Konami is back with another announcement you probably didn’t want to hear. This time around Konami has decided to get involved with Web3 and the Metaverse. The Metal Gear publisher posted a news release on its website detailing plans to recruit talent.
The news release explains that Konami wants to launch a service where players can trade in-game NFTs. This would be done through a unique distribution platform that takes advantage of blockchain technology. This platform is a first-party platform that is being developed in-house. Konami believes that its plans have the potential to “provide new experiences,” to its players.
To make this goal possible Konami intends to hire a variety of roles. These vacancies include a system engineer, a project manager, a producer, and multiple programmers. Given that there’s a total of thirteen new jobs on offer it’s clear that the company is serious about moving into Web3 and the Metaverse.
Konami is by no means the first video game publisher to engage with this trend. Electronic Arts, Xbox, Take-Two, and even Nintendo have shown interest. Meanwhile, Ubisoft and Team17 have already created purchasable NFT assets. Some indie developers such as Aggro Crab, and Ghost Town Games have spoken out against NFTs, highlighting their negative impact on the environment and potentially anti-consumer design.
Modern-day Konami
It might be relying on Web3 and the Metaverse today, but Konami was once a very different company. Throughout the ’80s and early ’90s, Konami created several all-time classics. Some examples include Frogger and Contra. It then went on to publish some incredible games like Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, Silent Hill 2, Dance Dance Revolution, and Metal Gear Solid.
However, in 2015, Konami suddenly canceled Silent Hills and announced it would be reducing its video game output. Since then, all Konami has made is the occasional Metal Gear Solid game, some terrible Pro Evolution Soccer titles, a lot of Pachinko machines, and a variety of reboots and classic collections.
