don’t have Kojima wasting all of their money anymore.

 

[Paltheos]

It's true, they sucked the atmosphere out of Metroid with shitty music, lame environments and no interesting secrets. Not what Castlevania needs right now.

You forgot the lame ass parry system they added to both of their Metroid efforts.

What everyone is forgetting is Konami are cheap ass bastards so as terrible of a choice as Mercury Steam would be, they are probably way more than Konami would pony up.

I can get behind that kind of criticism for Samus Returns - it really is mediocre and def. the worst of the 3 versions of Metroid II - But Dread is a big improvement and a good game. Better visuals, better bosses, new&fun abilities. I replayed Dread last month and there were a few nitpicks I had: Mainly how railroaded you are sometimes which seems more like a fix for how difficult it is intuiting where to go and how much of a pain it can be to get around, but I still had fun. The replay even made me appreciate the early game blueballing.

Music still kinda sucks though, yeah. That's more important to Castlevania games than to Metroid so I wouldn't want Mercury Steam on the case if they didn't have someone to fill those shoes. Bring in Jeff Ball~ He composed the OST for Timespinner and did a really good job at capturing a Castlevania vibe, better than today's Michiru Yamane herself in Bloodstained.

 

[Kataploom]

Konamy left consoles years ago, Yea most of said "fuck Konami". But they are business and follow the money...it seems they have been doing well without the use of their Big IPs on consoles.
They have returned with the SH and MGS remasters, of those games deliver money to them maybe they Will keep doing new games.

I think the key is that they almost stopped spending on games so they can just enjoy profits of past glories

 

[Kataploom]

Please don't fuck up Silent Hill 2 or the MGS3 remakes.

Also, new mainline titles for both. Super hyped for SHf, but give MGS some love.

They will, this new studio said they were "adapting fear factor to modern audiences"... Which tells you it's gonna leave the atmospheric fear in favor of cheap jump scares in order to promote the game with dumb streamers making dumb reactions

 

[Arachnid]

They will, this new studio said they were "adapting fear factor to modern audiences"... Which tells you it's gonna leave the atmospheric fear in favor of cheap jump scares in order to promote the game with dumb streamers making dumb reactions

Oh believe me, my expectations for the remake are already at the ocean floor. Bloober has never put out a good game. I'm just hoping they surprise me.

 

[Omnipunctual Godot]

Revive Castlevania and don't give it to a generic western studio or Wayforward. Bring back IGA.

I don't know how much that would help. Bloodstained was pretty disappointing.

 

[bender]

I can get behind that kind of criticism for Samus Returns - it really is mediocre and def. the worst of the 3 versions of Metroid II - But Dread is a big improvement and a good game. Better visuals, better bosses, new&fun abilities. I replayed Dread last month and there were a few nitpicks I had: Mainly how railroaded you are sometimes which seems more like a fix for how difficult it is intuiting where to go and how much of a pain it can be to get around, but I still had fun. The replay even made me appreciate the early game blueballing.

Music still kinda sucks though, yeah. That's more important to Castlevania games than to Metroid so I wouldn't want Mercury Steam on the case if they didn't have someone to fill those shoes. Bring in Jeff Ball~ He composed the OST for Timespinner and did a really good job at capturing a Castlevania vibe, better than today's Michiru Yamane herself in Bloodstained.

My biggest problem with Dread is that it handholds the exploration by locking you out of ways to get yourself lost. It's pretty clever system but kind of robs me of what I want in these style of games. Parrying has always bugged me and that's only compounded by every game thinking they need a parry system, props to Mercury Steam for being ahead of the trend curve though. The best part of Metroid Dread to me was the movement puzzles which were a lot of fun. It's also a very nice game visually but almost everything else about the game bugs me to varying degrees. I doubt I'll ever revisit it.

 

[OneDrop_]

Still waiting for the next real Pro Evo....

 

[hemo memo]

“Games”

 

[KormaChameleon]

Please don't fuck up Silent Hill 2 or the MGS3 remakes.

Also, new mainline titles for both. Super hyped for SHf, but give MGS some love.

Keep your expectations low then you won't be as disapointed.

 

[Big Baller]

And GOTY 2024 hasnt even dropped yet

 

[CamHostage]

Wait... what games did they make? A Metal Gear repack-of-a-repack (which they screwed up), a free-to-play horror short, a soccer update, and a YuGiOh? And for that, record-breaking profits?

Man, business is wild....

 

[Spukc]

They did jack shit for ages..

NO SHIT

 

[digital_ghost]

Wait... what games did they make? A Metal Gear repack-of-a-repack (which they screwed up), a free-to-play horror short, a soccer update, and a YuGiOh? And for that, record-breaking profits?

Man, business is wild....

Panchinko profits.

 

[Badlucktroll]

I think the best way forward for metal gear would be to have a young solid snake metal gear 1 and 2 remake. the story is alredy there. Have david hayter write it and maybe even direct it. he would do it justice. and do it on unreal engine 5

 

[BlackTron]

Isn't it easy for gaming profits to be up 70% when you didn't have any games to sell before?

 

[Coolio McAwesome]

It's true, they sucked the atmosphere out of Metroid with shitty music, lame environments and no interesting secrets. Not what Castlevania needs right now.

You forgot the lame ass parry system they added to both of their Metroid efforts.

What everyone is forgetting is Konami are cheap ass bastards so as terrible of a choice as Mercury Steam would be, they are probably way more than Konami would pony up.

I can forgive the lack of atmosphere, but the overall game design was pretty atrocious. The entire point of Metroid is that you can effectively choose your own difficulty. If you take the time to explore your surroundings, you'll find more health tanks and missiles. This makes the game easier, and players are rewarded for taking the time to explore.

In Mercury Steam's Metroid games, this reward structure doesn't exist in a meaningful capacity. Having two extra energy tanks won't matter if a boss can wipe out three energy tanks in a single blow. The missiles are mostly useless too, since everything is centered around the parry system. I never felt like I was making meaningful progress when I found new items in Dread. I was chasing 100% completion, as I always do, but there was no in-game benefit to finding everything. At no point did I ever feel like I was making any progress.

 

[LavitzSlambert]

Not hard to make fistfuls of cash when you have close to zero development costs and re-release the same old games on various platforms, charging brand new prices.

 

[CamHostage]

Panchinko profits.

Yes, but Amusements is less than 10% of total revenue. 249.1 billion yen of the 360bil yen is Konami Digital, meaning vidyagames.

Panchinko profits may be a different slice, being that casinos are profit centers, but that's not the record which broke.

Isn't it easy for gaming profits to be up 70% when you didn't have any games to sell before?

Yes, but specifically, they're citing "record highs in the Digital Entertainment business". And that's revenue, not profit, so that's before you account for the loss of profit in whatever it cost to have a team slap ROMs/EXEs on a disc with a mid-grade emulator running them. Oh, and marketing.

This is the best that Konami has ever done in 55 years selling vidyagames.
(*okay, games weren't always part of their 55year history, but still, record highs. They did better business repackaging Metal Gear than they ever did having Kojima make them. )

 

[nial]

KDE has been lame as hell since 2002.

 

[ArtHands]

Konamy left consoles years ago, Yea most of said "fuck Konami". But they are business and follow the money...it seems they have been doing well without the use of their Big IPs on consoles.
They have returned with the SH and MGS remasters, of those games deliver money to them maybe they Will keep doing new games.

Maybe that's how they mark new record here

 

[SmokedMeat]

Not deserved at all.

 

[NanaMiku]

Konami is surprisingly still quite big in Japan. I see that Japanese are still excited about Power Pros

 

[AeonGaidenRaiden]

Also another way they are profiting, even if you say F Konami, is because they didnt invest 10s of millions into developing a new game. Pretty much now they are cruising on their past.