【新闻部】KONAMI -

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KONAMI发表官方声明 解释社长访谈带来的误会

　　KONAMI近日的动荡影响着全世界关注着他们的人，此前新社长早川英树曾在接受采访时因为一些话而引发了各界的讨论。早川英树主要提到公司未来“要积极在游戏机游戏里加入课金要素”和“加强手机游戏的开发”这两个发展方向，显然这个方向另之前支持他们的玩家大失所望。我也曾为大家带来了本次访谈，而近日KONAMI美国方面终于正式发表了官方声明，针对这次社长谈进行危机公关。

官方声明如下：

　　近日有不少媒体(声明所指欧美媒体)引用了一篇日本网站有关KONAMI方面的报道。但因为部分报道引用的话语缺乏语境联系，导致在我们的利益相关者、我们的官方社区、新闻界成员、我们的合作伙伴和我们的粉丝之间引起了些许骚乱。我们意识到周围的人因为我们最近的变化而产生了一些焦虑，在此我们表示深深歉意。为了进一步帮助大家更好的理解KONAMI的商业策略，我们愿意将访谈的完整英文翻译分享给大家。

　　KONAMI作为一个公司，在今年3月份进行了主要结构重组。重组的目的是为了保证能在快速更新的数字娱乐产业新游戏设计，及平台不断变化的市场环境下，让我们可以更加准确的观察到新的用户需求和市场趋势，并让我们可以迅速且有效的利用我们历史悠久的技术和诀窍进行有针对性的回应。

　　重组的过程需要重新定位我们现有的产品生产工作室，让我们的游戏开发转向一个更加集中的生产部门系统。《合金装备5：幻痛》的制作人小岛秀夫和他的团队成员正在努力的融入到新的生产部门系统中，并且努力让游戏产品更加接近完成。有关《合金装备5：幻痛》，我们已经源源不断的收到来自美国、欧洲、亚洲和全世界其他国家及地区的玩家支持，他们都热切的期盼着这款将于9月1日发售的作品。为此，我们的开发团队正在努力的工作，以保证为玩家们的期待予以回报。

　　我们也想借着这个机会向玩家们声明，《合金装备》和《寂静岭》这两个受到全球无数粉丝热爱的系列，对于我们KONAMI来说也是非常非常重要的。自从它们被创造出，多年以来我们就一直精心的培育这两个系列，同时我们也会继续推出这两个系列的后续作品，但是现阶段还不是要公布的时候。

　　KONAMI会继续接受各种挑战，并在不同平台上创造娱乐内容。不单单是手机平台，还包括家用机平台、街机平台和卡片游戏等，我们会满足不断变化的市场需求。

　　你的支持促使着我们更加努力的提高，同时我们也一如既往的向各位支持者表示深深的感谢。

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Yu-Gi-Oh! Legacy of the Duelist Announced for PS4 & Xbox One
《游戏王 决斗者遗产》正式公布 2015年夏发售

　　KONAMI日前正式公布了《游戏王》的最新游戏化作品《游戏王 决斗者遗产》，对应PS4与XboxOne平台，预计于2015年夏发售，价格为19.99美元，仅推出下载版。本作为《游戏王》初次登上次时代舞台，玩家将可以体验原作的故事情节与并玩到最新的官方卡片对决模式与最新世代的游戏王角色进行对战，其中将收录超过6600张卡片供玩家打造自己的牌组，而其中也包含最新的摇摆召唤怪兽。

　　本作中故剧情的时间轴将从初代《游戏王》延伸至《游戏王ZEXAL》，其中剧情战役模式也将收录这些故事剧情、相关人物和卡组。此外游戏中的决斗者还将包含最新TV系列《游戏王ARC-V》的人物，而官方还预定以DLC的形式收录更多《游戏王ARC-V》的内容。

　　此外游戏还支持在线对战，并且发售后会通过DLC的形式追加新的卡牌、角色等内容。

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Neymar is the lead cover star of PES 2016

   

Neymar Jr. global star of PES 2016 pack shot, as Konami reveals teaser trailer

Konami Digital Entertainment has announced that Neymar Jr. is to be lead pack star of PES 2016, with the publisher also releasing a teaser trailer, confirming a full reveal for June 12th.

Neymar Jr. heads up PES 2016 on the back of his most successful season to date. The world famous forward saw his club side win La Liga and Copa Del Rey domestically, which saw Neymar Jr. score in the final. He also went on to win the UEFA Champions League, an exclusive license in PES 2016, which completed a historic treble. Just 23 years-old, Neymar Jr. has been the golden boy of Brazil since his teen years, and now captains the national side. His wonderful and inspiring dribbling skills, together with deadly finishing and electric pace makes Neymar Jr. a current football superstar, with the promise of much more in the future. Neymar Jr. will front the pack shot for PES 2016 and all marketing materials.

“This is a real honour for me to be cover star for PES 2016" commented Neymar Jr. "The series has long been praised for its sheer level of control and utter realism and I am delighted to be working with such a talented team as Konami. I am fascinated by the huge amount of work involved in putting together the game and ensuring the world’s top players look and play just like the real things, and cannot wait to see myself in action as soon as possible.”

"Neymar Jr. is a player that perfectly fits the PES brand, and what we want to achieve" added Erik Bladinieres, European Brand Director of Football. "His unique qualities and the ability to surprise goes hand in hand with the gameplay experience in PES 2016. In our anniversary year we want to celebrate the past, while look forward to the exciting future of the brand. We'll do this with Neymar Jr. leading our campaign."

PES 2016 will be officially announced on June 12th, which will feature information of Neymar Jr. as an exclusive player reward for pre-ordering customers to be used in myClub.

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PES 2016 Launching on September 18

   

‘Love The Past, Play The Future’ - PES 2016 announced as award-winning series returns for its 20th anniversary season

Konami Digital Entertainment has announced a September 18th release date for PES 2016, marking the 20th anniversary edition of the hugely successful football series.

From its humble origins on PSOne, the PES series has leaped from format to format, adding ever more realism as it evolved. This heritage has been celebrated in PES 2016’s new tagline ‘Love The Past, Play The Future’, highlighting the series’ recent return to core PES values in last year’s PES 2015 and focusing on the many new gameplay and presentational elements that will further establish the series as the definitive football experience.

PES 2016 aims to retain its title of ‘Best Sports Game’, as voted across the world at games shows and by major media outlets in 2014, by continuing to lead the way in the recreation of ‘The Beautiful Game’. The series aims to go back to its roots to create an exciting match between users, and proudly present PES 2016 to deliver quality gameplay as per Konami’s ‘The Pitch is Ours’ mantra. From further integration of the industry-leading Fox Engine to bring the on-pitch action to life and full commitment to centre the product around creating the best gameplay experience, to the full redevelopment of Master League, every facet of the game has been enhanced to deliver yet another outstanding product.

Fresh Gameplay

• Advanced Collision System – The physicality of the modern game has been realised in PES 2016 with a significantly improved collision system, calculating how players interact and creating a unique outcome depending on the type of impact.

• Aerial Strength – With the new physicality system, aerial battles are a completely unique experience this year. Use the left stick to battle the opposition or disrupt a larger, more powerful, player; or find the best position to make the header/volley.

• 1v1 Control – In PES 2016 the 1v1 player control have been enhanced, offering a wide range of movements within the existing control structure. Response times have been improved, allowing players to manoeuvre in tight situations. This also benefits the upgraded feint moves that allow sudden directional change that can cause defenders to lose their balance. The 1on1 situations now offer a great leap in exciting table-turning outcomes. Just as the real pitch offers opportunities for those brave enough to perform, in PES 2016 players can pull off precise action, manoeuvre flexibly and pull away from the defender. Technique and timing can see a defender lose his balance, and creates great chances just as you pictured.

• Perfect Defence – Performing a tackle at the perfect time will powerfully shove the player out of the way to secure the ball. The ball will immediately be yours, creating direct turnarounds and counter opportunities.

• Intelligent Player AI – 2-3 player combination play will be available via the improved concept of team strategy, which depends on the type of tactic you set for your team. Players are no longer reliant on manually triggering a one-two, with teammates intelligently running off passes into space.

• Goal Keeper ID – In a bid to improve quality and add unique individuality in performance, new goal keeper parameters have been added that vary in Catching, Clearance, Collapsing and Deflecting. This adds character to the players, who you can count on catching the ball rather than punching, or are better at stopping close range shots.

• Celebration Control – New for the series, players have full control over goal celebrations to maximize their excitement when scoring! Prompts appear after a goal to trigger a trademark celebration, or unique actions at the press of a button.

Fundamental Changes

• New Master League – The famous and hugely popular Master League enjoys a total revamp, allowing users to immerse themselves in the managerial world of soccer. Every element has been redesigned or reworked, from the vibrant and involving menus to the new and exciting player transfer system, PES 2016 see one of the series most integral modes redefine the single-player experience.

• New Visuals – Incorporating the many advancements of the Fox Engine, the visuals have seen a huge upgrade. See the rain splash as players slide in to win possession, or the turf kick up as you strike the ball into the top corner. New night-time lighting and real turf textures are among some of the many improvements.

• Dynamic Weather – For the first time in the PES series, dynamic weather has been introduced, with the chance of rain starting during the game. Combined with the ever more realistic ball physics, the rain changes how the game can be played with passes speeding up, and less skilled players likely to struggle with trapping. The defender taken by the 1-on-1 will also be more likely to slip and fall due to incorrect studs or blades. This feature is applied to all offline modes including the Master League, and is an important element to decide the outcome of the match.

• Human Motion – Seeking to humanize player movement, 3x new animations have been added to bring the in-game superstars to life. Goalkeepers have seen an abundance of save animations added, while outfield players shoot, pass, dribble and tackle with incredible variety depending on the situation. Players complain when a foul isn't given, or lament a teammate when a pass isn't made when in open space. The new 1v1 control also benefits from this, with players being able to fool their opponents with shimmies and feints that can result in causing the opposing player to lose his balance and fall in the wrong direction!

• New Ball Physics – The past few years has seen the series make huge advancements in ball physics, and for PES 2016 new levels of realism have been reached. Each spin, bobble and ricochet has been calculated using real ball physic data, helping keep every moment in every game unique and unpredictable.

Quality Improvements

• myClub – Since the launch of the mode in PES 2015, myClub has been updated on a weekly basis, and has been further improved based on user feedback for PES 2016. The enhancement will introduce player level systems, and players exclusive to the mode. Use GP acquired through matches or myClub coins to experience realistic club management combined with players to strive to be stronger in your squad. Choose the manager, consider coaches, and build the strategy based on what you aim with your team. Build Your Team, Create Your legacy!

• Dynamic Wide Camera Angle – The new angle gives you a larger field of vision, allowing you to better plan and adjust your players to compete in aerial battles, or see the intelligent runs being made thanks to Intelligent Player AI. Depending on where the ball is on the pitch, the camera will tilt and pan accordingly to make sure the user has the best view possible during the match.

• Commentary – New commentators have been introduced for both UK and Germany, with Peter Drury and Marco Hagemann joining the PES team. A wealth of new lines and specific stories have been recorded dedicated for Master League, responding to player transfers, player growth and team performance.

• PS4 Image Importing – Edit mode is synonymous with the PES series, and further updates have been made to this hugely popular mode. PlayStation®4 and PlayStation®3 users are now able to import images into the game, thus perfectly replicating any team kit or emblem the user wishes - including managers.

Pre-Order Content



PES 2016 will also exclusively retain its use of the UEFA Champions League club competition, which was announced recently. This new three-year partnership allows Konami to feature both the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League club competitions within its many options, with both featured as individual modes or within the larger season overview upon qualification - with the UEFA Super Cup featured within the iconic Master League mode

Further details of PES 2016’s content – including a rewards program for current myClub users crossing over this year – will follow, with new information and screenshots released at E3 next week.

"PES 2016 will be the best game in the series," explained Erik Bladinieres, European Brand Director of Football, Konami Digital Entertainment. "This is solely due to the passionate feedback and support from our users and the community, which helped us get back to the core of what PES is. We truly believe with PES 2016 we will continue to celebrate the history of PES and everything it stands for, and create a new level of quality that has never been reached by any football game. Here's to another 20 years!"

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Konami making new Castlevania Pachinko featuring 'erotic violence'

   

http://www.takasago-ei.jp/pachinko/t/dracula/

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Fox Engine Director Has Left Konami, Reports Claim
Fox Engine 技术总监 Julien Merceron 证实已自 KONAMI 离职

　　近日，KONAMI 中负责 Fox Engine 的 全球技术总监 Julien Merceron 据传已自 KONAMI 离职，而之后 KONAMI 也证实了此则传闻属实。

　　Julien Merceron 在 2013 年加入KONAMI，在这之前曾在 Crystal Dynamics 与 SQUARE ENIX 任职。 在 KONAMI 的任职内他协助将 Fox Engine 投入《潜龙谍影 5（Metal Gear Solid V ）》与最新的《世界足球竞赛（Pro Evolution Soccer）》游戏中。

　　虽然目前还不知道确切的离职原因，但各方推测可能与 KONAMI 未来的发展方向有关。



Report: Fox Engine Overseer Julien Merceron Quits Konami

Julien Merceron, the man responsible for overseeing Konami's Fox Engine, has reportedly parted ways with the studio.

The news was first announced by Gameblog, though independent sources have since confirmed it to IGN.

For those unaware of who Merceron is, he joined Konami back in 2013 as the company's worldwide technology director, and it was during his tenure that the company's bespoke game engine was put into use on both Metal Gear Solid V and the most recent Pro Evolution Soccer titles.

Before that, he spent seven years working in and around Square Enix, including as CTO at IO Interactive, Eidos and Crystal Dynamics before ascending to the rank of global technology director at Square Enix itself.

Though no official news regarding why Merceron left has been announced, rumours are swirling it's due to the Japanese giant's decision to shift away from the console market and instead embrace a mobile-first future.

ign.com

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Hideo Kojima left Konami on October 9, can start new work in December



外媒报导《潜龙谍影》制作人小岛秀夫从 KONAMI 离职 官方否认并表示小岛只是休长假

　　根据美国知名杂志「纽约客（The New Yorker）」 网络版的报导，创作知名游戏《合金装备（Metal Gear）》系列的游戏制作人小岛秀夫，已于 10 月 9 日自所属的游戏公司 KONAMI 离职，这消息是由参加小岛秀夫离职送别会的不具名工作人员所透露。

　　根据不具名的工作人员透露，该离职送别会齐聚了包含多数《合金装备 5：幻痛》的开发成员以及来自其他游戏项目、曾与小岛秀夫共事的同事到场致上敬意。 但与会人员中并未看到 KONAMI 社长早川英树或是常务执行董事兼吉完聪等高层的现身。

　　报导中同时提到，虽然 The New Yorker 已与小岛秀夫取得联系，不过小岛秀夫受限于先前与公司所签订的契约条款而拒绝对此事做出任何评论。 The New Yorker 同时补充，小岛秀夫预定在 12 月竞业条款的期限到期之后，着手规划他的新职涯。

　　而另一方，根据日本 Tokyo Sports Web 网站的查证，KONAMI 官方正式否认了关于小岛秀夫即将离职的传闻。 KONAMI 发言人指称「小岛现在仍然身为社员在籍」，并澄清「现在小岛以及开发团队全体刚结束《合金装备 5：幻痛》的开发，进入了长期休假。 」关于送别会的举办则是响应「并不了解是究竟怎么回事。 」

　　日本企业在员工离职前，习惯让员工将支薪的特休假期放完以销假，不过 KONAMI 否认小岛目前是在放离职前的销假补休，表示「开发时程漫长的家用主机游戏会累积大量疲劳，开发结束后放长假的情况是很正常的。 」

　　美国游戏网站 GameSpot 今年 3 月爆料指出，小岛秀夫在《合金装备 5：幻痛》开发完成后就会离职，KONAMI 则是否定了这则报导。 但另一方面则是承认了小岛秀夫所领军的游戏开发团队「小岛制作（Kojima Productions）」因为内部改组遭到解散的消息。

　　小岛秀夫自 1986 年起开始在 KONAMI 任职。 在 30 年间推出了《掠夺者（Snatcher）》、《警察故事（Policenauts）》以及他的代表性作品《合金装备》系列游戏。 但是在 KONAMI 新任社长早川英树上任之后，受到公司经营政策改变之影响，小岛制作被收编统合回 KONAMI 本部，新任执行董事的名单上也不见小岛秀夫之名，其所经手的《沉默之丘（Silent Hill）》新作《P.T.》也胎死腹中，皆为小岛秀夫在 KONAMI 内部的动向垄罩上一层疑云。

Why Did Hideo Kojima Leave Konami?

On Friday, October 9th, Hideo Kojima left the Tokyo offices of Konami, the video-game company where he had worked since 1986, for the last time. The departure ceremony, according to one of the hundred or so guests who attended, and who asked that I not use his name, took place at Kojima Productions, the director’s in-house studio, and was “a rather cheerful but also emotional goodbye.” He said that he did not see Konami’s president, Hideki Hayakawa, or its C.E.O., Sadaaki Kaneyoshi, at the party, but some of Kojima’s colleagues from other studios showed up to pay their respects, as did many of the people who worked on his most recent directorial project, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain.

It’s likely that, after Kojima’s non-compete clause expires, in December, he will find a new studio and continue making lavishly produced games.

More at The New Yorker

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Konami says Hideo Kojima is on vacation, didn’t leave



Konami Denies Hideo Kojima Has Left, Says He's "On Vacation"

Earlier today, The New Yorker published a story reporting that Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima parted ways with Konami earlier this month. The Tokyo based game company is denying this report, saying that Hideo Kojima is still an employee and is currently “on vacation.”

According to Tokyo Sports, a spokesperson at Konami’s Tokyo headquarters said, “Currently, Kojima is a listed as a company employee [at Konami].”

Konami denied that he has left the company. “Currently, Kojima and the development team are finished developing Metal Gear Solid V and are taking a long time off from work.”

When asked about the farewell party, Konami replied, “We’re not sure what kind of thing this was.”

This pretext of a “vacation” could be a way for a long fade out, but Konami insisted, “Because the development time for console games is so long and fatigue builds up, it’s common for employees to take extended periods of time off when development is finished.”

A source close to Konami previously told Kotaku that Kojima’s contract ends this December.

kotaku.com

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KONAMI 证实已关闭担任《合金装备Online》开发的小岛制作洛杉矶工作室
http://www.4gamer.net/games/999/G999903/20151105016/

　　遭到海外媒体 Polygon 在前日揭露，KONAMI 计划关闭位于美国的「KONAMI 洛杉矶工作室（Konami Los Angeles Studio）」的传闻甚嚣尘上。 根据海外媒体实际以电子邮件向 KONAMI 致信查证，KONAMI 于信中正式证实洛杉矶工作室已遭关闭。 KONAMI 回复关闭洛杉矶工作室的正式响应为「为了企业的组织重新再造，我们判断将把产品开发的资源集中回母公司。 」至于关闭后的洛杉矶工作室从业职员的去留并未提及。



　　KONAMI 洛杉矶工作室，2013 年夏季时以「洛杉矶小岛制作（Kojima Productions Los Angeles）」之名创设，并全责开发 PS4 / PS3 / Xbox One / Xbox 360 / PC 潜行动作游戏《合金装备 5：幻痛（Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain）》中收录的《合金装备 Online（METAL GEAR ONLINE）》内容。 在 2015 年 3 月，正值 KONAMI 将《合金装备 5：幻痛》官方网站内的所有「小岛制作（Kojima Productions）」字样及商标摘除时期，洛杉矶小岛制作也随之改名为 KONAMI 洛杉矶工作室。

　　该工作室设于美国电影重镇好莱坞近郊，设立时除了游戏开发为主业外，也作为海外开发人才招揽据点，随着《合金装备 Online》的完成上线，设立约两年即吹熄了灯号。

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原担任《游戏王》卡牌游戏业务的负责人花元真一传出已从 KONAMI 离职

　　据日本网站 Gamer 的报导，原本曾经在 KONAMI 负责管理包含《游戏王》在内的卡牌业务的前第四事业本部副部长 花元真一，近期传出他以经从 KONAMI 离职的消息，并以约聘的方式转而进入另一家手机游戏公司 mobcast 负责担任新的企划项目工作。



图片取自日本网站：Gamer

　　花元真一于去年11月的人事异动之前，曾担任 KONAMI 卡牌相关事业的高级创意总监，专门负责卡牌游戏类型的产品，对于像是《游戏王》之类的卡牌游戏在市场上蓬勃发展，可说是有着相当的功绩，而在人事异动之后则担任 KONAMI 第四事业本部副部长。

　　虽然由该报导的标题中所提到的「原 KONAMI 社员 花元真一」即可得知他已经正式从 KONAMI 离职，但相较于今年小岛秀夫的相关传闻，花元真一 的离职就显的极为低调，然而这是否也代表 KONAMI 在卡牌游戏事业也出现了问题呢？ 这部份可能就只能让时间来证明了，毕竟在卡牌游戏的市场里还是有着非常多支持的玩家，而且这在 KONAMI 的娱乐事业当中也是相当重要的一环。