Konami was once one of the biggest names in gaming. Franchises like Castlevania, Dance Dance Revolution, Metal Gear, and Silent Hill have made the publisher a household name. Unfortunately, the company’s output has greatly changed over the last few years. As the cost of development has steadily risen, Konami‘s interest in funding new games has significantly diminished. While the company still publishes games, their output is much more focused on compilations and re-releases, these days. However, a new rumor has been circulating that those IPs could be dusted off in the very near future, as Sony is apparently looking to purchase some of Konami’s most beloved franchises.
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According to the rumor, Sony is interested in acquiring Metal Gear, Castlevania, and Silent Hill. The news follows the recent reports that Sony is funding the development of a PlayStation-exclusive Silent Hill game, and the rumors surrounding an apparent resurrection of Hideo Kojima‘s Silent Hills, as well. Kojima had a very public falling out with the publisher, and the game has become something of a legend, since its playable trailer was removed from the PlayStation Store. This new rumor was first reported by a supposed former employee on 4chan, but the news has been slowly gaining a bit of steam over the last few days, as outlets such as Jack of all Controllers have weighed in.
As far as potential purchases are concerned, it makes perfect sense that Sony would be interested in these three franchises. After all, all three have a long history with the PlayStation brand, and any or all of them would be a major coup for the company. It would undoubtedly have an impact on Nintendo’s Super Smash Bros. franchise; while Microsoft seems more than eager to allow Nintendo to use Banjo-Kazooie, it seems hard to believe that Sony would be equally open to allowing Solid Snake and the Belmonts to appear in future Super Smash Bros. releases.
It should be noted that this is all rumor at this time, and even if Sony were to make Konami an offer for those franchises, there’s no guarantee that Konami would part with one, or any of them. Castlevania, in particular, has proven to be quite lucrative for the publisher, thanks to the success of the Netflix series. While Konami seems less than interested in developing new games in these franchises, it’s hard to believe that they wouldn’t want to retain them for licensing purposes. That said, this is one rumor fans might want to take with a grain of salt.
Still, the gaming industry has seen its share of buy-outs and mergers through the years. If Sony truly is looking to bolster their in-house brands, Konami’s franchises make a lot of sense. If successful, it could have a major impact on the industry moving forward.
What do you think of the rumors of Sony buying Konami brands? Would you be happy to see those franchises owned by Sony? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!
