Konami Corporation

Moby ID: 99

AKA +
  • Konami Co., Ltd. (from 1991-06 to 2000-05)
  • Konami Industry Co. Ltd. (from 1969-03 to 1991-06)

Overview edit · view history

Konami Corporation was founded on March 21, 1969 in Osaka, Japan by Kagemasa Kozuki, who currently serves as Chief Executive Officer. It was initially a jukebox rental and repair service. In March 1973 the company was renamed Konami Industry Co. Ltd., and began manufacturing amusement machines. The company assumed its current name in 1991. Since then, it has grown into a large international corporation focused on a wide variety of entertainment and lifestyle technologies and products, from video games to fitness clubs, from toys to gaming machines.

By 2002, Konami was generating over $1.7 billion in revenues, making it one of the largest and fastest-growing companies in the industry. Publicly traded since 1988 on the Tokyo Stock Exchange and the Osaka Securities Exchange, and listed on the NYSE in 2002, Konami now has over 2000 employees, with offices in North and South America, Europe and Asia, and several studios in Japan. The worldwide headquarters are located in Tokyo, Japan. The main U.S. offices are located in Redwood City, California.

During a span of many years, the company produced a large amount of popular games and game franchises in different genres, including Metal Gear, Contra, Frogger, Castlevania, Silent Hill, Suikoden, and more. Many of Konami's products have received prestigious awards in the industry for innovation, quality and sales.

In 2005 Konami Corporation merged with six of its subsidiaries:

On 30th March 2006 the company shifted its Japanese video game enterprise at a new subsidiary, Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd., and Konami Corporation shifted to the holding company.

Credited on 748 Games from 1978 to 2023

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Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Version (2023 on Windows, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch...)
Contra: Anniversary Collection (2019 on Windows, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch...)
Castlevania: Anniversary Collection (2019 on Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One...)
Anniversary Collection: Arcade Classics (2019 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch...)
Castlevania Requiem: Symphony of the Night & Rondo of Blood (2018 on PlayStation 4)
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate (2013 on Windows, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3...)
Silent Hill: HD Collection (2012 on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Xbox One)
Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D (2012 on Nintendo 3DS)
Metal Gear Solid: HD Edition (2011 on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PS Vita...)
Contra: Evolution (2011 on Arcade, Android, iPad...)
Super Scribblenauts (2010 on Nintendo DS)
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow (2010 on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3)
PES 2011: Pro Evolution Soccer (2010 on Windows, PlayStation 2, Xbox 360...)
Contra (2010 on DoJa)
Konami Classics Vol. 1 (2009 on Xbox 360)
Konami Classics Vol. 2 (2009 on Xbox 360)
Tomena Sanner (2009 on Wii, iPhone)
D.Gray-man: Sōsha no Shikaku (2008 on PlayStation 2)
Dance Dance Revolution Universe (2007 on Xbox 360)
Metal Gear: 20th Anniversary (2007 on PlayStation, PlayStation 2, PSP)

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History +

August 2, 2006

The company closes Konami Computer Entertainment Hawaii, Inc. as the result of a reorganization of the company and to shift resources to its L.A. and Las Vegas facilities.

April 21, 2006

Konami first became involved with movie production with the release of the 2006 film Silent Hill based heavily upon the Silent Hill franchise thanks to the involvement of Konami's Team Silent.

October 2005

Konami Corporation merges with (and therefore absorbing) its subsidiary Konami Marketing Japan, Inc.

June 2005

Konami Corporation merges with (and therefore absorbing) its subsidiary Konami Traumer, Inc.

April 11, 2005

The company becomes the new majority stockholder of Hudson Soft as they raise their shares from 45% to 54%.

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Trivia +

Konami has a secret code which is used in a lot of games. The famous code combination is Up-Up-Down-Down-Left-Right-Left-Right-B-A. Results vary per game. SNES often used L and R instead of B and A, and on the PlayStation they were replaced by the Square/Triangle/Cross/Circle buttons.

There's even a Californian rock band called Up-Up-Down-Down-Left-Right-Left-Right-B-A and the punk band The Ataris named a song after the code on the album "End Is Forever".

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