Konami is firmly stepping back into AAA development, having announced three new Silent Hill games last year, and the company has taken another step on that road back.
It has announced the establishment of a new development studio in Osaka, which it describes as a “Creators First” location “where creators can demonstrate their full potential”. The studio will be “fully equipped with motion capture equipments and sound studios necessary for product development.”
Additionally, Konami also confirms that it’s constructing a new next-generation R&D center that will be completed by 2025, while the company is also “substantially” increasing its base salary for employees.
“In order to achieve further sustainable growth in the significantly expanding ‘entertainment’ field, Konami Group will strengthen its product development capabilities and continue to provide products and services for the next generation,” the company writes.
The three Silent Hill games Konami announced last year are all being developed in collaboration with external partners, with the Silent Hill 2 remake in Bloober Team’s hands, Silent Hill: Townfall being developed by No Code, and Silent Hill f in the works at NeoBards Entertainment. The Japanese publisher has also said that it will continue to work with other external developers for future instalments.
That said, it seems Konami is also ramping up internal development on projects. Last year, it was recruiting for internal development on several projects. The company allegedly has a Metal Gear Solid 3 remake and new Castlevania game in the works, and though the former is reportedly being developed by Virtuos, the latter is allegedly an internally developed game.