Konami says that reboots of key franchises like Metal Gear, Castlevania, and Suikoden are an important part of its business strategy going forward.
Between a very public falling out between Hideo Kojima and Konami around the release of Metal Gear Solid 5, a pivot into Pachinko machines, and a general lack of new games, the company lost a lot of stock among fans for a while. However, in recent years, thanks to well-received re-releases of Castlevania and Metal Gear games, remakes of Silent Hill 2 and Metal Gear Solid 3, as well as a number of new titles like Silent Hill f, the publisher is back among fans’ good graces.
And while Silent Hill f proved Konami isn’t just relying on remakes of already-beloved games, Metal Gear in particular is so intrinsically linked with the name Hideo Kojima for many that some don’t think we’ll ever see a new original title in the series. But speaking to Nikkei Gaming, Konami president Hideki Hayakawa seems to suggest there is a future for the series and plenty more.
“Reboots of existing IPs such as Metal Gear, Silent Hill, Castlevania, and Suikoden are important initiatives that serve as pillars of our business.” Hayakawa says, adding, “At the same time, we have a strong desire as Konami to create entirely new genres and works.”
The term “reboot” specifically evokes the idea that there will be a fresh start for Metal Gear Solid, as Silent Hill f was also detached from the main series’ established beats enough to feel like its own thing.
Of course, Hayakawa could consider Metal Gear Solid Delta a reboot, and we could just end up seeing more remakes in the series, but at the very least, it appears there is a future for Metal Gear; it’s just a matter of seeing exactly what that is.