Konami facts for kids
Logo used since 2003
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Headquarters in Ginza, Chūō, Tokyo
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Native name
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コナミグループ株式会社
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Romanized name
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Konami Gurūpu kabushiki-gaisha |
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Formerly
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| Traded as | |
| ISIN | ISIN: [https://isin.toolforge.org/?language=en&isin=JP3300200007 JP3300200007] |
| Industry |
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| Founded | 21 March 1969 |
| Founder | Kagemasa Kōzuki |
| Headquarters | Ginza,
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Japan
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Area served
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Worldwide |
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Key people
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| Products | List of Konami games |
| Revenue |  ¥ 262.8 billion (2020) |
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Operating income
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 ¥ 31 billion (2020) |
| ¥ 19.9 billion (2020) |
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| Owner | Kozuki family (29%) |
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Number of employees
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Konami (total) 9,038 (03/2025) Konami Digital Entertainment 1,991 (03/2025) Konami Amusement 877 (03/2025) Konami Sports 4,652 (03/2025) |
Konami Group Corporation (Japanese: コナミグループ株式会社, Hepburn: Konami Gurūpu kabushiki-gaisha), often called Konami, is a big Japanese entertainment company. It develops and publishes video games and is based in Chūō, Tokyo.
Konami also makes and sells trading cards, anime, and machines for arcades. They even have casinos and run health and fitness clubs in Japan. The company started in 1969 by Kagemasa Kōzuki, who is still the chairman.
Konami owns Bemani, known for Dance Dance Revolution, and the games from Hudson Soft, like Bomberman. Konami is one of the biggest game companies in the world. They also publish the Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game, which is very popular. Some of Konami's famous video game series include Metal Gear, Silent Hill, Castlevania, Contra, and eFootball.
Contents
Konami's Story
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Konami was founded on March 21, 1969. It officially became a company called Konami Industry Co., Ltd. on March 19, 1973. The founder, Kagemasa Kōzuki, first ran a business that rented and fixed jukeboxes. He then changed it to make arcade machines.
The name Konami comes from the first letters of three founding members' names: Kagemasa Kōzuki, Yoshinobu Nakama, and Tatsuo Miyasako. Their first coin-operated video game came out in 1978. They started selling products to the United States the next year.
Early Arcade Success
Konami became very successful with arcade games in the early 1980s. Some of their popular games were Scramble (1981), Frogger (1981), and Track & Field (1983). Many of these early games were licensed to other companies for release in the U.S.
Konami started its U.S. branch in November 1982. They began making video games for home systems like the MSX computer in 1983 and the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in 1985. Many famous Konami game series started during this time. These include Gradius, Castlevania, Contra, and Metal Gear. They also had big hits with licensed games like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Growing and Changing
In June 1991, Konami changed its official name to Konami Co., Ltd. and moved its main office to Minato, Tokyo. The company started making games for 16-bit game consoles like the Super NES in 1990.
In 1991, Konami tried a new way to stop people from copying their games illegally. In Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: The Manhattan Project for the NES, if the game was a fake copy, it would make the game much harder. Your attacks would be weaker, enemies stronger, and the final boss, Shredder, would be impossible to beat. This made pirated games very frustrating to play.
After the Sega Saturn and PlayStation came out in 1994, Konami created different game development groups. These groups made popular games like the Silent Hill series and the Metal Gear Solid series. In 1997, Konami began making rhythm games for arcades under the Bemani brand. They also started the Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game.
In July 2000, the company's English name changed to Konami Corporation. They also expanded into health and fitness by buying other companies. In 2001, Konami invested in another game company, Hudson Soft. In March 2006, Konami brought all its video game development teams together into a new company called Konami Digital Entertainment Co. (KDE).
New Directions and Growth
In 2012, Konami fully took over Hudson Soft. This added many new game series to Konami's collection, such as Adventure Island, Bonk, and Bomberman.
In April 2015, Konami decided to focus more on mobile games. They believed that "mobile is where the future of gaming lies." The company's name also changed to Konami Holdings Corporation.
In 2017, Konami announced they would bring back some of their other well-known video game titles. This happened after their game Super Bomberman R did well on the Nintendo Switch.
In early 2020, Konami moved its headquarters to the Ginza area of Tokyo. This new building has a special area for esports events and even a school for esports players.
In January 2021, Konami Digital Entertainment reorganized its teams. This was an internal change and did not affect their commitment to making video games. On July 1, 2022, Konami changed its corporate name again to Konami Group Corporation.
In April 2023, Konami opened a new studio in Osaka, Japan. This new office helps the company grow and continue making games for many years. In February 2024, Konami Digital Entertainment started its own anime studio called Konami Animation. This studio uses game technology to create anime. Its first project was a video for the Yu-Gi-Oh! 25th anniversary.
In May 2025, Konami announced a change in its arcade business. A new company, Konami Arcade Games, now handles arcade machines. Konami Amusement will focus on pachinko and pachislot machines.
How Konami is Organized
Konami's main office is in Tokyo, Japan. In the United States, they handle digital games, arcade games, and trading card games from Hawthorne, California. Their casino gaming business is in Paradise, Nevada. Konami also has offices in Australia, Europe, and Asia.
Konami's Japanese Divisions
- Konami Group Corporation: This is the main company.
- Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd.: Makes and sells mobile games, home games, card games, music, and videos.
- Konami Sports Co., Ltd.: Manages fitness clubs and sports classes.
- Konami Amusement Co., Ltd.: Makes and sells amusement machines.
- Konami Arcade Games Co., Ltd.: Makes and sells arcade machines.
- Konami Gaming Technology Co., Ltd.: Makes and sells casino gaming machines.
Konami Digital Entertainment
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Native name
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株式会社コナミデジタルエンタテインメント
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Romanized name
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Kabushiki-gaisha Konami Dejitaru Entateinmento |
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| Industry | Video games Publishing |
| Founded | March 31, 2006 |
| Headquarters | Ginza,
Chūō, Tokyo
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Japan
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| Parent | Konami |
| Subsidiaries | Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. Konami Digital Entertainment BV Konami Digital Entertainment Limited Konami Animation |
Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd. (株式会社コナミデジタルエンタテインメント, Kabushiki-gaisha Konami Dejitaru Entateinmento) is Konami's main company for developing and publishing video games in Japan. It was founded on March 31, 2006.
Digital Entertainment Branches
- Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc.: This is the North American branch.
- Konami Digital Entertainment BV: This is the European branch.
- Konami Digital Entertainment Limited: This is the Hong Kong branch.
- Konami Animation: This is the anime studio that started in 2023.
Konami's Video Games
Konami has made many popular video games. Some of their major series include:
- The action-adventure Castlevania series.
- The scary Silent Hill series.
- The action-shooter Contra series.
- The stealth-action Metal Gear series.
- The role-playing Suikoden series.
- The Bemani rhythm games like Dance Dance Revolution and Beatmania IIDX.
- The football simulation Pro Evolution Soccer (now eFootball).
Konami also made many arcade shooting games like Gradius and Time Pilot. They have also made games based on popular cartoons and movies. These include Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Tiny Toon Adventures, and The Simpsons.
Konami is also famous for its special cheat code. This code often gives players extra power-ups in their games.
Recently, FIFA announced Konami as its new official esports partner. This means the FIFAe World Cup will now use Konami's eFootball game. Players can join qualifying matches for tournaments on mobile and consoles. This partnership helps eFootball become more popular.
Movies and Computers
In 2006, Konami started making movies based on their games. They produced the Silent Hill movie. They also announced a Metal Gear Solid movie. In December 2020, it was reported that Oscar Isaac will play Solid Snake in the movie.
In 2020, Konami launched a PC gaming brand in Japan called Arespear. This brand sells desktop computers, keyboards, and headsets designed for gamers.
More About Konami
- Good-Feel: A game company started by former Konami employees.
- Treasure: Another game company started by former Konami employees.
- Ultra Games: An American company Konami used to publish games.
- Kojima Productions: An independent studio by Hideo Kojima, named after a former Konami team.
