The developer of the upcoming Silent Hill 2 remake, Bloober Team, has stepped up to defend Konami. For years, Konami was an unstoppable juggernaut in the industry and was right up there with other publishers like Activision, Square Enix, and so on. It had its name on massively influential and important games like Silent Hill, Castlevania, Metal Gear Solid, and so much more. However, in the late 2000s and 2010s, Konami’s reputation dwindled and hit an extreme low point. The publisher was putting out less games of a high quality, severing important relationships with key talent like Hideo Kojima, and canceling the projects that could’ve probably set new benchmarks in gaming. However, it seems like Konami has learned from this and is trying to earn back the public’s trust.
Speaking with IGN, Bloober Team CEO Piotr Babieno defended Konami. Bloober Team is one of the developers helping resurrect the Silent Hill brand with a remake of the much beloved Silent Hill 2 and Babieno notes he has seen the great choices Konami is making behind the scenes to try and bring the series back. He also stated he understands where the anger and hesitation toward Konami is coming from, but thinks fans will trust Konami again in due time.
“Those people who are in charge of Konami Gaming right now, of course I can’t tell you all the details, but I believe that they do understand how gaming works,” Babieno says. “They came from companies which worked on many great projects, and I’m pretty sure that they are making great choices by choosing partners, by choosing projects…And I do understand that people are a little bit angry at Konami for the stuff which happened in the past, but I would like to say, give them the time, because they do know what they are doing.”
As of right now, Konami has really only outlined its plans for the future of Silent Hill. We don’t really officially know what’s in store for Metal Gear Solid or Castlevania, though rumors suggest both of those franchises will make a return under Konami. Ideally, we’ll hopefully hear more about this in the coming months, but it remains to be seen.
How do you feel about Konami right now? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @Cade_Onder.