Konami president declares reboots of Castlevania, Metal Gear, and Silent Hill games a priority for the future
It has been quite some time since Konami made such a wave in the gaming space. After a highly controversial separation from acclaimed video game maker Hideo Kojima in 2015, a phase with Pachinko machines, and almost non-existent new releases, the company wasn’t exactly popular with fans and had lost a lot of goodwill.
But with the recent re-releases of classic and fan-favorite Suikoden, Castlevania, and Metal Gear games, along with remakes of Metal Gear Solid 3 and Silent Hill 2, it seems the company is finally recommitting to making amends. With Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse, Silent Hill f, and the upcoming Silent Hill: Townfall, Konami is out to prove that they’re still willing to expand on beloved franchises.
Plenty of reboots on the horizon?
In a recent interview with Nikkei Gaming, Konami President Hideki Hayakawa stated, “Rebooting these properties would be an effective way to make the most of them. In addition to Metal Gear, Silent Hill, and Momotaro Dentetsu, we are also actively developing Castlevania.” This should be great news for fans looking forward to more of Konami's beloved franchises.
With Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 2 just days away, Konami seems intent on steering the Metal Gear franchise in a new direction, similar to what they attempted with Silent Hill f. This might prove a tad more difficult, since the Metal Gear franchise’s identity is almost synonymous with Hideo Kojima. Most believe that there will never be another Metal Gear game. However, Hayakawa says, “Creators are faced with difficult decisions about what to preserve, what to change, and what new elements to add in order to expand the series. But taking on new challenges is Konami's policy, so we let them push forward in that direction”.
Konami plans to use this momentum to experiment with original games and new genres. As per Hayakawa, “we have a strong desire as Konami to create entirely new genres and works.” Rev. NOiR is a completely new IP announced in February, and Konami anticipates a lot of excitement around it. Nevertheless, Konami seems back on track, and the future of some of gaming's most cherished franchises is secure.
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