Konami PS4 PlayStation 4 Industry Business Culture

Konami's all but done with consoles, a report has revealed. According to French website Gameblog – with backup from Eurogamer.net – the Japanese company currently has no plans to make another Metal Gear Solid game. This contrasts with what the company said earlier in the year, when it alluded that it was recruiting a new team to replace creator Hideo Kojima and his upper staff.

Of course, it's not impossible to believe given the rumours that have been revolving around the organisation for months now. Outside of the upcoming Metal Gear Solid Online and PES 2016, the firm has a completely clean slate, with only the rights to football tournament Euro 2016 to show. It sounds like Pro Evolution Soccer is safe for now, then, but it has absolutely nothing else on the cards.

Apparently, executives have had their heads turned by the mobile market, where titles can be created for much less investment, but still make significant profits. Reports suggest that management tired of Kojima's expensive productions a while ago, with Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain reportedly costing $80 million to make. Steep, but it's critically acclaimed.

To be honest, you can't really blame Konami for wanting to move away from such lavish productions, but the toxic working environment throughout the company is more of a concern. Japanese newspaper Nikkei claimed earlier in the year that employees deemed "useless" were shamed into menial tasks, and simple things like lunch breaks were monitored exhaustively.

It's really hard to imagine the firm never pumping out another Metal Gear Solid game, but we suppose that the series just doesn't align with its business strategies anymore. And the sad thing is that this exact same sentiment applies to its rich back catalogue of brands, with the likes of Castlevania, Silent Hill, and Contra presumably put out to pasture as well. Well, unless you like pachinko machines.

[source gameblog.fr, via eurogamer.net]